Dietary transfer of fluoranthene from an estuarine oligochaete (Monopylephorus rubroniveus) to grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio): Influence of piperonyl butoxide

The objective of this study was to determine the potential for dietary transfer of sediment-associated fluoranthene from tubificid oligochaetes (Monopylephorus rubroniveus) to grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio). Grass shrimp, either in the presence or absence of sublethal waterborne concentrations of the metabolic inhibitor, piperonyl butoxide (PBO), were fed fluoranthene-dosed oligochaetes for 5-days. All grass shrimp bioaccumulated fluoranthene; however, bioaccumulation was 3X higher in the presence of PBO. Trophic transfer coefficients (TTCs) were 0.02 and 0.01 in the presence and absence of PBO, respectively. Following the 5-day accumulation period, shrimp in both treatments were allowed to depurate for 3 days. Depuration rates were significantly higher in PBO-exposed shrimp. These results demonstrated that sediment-associated fluoranthene can be transferred through the diet from oligochaetes to grass shrimp, and the presence of PBO enhanced fluoranthene bioaccumulation. However, the comparatively low TTCs suggest that biomagnification of fluoranthene in estuarine food webs is low.