title: Changes in patterns of persistent halogenated compounds through a pelagic food web in the Baltic Sea.
abstract: The concentrations and patterns of persistent halogenated compounds (PHCs), including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDT, hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were examined in a pelagic food web from the southern Baltic Sea consisting of sediment, zooplankton, sprat, Atlantic salmon and anadromous brown trout. Lipid-normalized concentrations generally increased from low trophic levels to high trophic levels, with the exception of HCHs. Due to high concentrations of PBDEs in some zooplankton samples, biomagnification of BDE-47 was only observed for salmon/sprat and trout/sprat. Sprat collected individually and from salmon stomach had significantly different lipid-normalized concentrations and varied in their PHC pattern as well, possibly indicating a large natural variation within the Baltic Sea. The highest lipid-normalized concentrations were found in brown trout. Salmon and brown trout were similar in their PHC pattern suggesting similar food sources. Variation in PHC patterns among trophic levels was not smaller than that among geographically distinct locations, confirming the importance of comparable trophic levels for the assessment of PHC patterns, e.g. for tracing migratory fish.
authors.affiliation: Aalborg University, Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Sohngårdsholmsvej 57, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark.
authors.forename: Diana A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Stephansen
authors.forename: Tore C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Svendsen
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vorkamp
authors.forename: Jens-Ole
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Frier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D020387:Food Chain; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis; D006846:Hydrocarbons, Halogenated / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D020317:Salmo salar / Q000378:metabolism; D014337:Trout / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015048:Zooplankton / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D006846:Hydrocarbons, Halogenated; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical