Latitudinal distribution of persistent organic pollutants in pelagic and demersal marine fish on the Norwegian Coast.
The latitudinal distribution of persistent organic pollutants (POPs: legacy organochlorines [OCs], polybrominated diphenyl ethers [PBDEs,] and hexabromocyclododecane [HBCD]) was examined in livers of two species of marine fish, the pelagic saithe (Pollachius virens,n = 40) and the demersal cod (Gadus morhua,n = 40), along a south-north gradient (59°-70°N) on the Norwegian Coast. Cod had in general two to three times higher concentrations of POPs than saithe, probably because of higher exposure in the benthic food chain. The concentrations of heavy halogenated compounds were higher in the southernmost region than further north. Moreover, the POP pattern showed a gradual shift in the compositions from south to north, especially for OCs in cod: i.e. the relative importance of low-chlorinated polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners and some OC-pesticides (e.g., hexachlorobenzen [HCB]) in the contaminant burdens increased with latitude. The latitudinal fractionation signal was weaker in saithe, possibly due to its pelagic and nomadic behavior. Hence, this study shows not only a strong latitudinal fractionation in the compositional patterns of POPs in marine fish but also the effects of habitat use and fish behavior.
Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, FRAM - High North Research Centre on Climate and the Environment, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway. Jan.O.Bustnes@nina.no
Jan Ove
JO
Bustnes
Katrine
K
Borgå
Tim
T
Dempster
Elisabeth
E
Lie
Torgeir
T
Nygård
Ingebrigt
I
Uglem
D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D048389:Gadus morhua / Q000378:metabolism; D005843:Geography; D009664:Norway; D010575:Pesticides / Q000378:metabolism; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000378:metabolism; D012623:Seawater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism
D010575:Pesticides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls