Persistent organic pollutants in edible marine species from the Gulf of Naples, Southern Italy.
Edible tissues from 10 marine species, collected from the Gulf of Naples in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy) between February and July 2003, were analysed for the presence of organochlorine pesticides hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and DDTs (p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE, and p,p'-DDD), and 20 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The PCB levels (calculated as the sum of all the determined congeners) were found to be the highest (from 56.8 to 47909.5 ng/g on lipid basis), followed by the DDTs (sum of p,p'-DDT and its metabolites; <dl-2095.5 ng/g) and HCB (<dl-165.4 ng/g). There were marked differences in residue levels of DDTs and PCBs among the various species under investigation (from P<0.05 to P<0.001). Since the presence of organochlorine pollutants was most evident in the strictly resident species which inhabit shallow coastal waters, contamination of the Gulf of Naples by these compounds probably derives from local agricultural, industrial, and municipal sources. Concentrations of DDTs and PCBs detected in this study were generally comparable or higher than those found in studies of similar species from other Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean regions subject to a high anthropogenic impact. From the human health point of view, the residue levels of HCB and DDTs detected in this study are well below the Maximum Residue Limits for some foods of animal origin (0.2 and 1 mg/kg fat weight for HCB and DDTs calculated as the sum of p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDD, and o,p'-DDT, respectively). However, the concentrations of PCBs (calculated as the sum of the seven "target" congeners IUPAC nos. 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, and 180) detected in all the analysed samples far exceed the action limit of 200 ng/g fat weight recommended by the European Union for eggs, fresh pig meat, fresh poultry meat, and derived products.
Naso
Barbara
B
Dipartimento di Patologia e Sanità Animale, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Veterinaria 1, 80137 Napoli, Italy. barnaso@unina.it
Perrone
Daniele
D
Ferrante
Maria Carmela
MC
Bilancione
Marcella
M
Lucisano
Antonia
A
D000818:Animals; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D007558:Italy; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D008974:Mollusca / Q000378:metabolism*; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D012015:Reference Standards; D017747:Seafood / Q000032:analysis*; D012758:Shellfish / Q000032:analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
D009930:Organic Chemicals; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical