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Persistent organic pollutants in bird, fish and invertebrate samples from King George Island, Antarctica

Persistent organic pollutants in bird, fish and invertebrate samples from King George Island,... AbstractDespite small direct anthropic/anthropogenic influence, Antarctica cannot be considered out of the reach of pollutants. The present study evaluated the distribution and transfer of the following organic pollutants: PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), organochlorine pesticides and PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) in invertebrates, fish, bird eggs and liver samples from Admiralty Bay, King George Island, South Shetland Islands. The prevailing compounds were (in ng g-1 wet weight for species averages): PCBs up to 1821 for birds, 6.82 for fish and 41.3 for invertebrates, HCB (hexachlorobenzene) up to 69.8 for birds, 0.66 for fish and 0.56 for invertebrates and DDTs (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) up to 524 for birds, 3.04 for fish and 0.74 for invertebrates. PBDEs (detected only in bird eggs and liver, up to 39.1 and 7.95, respectively) occurred in levels one or two orders of magnitude lower than organochlorines, probably due to the lower and more recent usage of PBDEs. The qualitative profiles of PCBs agree with trophic level and diet data. PBDEs showed small difference in composition when compared to the technical product available in the Americas, especially in endemic species, which could indicate that fractionation does not have a major role for this contaminant group. Trophic level, but also and more importantly, diet, range, ecological niche and “growth dilution” effect explain the variation of pollutants concentrations found in this study. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Antarctic Science Cambridge University Press

Persistent organic pollutants in bird, fish and invertebrate samples from King George Island, Antarctica

Antarctic Science , Volume 25 (4): 8 – Jan 11, 2013
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Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2013 
ISSN
1365-2079
eISSN
0954-1020
DOI
10.1017/S0954102012001149
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

AbstractDespite small direct anthropic/anthropogenic influence, Antarctica cannot be considered out of the reach of pollutants. The present study evaluated the distribution and transfer of the following organic pollutants: PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), organochlorine pesticides and PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) in invertebrates, fish, bird eggs and liver samples from Admiralty Bay, King George Island, South Shetland Islands. The prevailing compounds were (in ng g-1 wet weight for species averages): PCBs up to 1821 for birds, 6.82 for fish and 41.3 for invertebrates, HCB (hexachlorobenzene) up to 69.8 for birds, 0.66 for fish and 0.56 for invertebrates and DDTs (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) up to 524 for birds, 3.04 for fish and 0.74 for invertebrates. PBDEs (detected only in bird eggs and liver, up to 39.1 and 7.95, respectively) occurred in levels one or two orders of magnitude lower than organochlorines, probably due to the lower and more recent usage of PBDEs. The qualitative profiles of PCBs agree with trophic level and diet data. PBDEs showed small difference in composition when compared to the technical product available in the Americas, especially in endemic species, which could indicate that fractionation does not have a major role for this contaminant group. Trophic level, but also and more importantly, diet, range, ecological niche and “growth dilution” effect explain the variation of pollutants concentrations found in this study.

Journal

Antarctic Science – Cambridge University Press

Published: Jan 11, 2013

Keywords: Antarctic biota; DDTs; marine pollution; organochlorine pesticides; PBDEs; PCBs

References

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