AbstractMussels,Mytilus edulis, were exposed in a daily static renewal protocol to five different l‒14Cbis(tributyl)tin (TBT) concentrations: 23, 45, 63, 141 or 670 ng L‒1. The time course of accumulation in four tissues (gills, viscera, adductor muscle and mantle) was determined for a period of 2 to 7 weeks. The pattern of uptake was strongly concentration‒dependent. In both 23 and 45 ng L‒1concentrations, an apparent steady state was reached within two weeks. At exposure concentrations of 63 ng L‒1and above, tissue burdens did not reach a steady state within an observation period of six weeks and increased in proportion to exposure concentration. TBT concentrations in tissues were ranked as follows: gills » viscera>adductor muscle ≈ mantle, with gill concentrations consistently dominating those in other tissues throughout exposure. Bioconcentration factors for TBT in mussels were greater (estimated to be in the range of 1,500 to 7,300) than would be predicted from theKowvalue. These studies suggest thatM. eduliswould be a potentially useful sentinel organism for TBT above a threshold concentration in the marine environment. This threshold appears to be near a value that distinguishes areas receiving direct inputs of antifouling paints from those
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