and subsequent storage in the gallbladder. 

 Studies with polycyclic aromatics (naphthalene, 

 benzpyrene) by other investigators (Lee et al. 

 1972; Anderson et al. 1974b; Neff 1975; Roubal et 

 al. in press) indicate higher accumulation levels 

 and slower depuration than we have found with 

 benzene and toluene. However, different species 

 are involved, and these higher aromatics are also 

 less prevalent in the water-soluble extract of crude 

 oil. 



The results of this study are generally consis- 

 tent with our previous work exposing striped bass 

 and northern anchovy to 14 C benzene at the same 

 initial concentration and exposure period (100 nl/ 

 liter for 48 h; Korn et al. 1976), except for the 

 considerably higher accumulation in the anchovy 

 than in the other species. This is probably primar- 

 ily a result of the higher stress, activity level, and 

 scale and mucus loss in anchovy while in captivity. 



The gonads sampled in this study were imma- 

 ture and showed low accumulation levels. In 

 another study exposing mature spawning herring 

 to 100 nl/liter benzene for 48 h (Struhsaker 1977), 

 higher accumulation occurred in the ovary, with 

 associated deleterious effects on the ripe ovarian 

 eggs and on development of larvae subsequent to 

 exposure of the parental females. 



Of the two components studied here, toluene 

 would appear to be potentially a greater problem 

 to fish. Toluene could be rapidly accumulated to 

 high levels in fish after even a brief contact during 

 an oil spill. Since toluene is one of the more preva- 

 lent water-soluble oil components, further re- 

 search on the effects and uptake of this component 

 are indicated. Further, chronic exposures are 

 probably of more importance to the survival offish 

 populations than are spills, and studies of long- 

 term exposure to chronic concentrations should be 

 made. 



Finally, the probability that benzene and tolu- 

 ene are rapidly metabolized or converted to 

 metabolites (possibly phenol, which is also highly 

 toxic) leads to the need for metabolite research. 

 Uptake studies with phenolic metabolites would 

 be of interest, as would be the determination of 

 uptake over extended time intervals. 



Acknowledgments 



We acknowledge the considerable assistance of 

 other members of the Physiology Investigation, 

 Tiburon Laboratory, particularly Pete Benville 



for the gas chromatography analysis. We also 

 thank Stanley Rice, Northwest and Alaska 

 Fisheries Center, Auke Bay Laboratory, and Jerry 

 M. Neff of Texas A&M University for their critical 

 reviews of the manuscript. 



Literature Cited 

 Anderson, J. W., J. M. Neff, B. A. Cox, H. E. Tatem, and G. 



M. HlGHTOWER. 



1974a. Characteristics of dispersions and water-soluble 

 extracts of crude and refined oils and their toxicity to 

 estuarine crustaceans and fish. Mar. Biol. (Berl.) 

 27:75-88. 



1974b. The effects of oil on estuarine animals: toxicity, 

 uptake and depuration, respiration. In F. S. Vernberg 

 and W. B. Vernberg (editors), Pollution and physiology of 

 marine organisms, p. 285-310. Academic Press, N.Y. 



Benville, p. E., Jr., and S. korn. 



1974. A simple apparatus for metering volatile liquids into 

 water. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 31:367-368. 



Korn, S., N. Hirsch, and J. W. Struhsaker. 



1976. Uptake, distribution, and depuration of 14 C-benzene 

 in northern anchovy, Engraulis mordax, and striped bass, 

 Morone saxatilis. Fish. Bull., U.S. 74:545-551. 



Lee, R. F., R. Sauerheber, and G. H. Dobbs. 



1972. Uptake, metabolism, and discharge of polycyclic 

 aromatic hydrocarbons by marine fish. Mar. Biol. (Berl.) 

 17:201-208. 

 NEFF, J. M. 



1975. Accumulation and release of petroleum-derived 

 aromatic hydrocarbons by marine animals. In Proceed- 

 ings, Symposium on Chemistry, Occurrence, and Mea- 

 surement of Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons. Am. 

 Chem. Soc, Chicago, 24-29 Aug. 1975, p. 839-849. 



Roubal, W. T., T. K. Collier, and D. C. Malins. 



In press. Accumulation and metabolism of carbon-14 

 labeled benzene, naphthalene, and anthracene by young 

 coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). Arch. Environ. 

 Contam. Toxicol. 



Struhsaker, J. W. 



1977. Effects of benzene (a toxic component of petroleum) 

 on spawning Pacific herring, Clupea harengus pallasi. 

 Fish. Bull, U.S. 75:43-49. 



Sid Korn 



Northwest and Alaska Fisheries Center Auke Bay Laboratory 

 National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA 

 P.O. Box 155, Auke Bay, AK 99821 



NINA HIRSCH 

 JEANNETTE W. STRUHSAKER 



Southwest Fisheries Center Tiburon Laboratory 

 National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA 

 3150 Paradise Drive 

 Tiburon, CA 94920 



636 



