Bioaccumulation, biotransformation and DNA binding of pahs in feral eel (Anguilla anguilla) exposed to polluted sediments: A field survey

Samples of sediment and eel taken from six sites in Amsterdam with different levels of water pollution were analyzed for 16 parental PAHs In addition, biliary PAH metabolites and hepatic PAH‐DNA adducts were determined in the eel to evaluate biomomtoring techniques for PAH exposure There was a clear difference between PAH profiles in sediments and eel Mainly two‐ and three‐ring PAHs were detected in eel, whereas four‐ring PAHs predominated in the sediments Because PAH bioaccumulation was highest in eel from the reference sites, tissue levels of the parental PAH are probably not the most accurate monitor of PAH exposure in fish An elevated excretion of 1 OH pyrene (determined by synchronous scan fluores cence) was observed in the bile of fish from three of the four polluted sites, indicating that this parameter may be used as a biomarker for PAH exposure A significant increase in PAH‐DNA adduct levels (determined by ³²P postlabeling) was observed in the liver of eel from all polluted sites Therefore, this parameter seems to be a sensitive biomarker for exposure to mutagenic and carcinogenic PAHs