Detection and quantitative analysis of organochlorine compounds (PCBs and DDTs) in deep sea fish liver from Mediterranean Sea.

BACKGROUND, AIM AND SCOPE: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) concentrations were determined in the liver of two deep sea fish species, Mediterranean slimehead and blackfin sorcerer, from the Adriatic Sea (southeastern Mediterranean Sea).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The examination of congener profiles showed that hexachlorinated molecules were dominant (hexa-CBs, 55.3-56.2%), followed by penta-CBs (21.5-21.8%) and hepta-PCB 180 (14.9-16.0%). PCB 138, 153 and 180 were the prominent congeners accounting for 69.3% of the total PCBs. Among the compounds of DDT, p,p'-DDE was the most dominant molecule (Mediterranean slimehead, 86.6%; blackfin sorcerer, 92.8%), demonstrating the old age of these compounds in the environment. In both species, PCB contents were higher than those of DDTs. Contaminant load was higher in Mediterranean slimehead (PCBs, 1,086 ng g(-1) lipid weight; DDTs, 799 ng g(-1) lipid weight) than in blackfin sorcerer (PCBs, 561 ng g(-1) lipid weight; DDTs, 224 ng g(-1) lipid weight).

CONCLUSION

The high ratios SigmaPCBs/SigmaDDTs indicated predominantly industrial versus agrarian activities in the area. Dioxins toxic equivalent (TEQ) concentrations (8.1-18.7 pg TEQ per gram wet weight) reached those encountered in marine organisms at higher levels in the trophic chain, revealing the onerous status of contamination by PCBs in Mediterranean deep sea biota.