Toxicity and bioaccumulation of soil PCBs in crickets: Comparison of laboratory and field studies

Abstract

Abstract Laboratory and field studies were used to investigate toxicity and bioaccumulation of PCBs in crickets exposed to contaminated soil A 14-d laboratory soil bioassay with the house cricket (Acheta domesticus) yielded an LC50 of 1,200 ppm Aroclor 1254 Mean whole body concentrations of Aro-clor 1254 in exposed crickets were 11, 48, 92, 149, and 144 ppm for soil test concentrations of 100, 250, 500, 1,000, and 2,000 ppm, respectively A whole body concentration of about 150 ppm appears to be a threshold concentration above which acute mortality will be observed House crickets placed in cages on a PCB contaminated landfill accumulated 1 6 and 0 9 ppm of PCBs (whole body concentration) after 3 and 7 d of exposure, respectively Although this represents a rapid uptake of PCBs, whole body concentrations remained considerably below levels expected to cause acute mortality Abundance of another species, the field cricket (Gryllus pennsylvamcus), was investigated using pitfall traps placed at the PCB contaminated landfill and a reference site No adverse effect on abundance was observed at the contaminated site, nor was pitfall trap success correlated to soil PCB concentration These data indicate that PCBs in soil can rapidly move into epigeic fauna but that the likelihood of acquiring sufficient body burdens to cause acute mortality is low