The Truth About Chemicals in Our Water: Are They Really Building Up in Fish?

Scientists have been trying to figure out if certain chemicals are piling up in fish and other sea creatures. These chemicals, called volatile methylsiloxanes (VMS), have been studied in different water bodies around the world. The idea is to see if these chemicals increase in concentration as they move up the food chain, a process known as biomagnification. In a recent study, researchers looked at the levels of VMS in both rocky and sandy areas of the Yugawara coast in Japan. They also used a computer model to predict how these chemicals behave in various aquatic food webs. The model's predictions matched well with actual measurements. Interestingly, the study found that VMS levels actually decrease as they move up the food chain, a phenomenon called trophic dilution. This is different from what was observed with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which do increase in concentration as they move up the food chain. The researchers also used the model to predict VMS levels in six different aquatic food webs around the world, including Lake Erie, False Creek, and Tokyo Bay. The predictions showed that VMS levels do not increase significantly in any of these food webs. This suggests that VMS are not likely to build up in aquatic organisms.However, the researchers noted that the model could be improved. More precise measurements of how efficiently organisms absorb these chemicals and how quickly they break them down could make the predictions more accurate. Despite this, the current findings provide a good starting point for understanding the behavior of VMS in the environment. It's important to note that this study focused on cyclic VMS. Linear VMS were also included in the model predictions, but the focus was primarily on the cyclic ones. The study did not find any significant biomagnification of VMS in the food webs studied. This is a crucial finding, as it suggests that these chemicals may not pose as big a risk to aquatic life as previously thought. In summary, the study provides valuable insights into the behavior of VMS in aquatic environments. While more research is needed to fully understand these chemicals, the current findings are a step in the right direction. They highlight the importance of using models to predict chemical behavior and the need for more precise measurements to improve these predictions.