Spatial distribution of POPs in fish from Argentina: relationship with the surrounding land uses

ONDARZA P.M.; CHIERICHETTI M.; SHIMABUKURO V.M.,; SCENNA L.

Bruselas

Congreso; 27th Annual Meeting Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Europe; 2017

Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Europe

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are lipophilic, persistent and globally distributed compounds that bioaccumulate in fish. Aquatic environments are subject to poisoning risks due to the inputs of these contaminants from agricultural, urban or industrial activities. The aim of this study was to investigate the POPs distribution in teleost and chondrichthyan tissues and its relationship with the surrounding land uses. Fish were collected in three different areas of Argentina: I. the Negro River basin (41º56?S-72º29?W). Cyprinus carpio, Odontesthes hatcheri, Oncorhynchus mykiss, and Percichthys colhuapiensis were sampled. II. Dulce creek basin (37º6?S-57º55?W) Rhamdia quelen, and III. Coastal waters of Southwest Atlantic (34º-41ºS) Callorhinchus callorynchus, Sympterygia bonapartii, and Rioraja agassizii were collected. Muscle, liver, gonads tissues were sampled in males and females. Endosulfans (a-, b- and sulfate), DDTs (DDE, DDD, DDT), PCBs and PBDEs were determined by GC-ECD. Fish tissues from the Negro river showed the highest POPs levels (15-1200 ng/g ww) with enrichment in DDTs (45-81%, mainly DDE) while PCBs were found at lower levels. The distribution pattern of pesticide in those fishes could be mainly related to the huge fruit production area where DDT was applied during past decades, in addition to the presence of industrial centers and hydroelectric power plants, located around the Negro River basin. A similar pattern was found in other matrixes from the basin, such as soils, macrophytes and sediments. Catfish from Central-East region (5.5-17.2 ng/g ww) and chondrichthyans from Coastal waters presented a clear Endosulfans predominance (37-45% and 50-100%, respectively). These patterns observed in both regions are consistent with the widely soybean production area where this insecticide together with chlorpyriphos and cypermethrin are used. Despite the similar pattern, marine chondrichthyans showed lower POPs levels than catfish. It is clear that the impact of land use could be reflected in different distribution patterns of POPs in fish. This finding is more consistent when fish from freshwaters are analyzed where a direct impact is observed. Coastal marine fish receive a mixture of many contaminants and those persistent are found in different tissues. These results revealed that surrounding land uses (agriculture and urban-industrial settlements) to aquatic environments represent past and current sources of POPs to fish.