| Autor: |
Meijer, S.N., Shoeib, M., Jantunen, L.M.M., Jones, K.C., Harner, T. |
| Předmět: |
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| Zdroj: |
Environmental Science & Technology. 4/1/2003, Vol. 37 Issue 7, p1292. 8p. 1 Diagram, 4 Charts, 7 Graphs, 1 Map. |
| Abstrakt: |
The use of methyl reft-butyl ether (MTBE) in reformulated gasoline in motorized watercraft can lead to the presence of both unburned MTBE and fossil fuel combustion products in aquatic environments. MTBE has been added to unleaded gasoline to decrease vehicular carbon monoxide emissions in the atmosphere since the 1980s. Fluoranthene is among the most prevalent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) identified in the exhaust of internal combustion engines, and it has toxic effects on organisms in the presence of near-ultraviolet radiation. Because the interactions between MTBE and PAHs were not known, the toxicities of MTBE and fluoranthene together in fish were studied. Four-day-old fathead minnow larvae were exposed to combinations of fluoranthene and MTBE in a laboratory system under simulated sunlight for 96 h. Fish exposed to both MTBE and fluoranthene experienced higher mortality as compared to fish exposed only to fluoranthene. Fish exposed to MTBE alone did not exhibit increased mortality as compared to no-exposure controls. Co-exposure to MTBE was associated with significantly increased uptake rates and significantly decreased elimination rates for fluoranthene. The bioconcentration factor in fish exposed to 20 µg of fluoranthene/L in the presence of 40 µg of MTBE/L was 1.7-2.2 times higher than that for fluoranthene alone. The observed pattern of mortality reflected the different body residues of fluoranthene in fish. We conclude that, because of enhanced bioconcentration factors, the photoinduced toxicity of fluoranthene and potentially other PAHs will be greater in aquatic environments where reformulated gasoline containing MTBE is utilized in motorized watercraft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Databáze: |
GreenFILE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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