Author(s)

M. Panzieri, N. Marchettini & E. Tiezzi

Abstract

Studying the bioaccumulation of chemicals in aquatic organisms: PCBs in fish 1O^ 1O i n Margherita Panzieri'' , Nadia Marchettini' , Enzo Tiezzi ' * Department of Chemical an d Biosystems Sciences and Technology, University of Siena, Italy. ^A.R.C.A. Onlus (Associazione Ricerca e Consulenza Ambientale), Italy. Abstract PCBs are mixtures of chlorinated biphenyls with different degrees of chlorination, are hydrophobia chemicals, very persistent and bioaccumulative in aquatic organisms, especially in fishes that are at the end of the food chain and are the final receptors of toxicants. PCBs can be classified as narcotics: they produce no change in the biophase and elicit anesthetic reversible effects. Bioaccumulation in fish can occur through the food chain (biomagnification) and through partitioning between the water environment and the fish body (bioconcentration) and depends both from the physicochemical properties of the che

Keywords