Risk ranking of multiple-POPs in detritivorous fish from the Río de la Plata

Abstract

To evaluate the bioaccumulation and the risk associated to consumption of lipid-rich detritivorous fish, a comprehensive set of organic pollutants (n=213) including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxin like PCBs (dlPCBs), chlorinated pesticides (CHLPs), chlorobenzenes (CBzs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated dibenzo dioxins and furans (PCDD/F), resolved (ALI) and unresolved aliphatic hydrocarbons (UCM) and linear alkyl benzenes (LABs) were analyzed in Sábalo fish (Prochilodus lineatus) collected in the polluted Metropolitan Buenos Aires coast and in migrating specimens. Fatty fish muscles (lipids: 74±9.3% dry weight) contained homogeneous (24-51% variability) and very high-concentrations of organic pollutants ranging from 60 to 1300μgg-1 fresh weight (fw) ALI+UCM; 10-40μgg-1 fw LABs and PCBs; 0.1-1μgg-1 fw dlPCBs, DDTs, chlordanes, CBzs and PBDEs; 0.01-0.1μgg-1 fw mirex, endosulfans, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin and 0.07-0.2ngg-1 PCDD/F. Total toxicity equivalents (TEQs) ranged from 60 to 395pgg-1 fw (34±17 and 213±124pgg-1 TEQs for PCDD/F and dlPCBs respectively). These are among the highest concentrations reported for fish and point out the remarkable ability of Sábalo to feed on anthropogenic organic-enriched particles and tolerate a high pollutant load. Contaminant signatures show partial alteration with still abundant lower molecular weight components indicating that fish feeds directly in the outfalls. Consumption limits based on reference doses ranged from 0.1 (PCBs) to >12000gd-1 (endosulfan) allowing a comprehensive risk-based ranking of contaminants in this long-range migrating, detritivorous fish.