ABSTRACT
To measure depuration of any of the compounds, exposed fish were transferred to another aquarium containing fresh Instant Ocean. The use of bioaccumulation factors as an estimate of potentially harmful effects of organic chemicals is important in studies of biological effects in aquatic systems, however, it has not been extensively evaluated or used with marine organisms. Water, biota, and sediment samples were collected at various estuaries and harbors on the Texas Gulf coast, at New Bedford, Plymouth, and Boston Harbors, Massachusetts, and at Portland, Maine. Sorption of pollutants onto sediment may thus decrease the exposure of animals that do not ingest sediment. Although most industrial and petroleum-shipping activity is along the Fore River, the most polluted sediment samples were those obtained from Back Cove. The concentration of pollutant in the water was regulated by adjusting the flow rate of the peristaltic pump.
