Based on weight loss in water, 24 h is recommended for Tubifex tubifex gut clearance. Biota-to-sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) in gut-cleared T. tubifex following six weeks of exposure to Cd-, Ni-, and Pb-spiked sediment were 12.4, 3.0, and 19.0, respectively. Tissue Ni concentrations peaked after 12 h, whereas Cd and Pb were accumulated for the duration of the exposure. Tubifex tubifex were transferred to either water (24 h) or sediment (10 weeks) to monitor changes in internal metal concentrations. After 24 h in water, only Ni concentration had declined significantly (p < 0.05), suggesting that the majority of Ni was associated with the gut content, while Cd and Pb were accumulated in the tissues. Metal depuration in sediment was described with two-compartment, first-order kinetic models (r2 = 0.7-0.8; p < 0.001), indicating that T. tubifex has both a quickly depurated and a more tightly bound pool of accumulated metal. Tubifex tubifex were also exposed to sediment spiked with just Cd (3.66 micromol/g). Cadmium uptake and induction of metallothionein-like protein (MTLP) were rapid; both parameters were significantly elevated within 24 h of exposure. Metallothionein-like protein (8.7 +/- 1.8 nmol/g) and Cd (60.8 +/- 11.0 micromol/g) reached maximum concentrations after 96 h and four weeks, respectively.