Modeling bioaccumulation using characteristic times.

A new formulation of existing mass balance models for bioaccumulation is derived and applied to organisms that respire either water or air. This model employs characteristic time parameters and equations that are mathematically equivalent to those used in existing concentration-rate constant and fugacity models. The equivalence of these traditional formulations and the novel formulation is demonstrated. In all three formulations, the required information includes various physiological and dietary parameters as well as chemical concentrations in food and in the respired medium of water or air. Chemical properties are described by the octanol-water or octanol-air partition coefficient and a metabolic biotransformation half-life. Bioaccumulation, biomagnification, and all uptake and loss rates are expressed using characteristic times that have readily identifiable chemical or biological significance. The ability of the characteristic time formulation to provide an evaluation of the bioenergetic consistency of organism properties is briefly discussed. The model is applied illustratively to a trout as a water-respiring organism and to a wolf as an air-respiring organism, and the results are discussed. It is concluded that the use of characteristic time parameters and equations provides valuable additional insights regarding the relative importance of the various uptake and loss processes and, thus, is complementary to the conventional approaches for modeling bioaccumulation phenomena in a variety of organisms.