The Canadian

Centre for Environmental Modelling and Chemistry

Fish Model

Version 2.00 - November 2004

Software Description

The Fish model is a single organism bioaccumulation model treats the steady-state uptake and loss of an organic contaminant by a fish. The bioconcentration factor (BCF), bioaccumulation factor (BAF), and biomagnification factor (BMF) are calculated. The uptake processes include respiration through the gills and food consumption. The contaminant losses occur by transfer through the gills, egestion in feces, metabolic conversion, and growth dilution.

This model is useful for estimating the likely extent of bioaccumulation in the fish and biomagnification from the food to the fish, and the relative importance of each uptake and loss process. The chemical residence time provides information on the likely uptake and depuration times. The results of changes in chemical, fish, and environmental properties may be explored by modifying the input data. Incremental changes in input properties can be used to obtain a sensitivity analysis.

Features of the Fish model:

Provides a database of chemicals and chemical properties.
Permits temporary additions/changes of chemicals and their properties to a simulation.
Permits permanent additions, changes and deletions of chemicals and their properties to the database.
Provides a database of environments and environmental properties.
Permits temporary additions/changes of environments and their properties to a simulation.
Permits permanent additions, changes and deletions of environments and their properties to the database.
Provides context-sensitive Help.
Displays and prints the Fish model calculations, as performed by the program.
Allows the printing of simulation tables and the summary diagram.
Allows the program results to be saved as text file viewable by standard spreadsheet software.

This program was based on the following publications:

Clark, K.E., Gobas, F.A.P.C., Mackay, D. 1990. Model of chemical uptake and clearance by fish from food and water. Environmental Science and Technology. 24: 1203-1213.

Mackay, D. 2001. "Multimedia Environmental Models: The Fugacity Approach - Second Edition", Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, pp. 213-220

Webster, E., Cowan-Ellsberry, C.E., McCarty, L. 2004. Putting science into PBT evaluations. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 23: 2473-2482. (for the consise definitions of BCF, BAF, and BMF)

Required Input Data:

Chemical Properties:

chemical name

molar mass

log Kow

Henry's Law constant or water solubility and vapour pressure

metabolic half-life in fish

Properties of the Fish and its Environment:

fish volume

lipid volume fraction in fish and food

feeding rate as percent of body volume per day

growth rate as fraction of volume per day

gill uptake resistence time in water and organic phases

gut absorption efficiency in water and organic phases

digestion factor

suspended particles: concentration, density, and organic carbon content

Concentrations:

chemical concentration in water

fugacity in food as multiple of fugacity in water

Model Output:

all input data

bioconcentration factors, residence times

Z values for all phases

concentrations and fugacities

uptake through gills (k1), from food

gut / blood transfers

loss through gills (k2), by metabolism, by growth dilution, by egestion

D values, and fluxes for all processes

a summary diagram

Minimum system requirements are an IBM-compatible PC running Windows 98 or XP. This model will not run under Windows NT or 2000.

For non-Windows users the BASIC, Fish model is available.

Please read the Fish SOFTWARE LICENSE before downloading the software. Use of the software constitutes your agreement to abide by the terms and conditions set out in the license agreement.

Last updated August 12, 2011.