Uptake from Sea Water and Clearance of 14 C- p , p ′-DDT by the Marine Copepod Calanus finmarchicus

• Published in: Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada
• Main Authors: Harding, Gareth C. H., Vass, W. Peter
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1977
• Subjects: General Medicine; Calanus finmarchicus; Copepods
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f77-027; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f77-027

It is impossible to measure the uptake rate of p,p′-DDT by copepods from sea water directly since uptake and depuration occur simultaneously. Copepods were found to lose p,p′-DDT exponentially in flowing sea water with a rate constant of k j = 0.048/day; [Formula: see text]. Five experiments were performed to obtain uptake rates with DDT concentrations ranging from 32.5 to 1337 pptr in sea water. Copepod uptake of p,p′-DDT from sea water is amply described by a single-compartment model, [Formula: see text], which accounts for influx and efflux of DDT. Calculated influx rate constants, k i , varied between 1.5 and 2.7 × 10 3 /day. These results enable prediction of DDT levels in nonfeeding copepods if the concentration of DDT in sea water is known.