Food WebSpecific Biomagnification of Persistent Organic Pollutants

Kelly, Barry C.; Ikonomou, Michael G.; Blair, Joel D.; Morin, Anne E.; Gobas, Frank A. P. C.

doi:10.1126/science.1138275

Cited by 1,055Toxic Organic Pollutants ImpactEnvironmental Toxicology and EcotoxicologyMercury impact and mitigation studies

Food WebSpecific Biomagnification of Persistent Organic Pollutants

Kelly, Barry C., Ikonomou, Michael G., Blair, Joel D., Morin, Anne E., Gobas, Frank A. P. C.·2007·Science

DOI 10.1126/science.1138275

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Abstract

Substances that accumulate to hazardous levels in living organisms pose environmental and human-health risks, which governments seek to reduce or eliminate. Regulatory authorities identify bioaccumulative substances as hydrophobic, fat-soluble chemicals having high octanol-water partition coefficients (K(OW))(>/=100,000). Here we show that poorly metabolizable, moderately hydrophobic substances with a K(OW) between 100 and 100,000, which do not biomagnify (that is, increase in chemical concentration in organisms with increasing trophic level) in aquatic food webs, can biomagnify to a high degree in food webs containing air-breathing animals (including humans) because of their high octanol-air partition coefficient (K(OA)) and corresponding low rate of respiratory elimination to air. These low K(OW)-high K(OA) chemicals, representing a third of organic chemicals in commercial use, constitute an unidentified class of potentially bioaccumulative substances that require regulatory assessment to prevent possible ecosystem and human-health consequences.

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Authors: Kelly, B. C., Ikonomou, M. G., Blair, J. D., Morin, A. E., & Gobas, F. A. P. C.
Affiliations: Fisheries and Oceans Canada (CA)
Corresponding author: Gobas, Frank A. P. C.
ORCID: Kelly, Barry C.
Gobas, Frank A. P. C.
Venue: Science
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Published: 2007-07-13
Volume: 317
Issue: 5835
Pages: 236-239
ISSN: 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
1095-9203
DOI: 10.1126/science.1138275
OpenAlex: W2078527697
Cited by: 1,055
References: 24
Citations by year: 2026: 50 · 2025: 47 · 2024: 70 · 2023: 67 · 2022: 87 · 2021: 76 · 2020: 79 · 2019: 61 · 2018: 60 · 2017: 61 · 2016: 61 · 2015: 51 · 2014: 38 · 2013: 44 · 2012: 44
FWCI: 29.04
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Science (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Mercury impact and mitigation studies
Keywords: persistent organic pollutants, biomagnification, food webs, octanol-water partition coefficient, octanol-air partition coefficient, bioaccumulation, trophic levels, aquatic food webs, human health risk, environmental regulation
MeSH terms: Animals, Canada, Environmental Pollutants, Fishes, Humans, Hydrocarbons, Invertebrates, Mammals, Respiration, Vertebrates, Food Chain, Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions

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