Persistent organic pollutants in red- and white-blooded High-Antarctic notothenioid fish from the remote Weddell Sea. (February 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Strobel, Anneli; Schmid, Peter; Burkhardt-Holm, Patricia; Segner, Helmut; Zennegg, Markus
• Is Part Of: Chemosphere. Volume 193(2018)
• Page Start: 213
• Page End: 222
• Publication Date: 2018-02
• Subjects: Chionodraco hamatus -- Trematomus loennbergii -- Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) -- Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) -- Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) -- 2, 3, 7, 8-TCDD toxic equivalents (TEQs); Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Physiological effect -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Periodicals; Atmospheric chemistry -- Periodicals; 551.511
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.11.020
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0045-6535

Abstract

Abstract: It has been suggested that High-Antarctic waters, despite their remoteness from human activities, are impacted by anthropogenic pollution, and that the local biota are accumulating the contaminants. At present, no data exist on persistent organic pollutant (POP) body burdens for notothenioid fish inhabiting the High-Antarctic Weddell Sea. We determined the pollutant load in white muscle tissue of red- and white-blooded notothenoids from the Weddell Sea ( Trematomus loennbergii and Chionodraco hamatus, respectively), and compared them to our previous measurements of POPs in Low-Antarctic notothenioids. Analytes included various organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (indicator (i) PCBs, dioxine-like (dl) PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The analytical concentrations were converted into 2, 3, 7, 8-TCDD toxic equivalents (TEQs). Compared to T. loennbergii, C. hamatus had lower levels of β-HCH (0.45 vs. 4.5 ng g −1 lipid weight), and Σ iPCBs (30 vs. 39 ng g −1 lipid weight), as well as lower levels of Σ PBDEs (131 vs. 261 ng g −1 fresh weight). POP body burdens and TEQs were mostly similar to those of Low-Antarctic notothenioids analysed previously, and not related to the trophic positions of the species. The variations in POP levels between and within High- and Low-Antarctic notothenioids only marginally corresponded to sampling site, ecological differences or trophic levels of the species, and might rather be related to metabolism or age effects. The present findings suggest that fishes of High-Antarctic waters, although this area is more remote and less influenced by local human activities, do not show lower POP body burdens than fishes from Low-Antarctic waters. Highlights: T. loennbergii accumulated higher concentrations of PCBs and PBDEs than C. hamatus . PCB and PBDE congener fingerprints were similar in C. hamatus and T. loennbergii . POP body burdens of High-Antarctic notothenioids are similar to Low-Antarctic ones. POP levels were not related to the trophic position of the notothenioids. TEQs were similar to Low-Antarctic fish, and lower than in temperate zone fish.