title: Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in fish collected from the urban tract of the river Tiber in Rome (Italy).
abstract: European eel and chub samples were analyzed to determine the levels of non-dioxin-like polychlorobiphenyls (NDL-PCBs), polychlorodibenzodioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDFs), dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs), and brominated polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in order to evaluate the extent of contamination of the river Tiber along the urban tract through the city of Rome (Italy). All samples presented detectable levels of the chemicals analyzed, and exhibited species-specific differences in terms of congener composition and total concentrations. On average the European eel presented the highest values. In this species the dioxin-like compound sums (WHO-TEQs) exceeded the pertinent maximum levels (MLs). Non-ortho PCBs constituted approximately 80% of WHO-TEQ toxicological potential whereas NDL-PCB and PBDE concentrations appeared to match values determined in other polluted aquatic ecosystems where non-point contamination sources were present. The contamination patterns determined in fish tissues seemed to reflect the impact of generic contamination source(s).
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Ambiente e Connessa Prevenzione Primaria, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. roberto.miniero@iss.it
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Miniero
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guandalini
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dellatte
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iacovella
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Abate
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Luca
authors.forename: Anna Laura
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Iamiceli
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: di Domenico
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Felip
mesh_terms: D000811:Anguilla; D000818:Animals; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000032:analysis; D003530:Cyprinidae; D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D011108:Polymers / Q000032:analysis; D045483:Rivers; D012384:Rome; D014504:Urban Health; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D004147:Dioxins; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D011108:Polymers; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C016068:polychlorodibenzofuran; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls