Test No. 305: Bioaccumulation in Fish: Aqueous and Dietary Exposure
This Test Guideline describes a procedure for characterising the bioconcentration
potential of substances in fish, using an aqueous (standard and minimised tests) or
dietary exposure, under flow-through conditions (but semi-static regimes are permissible).
Independent of the chosen exposure method, the bioconcentration fish test test consists
of two phases: exposure (uptake) and post-exposure (depuration). During the uptake
phase (usually 28 days but can be extended), a group of fish of one species is exposed
to the test substances at one or more chosen concentrations (depending on the properties
of the test substance). For the depuration phase they are then transferred to a medium
free of the test substance, or fed with clean, untreated feed. A depuration phase
is always necessary unless uptake of the substance during the uptake phase has been
insignificant. In addition to the test concentration, a control group of fish is held
without the test substance. The minimised aqueous exposure test is not run over a
shorter period than the standard test but comprises less fish sampling. The dietary
exposure bioconcentration fish test is used for substances where the aqueous exposure
methodology is not practicable. In the three test methods the concentration of the
test substance in the fish is followed through both phases of the test: the aqueous
exposure test yields a bioconcentration factor (BCF) and the dietary approach yields
a biomagnifications factor (BMF); greater emphasis is put on kinetic BCF estimation
(when possible) next to estimating the BCF at steady state. BCF and BMF are expressed
based on the total concentration in fish, i.e. per total wet weight of the fish, and
as normalized to a fish with a 5% lipid content.
Published on October 02, 2012Also available in: French
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