Tributyltin Bioconcentration from Solution and Suspended Sediments by Oysters, with a Comparison with Uptake in a Field Experiment

The bioconcentration of tributyltin (TBT) by oysters was examined in laboratory and field experiments. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) in laboratory experiments ranged from 5940 to 15 460 for uptake from solution (TBT concentration: 283 ng l-1 in experiment 1; 415 ng l-1 in experiment 2), while the BCF for uptake from suspended sediment (TBT concentration in water + sediment: 259 ng l-1) was 9179. The BCF for the field experiment was 21 971, which is of a similar order of magnitude to values derived from laboratory experiments. Time to 90% of equilibrium was estimated to be 42–49 d in the laboratory compared with an estimated 56 d to equilibrium in the field.