Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Along A Marine Food Web From Patagonia

PRIMOST M.A.; GALVÁN, D.; BIGATTI G.; SCENNA L.; CHIERICHETTI M.; CASTAÑOS C.; MIGLIORANZA K.S.B.

Montevideo

Congreso; SETAC Latin America 15th Biennial Meeting; 2023

SETAC LA

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), are toxic compounds that pose a serious threat to human health and the environment due to their persistence, bioaccumulation, and potential for long-range transport. They are regulated by the Stockholm Convention, which aims to worldwide reduce and eliminate their production, use, and release. There is an increasing concern about the presence of POPs in marine organisms because POPs can be accumulated in the food chain, potentially reaching high concentrations in top predators. The aims of this work was to study the POPs levels in a marine food web from a harbor area in Atlantic Patagonia and to understand the relationship of contaminants among trophic levels. This objective is part of a larger project that involve the evaluation of POPs in a trophic web that includes species of commercial interest. Fishes (Pinguipes brasilianus, Odontesthes smitti and Callorinchus callorynchus) were obtained from recreational anglers at the harbor, while invertebrates (crabs, bivalves, echinoderms, polychaetes and gastropods) were collected by diving in the harbor area. Trophic levels and bentho-pelagic reliance were determined by stable-isotope ratios of Carbon and Nitrogen. POPs concentrations were determined by GC-ECD and reported as µg.kg-1 wet weight. On average, POPs were most accumulated in fish liver (OCPs>PBDEs. In prey species (PCBs>PBDEs. The main OCPs bioaccumulated were drins, endosulfans and DDTs. For PCBs the main compounds bioaccumulated were 4-CB, 5-CB and 6-CB. Stable isotope analysis showed a trophic level of 3.4, 3.2 and 3.1 and 65 %, 50 % and 75 % benthic dependence for P. brasilianus, O. smitti, C. callorynchus nutrition, respectively. These results are consistent with the known feeding habits and behavior of these fish and indicate that POPs are incorporated from the diet, mainly for crabs and gastropods. This work is part of the first record of POPs for edible species in the Patagonian area of Golfo Nuevo. This fact is relevant given the importance the harbor areas for local recreational anglers and potential risks associated with the consumption of contaminated seafood and environmental health. In this sense, monitoring of POPs in marine organisms is necessary to generate regulatory measures in relation to food safety