title: Halogenated persistent organic pollutants in deep water fish from waters to the west of Scotland.
abstract: Halogenated persistent organic pollutants [polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)] along with total lipid, were measured in the liver and muscle of three species of deep water fish (black scabbard, black dogfish (liver only) and roundnose grenadier) collected from the Rockall fishing area, to the west of Scotland, between 2006 and 2008. Both contaminant groups were detected in the muscle and liver, with concentrations of PCBs being higher than PBDEs. There were no significant differences in the PCB or PBDE concentrations between the three species, or different sampling locations in the Rockall fishing area. PCB concentrations (ΣICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea)7 PCBs) greater than 500 μg kg(-1) lipid weight were found in 26 of the 106 liver samples. PCB concentrations were compared to OSPAR assessment criteria, concentrations were above background but below Environmental Assessment Criteria. Estimated Toxic Equivalent (TEQ) concentrations, calculated using published models, in the fish muscle and liver indicated that consumption of deep water fish is unlikely to represent a risk to human health. The high squalene content in some of the black dogfish liver necessitated an additional clean-up step, involving gel permeation chromatography, when analyzing for PBDEs. Concentrations of PBDEs were low with many congeners being below detection limits, particularly in the muscle. There are currently no assessment criteria available for PBDEs. Furthermore, there is only very limited data on PBDEs in deep water fish. However, the concentrations observed in this study were similar to the concentrations recently reported in Mediterranean deep water fish.
authors.affiliation: Marine Scotland, Marine Laboratory, Victoria Road, Aberdeen AB11 9DB, United Kingdom. websterl@marlab.ac.uk
authors.forename: Lynda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Webster
authors.forename: Pam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Walsham
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hussy
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Neat
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dalgarno
authors.forename: Gill
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Packer
authors.forename: Judith A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Scurfield
authors.forename: Colin F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Moffat
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D009132:Muscles / Q000378:metabolism; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000378:metabolism*; D012606:Scotland; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls