Abstract

BACKGROUND, AIM AND SCOPE: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) concentrations were determined in the liver of two deep sea fish species, Mediterranean slimehead and blackfin sorcerer, from the Adriatic Sea (southeastern Mediterranean Sea). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The examination of congener profiles showed that hexachlorinated molecules were dominant (hexa-CBs, 55.3-56.2%), followed by penta-CBs (21.5-21.8%) and hepta-PCB 180 (14.9-16.0%). PCB 138, 153 and 180 were the prominent congeners accounting for 69.3% of the total PCBs. Among the compounds of DDT, p,p'-DDE was the most dominant molecule (Mediterranean slimehead, 86.6%; blackfin sorcerer, 92.8%), demonstrating the old age of these compounds in the environment. In both species, PCB contents were higher than those of DDTs. Contaminant load was higher in Mediterranean slimehead (PCBs, 1,086 ng g(-1) lipid weight; DDTs, 799 ng g(-1) lipid weight) than in blackfin sorcerer (PCBs, 561 ng g(-1) lipid weight; DDTs, 224 ng g(-1) lipid weight). CONCLUSION: The high ratios SPCBs/SDDTs indicated predominantly industrial versus agrarian activities in the area. Dioxins toxic equivalent (TEQ) concentrations (8.1-18.7 pg TEQ per gram wet weight) reached those encountered in marine organisms at higher levels in the trophic chain, revealing the onerous status of contamination by PCBs in Mediterranean deep sea biota.

Autore Pugliese

• Storelli Maria Maddalena

Tutti gli autori

• STORELLI M.M.

Titolo volume/Rivista

Non Disponibile

Anno di pubblicazione

2010

ISSN

0944-1344

ISBN

Non Disponibile

Numero di citazioni Wos

Nessuna citazione

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

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Numero di citazioni Scopus

22

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

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Settori ERC

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Codici ASJC

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