BTs, PAHs, OCPs and PCBs in sediments and bivalve mollusks in a mid-latitude environment from the Patagonian coastal zone

COMMENDATORE M.G.; FRANCO M.A.; GOMES COSTA P.; CASTRO I.B.; FILLMAN G.; BIGATTI G.; ESTEVES J.L.; NIEVAS M.L.

ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY

SETAC PRESS

Año: 2015 vol. 34 p. 2750 - 2763

0730-7268

BTs,PAHs, OCPs and PCBs were assessed in a mid-latitude environment of thePatagonian coast, distant from important pollutant sources. Bioaccumulationprocesses through bottom sediment re-suspensionwere suggested by BTs levelfoundin surface sediment (<LOD-166.5ng(Sn)/g)and bivalve mollusks(29.4-206.0 ng(Sn)/g);while imposex incidence was only 15% in thegastropod P. plumbeacollected near aharbour. Low hydrocarbon pollution wasfound in sediments and bivalves with ∑PAHs(16) ranging from<LOD to 94.9 andfrom <LOD to 54.9 ng/g, respectively. Values weretypical of locations distant from pollutant sources and showed different compositionalpatterns forboth substrates. However, concentrations for some individual PAHs insediments were found over the threshold effect level (TEL).On average ΣPCB notexceed the SQGs being0.57 ± 0.88 in sediments and 0.41 ± 0.26 ng/g in bivalves. Average ΣOCPsinsediments were 0.53 ± 0.34 ng/gand ranged from <LOD to 0.22 ng/gin bivalves, showing a differentpattern and suggesting a different accumulation pathway as itwas found for PAHs. While both discrete and atmospheric sources can beconsidered for PAHs, OCs pollution was clearly related to atmospheric globaltransport, indicating that in the studied area, OCPsand PCBs suffer permanentor temporal deposition during their migration to southern zones.