Biomonitoring of TBT contamination and imposex incidence along 4700 km of Argentinean shoreline (SW Atlantic: From 38S to 54S)

Abstract

The imposex incidence and TBT pollution were investigated along 4,700 km of Argentinean coast, including city harbors and proximal zones without marine traffic. We analyzed 1805 individuals from 12 gastropod species, including families Volutidae, Muricidae, Nassariidea, Calyptraidae, Marginellidae, and Buccinidae, and found the imposex phenomenon for the first time in six species. In high marine traffic zones, TBT pollution was registered and the percentage of imposex was high, while these occurrences were null in areas without boat traffic. The species that best reflect the degree of imposex were those inhabiting sandy/muddy or mixed bottoms. TBT determination and imposex incidence indicate that pollution was focused only in ports with high marine traffic or in areas where ship hulls are painted. This is the first report of an imposex-sediment approach to evaluate organotin contamination along the coast of a South American country.