SYNCHRONOUS FLUORESCENCE SPECTROMETRY OF FISH BILE - A RAPID SCREENING METHOD FOR THE BIOMONITORING OF PAH EXPOSURE

The uptake of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by fish can be determined by screening the gall bladder bile for PAH metabolites. Conjugated 1-hydroxy pyrene is a major metabolite in bile of fish exposed to PAH polluted sediment. Synchronous fluorescence spectrometry is presented as a rapid screening technique for the determination of this compound: the complete analysis takes only 2 3 min. HPLC with fluorescence detection was used to validate the assay. Calibration methods, using either free 1-hydroxy pyrene or the pyrene-1-glucuronide conjugate as a reference standard, were investigated. The technique was applied to a mesocosm study in which the uptake of PAHs by flounder (Platichthysflesus) from polluted sediment was studied. Direct contact with the sediment proved the most important factor; the uptake through water phase or diet was less significant. The usefulness of 1-hydroxy pyrene analysis in bile as a monitoring tool for PAH exposure is discussed.