Feral finfish, and their relationships with sediments and seawater, as a tool for risk assessment of PAHs in chronically polluted environments.
An integrated study has been carried out of the fate and effects of PAHs in fish living in a chronically polluted environment. Total PAH concentrations in different target organs (muscle, liver and gills), have been determined in five species of feral fish and possible histopathological effects and correlations of all these values with concentrations found in sediments and water column have been studied in two of these species. The Potency Equivalent Concentrations and Screening values (SVs), the Biota-to-sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) and the Toxic Potency Assessment (TEQ) of sediment for fish have been calculated. Results show that levels found in target organs, the TEQs of sediment calculated for fish related to the SVs for fish consumption are of special concern. However, the index of pathologies shows a relatively low impact of PAHs on fish health. The use of feral finfish in risk assessment for PAHs in chronically polluted environments has been proved to be a useful tool to complement environmental diagnoses and improve their accuracy. This approach combines the measurement of total concentrations in different target organs of several appropriate species, the study of histopathological effects, and correlations between all these results and the concentrations found in associated sediments and column water.
Department of Environmental Technology, Andalusian Centre of Marine Science and Technology (CACYTMAR), University of Cadiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Spain. Electronic address: elisa.rojo@uca.es.
E
E
Rojo-Nieto
Department of Biology, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cadiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Spain.
M
M
Oliva
Department of Environmental Technology, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Cadiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Spain.
D
D
Sales
Department of Environmental Technology, Andalusian Centre of Marine Science and Technology (CACYTMAR), University of Cadiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Spain.
J A
JA
Perales
D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Abiotic compartments; Bioaccumulation; Fish target organs; Histopathology; PECs; TEQs