Toxicokinetics of chlorobenzenes in fish

Abstract

Abstract In acute toxicity tests with guppies (Poecilia reticulata), lethal effects were found for 1,2,3-tri-, 1,2,3,4-tetra-, and pentachlorobenzene if the concentrations in the fish approached 2.0 to 2.5 μmol/g fish. The lethal concentrations were equal for the three test compounds and were independent of the exposure conditions. The lethal concentrations of chlorobenzenes in guppies were equal to those previously found for polychlorinated biphenyls in goldfish but approximately two times higher than those found for chlorinated phenols in goldfish. Combinations of the exposure times and exposure concentrations causing mortality can be described and readily predicted with a first-order bioconcentration model.