Levels and body distribution of Polybromintated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) in fishes from Negro River, Patagonia Argentina

ONDARZA PAOLA MARIANA; GONZALEZ MARIANA; CONTI PIERONI MICHELE; FILLMANN GILBERTO; MIGLIORANZA KARINA SILVIA BEATRIZ

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Congreso; 30th SETAC North America Annual Meeting. Human-Environmental Interactions: Understanding Change in Dynamic Systems,; 2009

SETAC

Polybrominated biphenyls (PBDEs) are additive flame retardants used in plastics, textiles and electrical equipment. These compounds are lipophilics, ubiquitous and persistence lead to the ability to bioaccumulate. Since 1970s, levels of PBDEs in ecosystems have increased exponentially therefore, concerns of PBDEs in fish are important for assessing the state of the environment and human health perspectives. The Negro river is the largest river of Argentina with 582 Km, without natural influents. Agriculture, industries and urban centers are the most important activities mainly concentrated in the upstream area. The aim of the study was to evaluate levels and distribution of PBDEs in tissues of fish from the Negro river. Selected species involved rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykys) from the Upper (UV) and Middle Valley (MV), common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and patagonian silverside (Odontethes hatcheri) from MV and Lower Valleys (LV). Muscle, liver, gills, gonads and stomach content were analyzed with a GC-MS 500 Perkin-Elmer. The results were expressed as ng/g w wt. A spatial distribution along the basin with a decreasing gradient from upstream to outlet was observed. Rainbow trout from MV showed the maximum levels of PBDEs in gonads (125.5) with the predominance of BDE-47 (88%) followed by BDE-28. PBDEs levels in liver from patagonian silverside was higher (121.7) than rainbow trout (8.9) according with their lipid contents. Both species presented a similar distribution of individual congeners: BDE-47 (30-66%)>71>100>99>17>25>28. Patagonian silverside and carp from LV presented the highest PBDEs levels in gonads (9.3 and 28.6, respectively) followed by gills (12.9)>muscle=liver (4.9 and 4.5), in the case of carps. Overall PBDEs congeners in carp was markedly different from pattern observed in the other species due to the BDE-47 presented levels <LD. Thus, a predominance of BDE-71 accounting 50% followed by BDE-17 (25%) and mono and di substituted congeners was found. Conversely, the main congener found in all tissues of silverside was BDE-47 ranging from 65 to 99%. The dominance of BDE-47 was consistent with the general pattern found in biota from other regions of the world. However, in carps, the uptake, metabolism and elimination mechanisms could explain the low levels of this congener. This is the first report about PBDEs in fish from Patagonia Argentina and the values are higher than those found in fish from Europe and China. The predominance of BDE-47, 99 and 100 denote the use of technical mixtures like that used in North America.