Contamination by organochlorine compounds in the edible tissue of four sturgeon species from the Caspian Sea (Iran).
This study focused on accumulation of organochlorine compounds (OCs), including dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethanes (DDTs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) accumulation in the muscle of four sturgeon (Persian sturgeon, Acipenser persicus; Stellate sturgeon, Acipenser stellatus; Ship sturgeon, Acipenser nudiventris and Beluga sturgeon, Huso huso) from the southern Caspian Sea. The DDT group was prominent in all of the sturgeon muscle tested constituting almost half or more of the total organochlorine content. Contaminant concentration generally followed this order: DDTs>PCBs>HCHs>HCB. The OCs concentrations in Beluga sturgeon (H. huso) were the highest and over four times higher than in the next highest species (A. nudiventris). From an ecotoxicological point of view, the concentrations of OCs in experimental fishes do not reflect a comparatively clean and pollution-free environment; however, results from this study shown that the inflow of organic pollutants into the Caspian Sea has been reduced when compared with prior studies. Levels of measured OCs in sturgeon were relatively low, but the level of some OCs in some of the specimens tested exceeded the guidelines for food; therefore, the maximum allowable daily consumption rate for sturgeon from this watershed may be limited by DDTs and PCBs content for high risk populations.
Hosseini
Seyed Vali
SV
Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 46414-356, Noor, Mazandaran, Iran. Hosseini.seyedvali@gmail.com
Behrooz
Reza Dahmardeh
RD
Esmaili-Sari
Abbas
A
Bahramifar
Nader
N
Hosseini
Seyed Mehdi
SM
Tahergorabi
Reza
R
Hosseini
Seyed Fakhreddin
SF
Feás
Xesús
X
D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005506:Food Contamination; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007492:Iran; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D013045:Species Specificity; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical