title: Spatiotemporal appraisal of TBT contamination and imposex along a tropical bay (Todos os Santos Bay, Brazil).
abstract: A spatiotemporal evaluation of butyltin contamination was performed between 2010 and 2012 along Todos os Santos Bay (Northeast Brazil) using surface sediments, bivalve tissues (Anomalocardia brasiliana and Mytella guyanensis), and imposex occurrence (Stramonita rustica). The spatial study detected high tributyltin (TBT) levels (maximum values of 262 ng Sn g (-1) - 21,833 ng Sn g(-1) of total organic carbon - for surface sediments and 421 ng Sn g(-1) for bivalve tissues) in the innermost part of the bay. The TBT levels detected in M. guyanensis tissues might cause human health risk since local population consumes these organisms. These high concentrations observed in the bivalves might result in ingestions higher than the safe limits established by European Food Safety Authority (250 ng TBT kg(-1) day(-1)). Considering the temporal evaluation, no difference (p > 0.05) was observed between TBT concentrations in sediments obtained during the two sampling campaigns (2010/2011 and 2012). However, the increasing predominance of TBT metabolites (butyltin degradation index (BDI) >1) in more recent sediments indicates further degradation of old TBT inputs. In spite of that, recent inputs are still evident at this region. Nevertheless, a reduction of imposex parameters in S. rustica over the last decade suggests an overall decline in the TBT contamination, at least in the outermost and possible less impacted region of the bay. The TBT contamination is probably reducing due to the national and international legislative restrictions on the use of TBT as antifouling biocide. The contamination levels, however, are still relevant especially in the inner part of Todos os Santos Bay since they are above those that are likely to cause toxicity to the biota.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Microcontaminantes Orgânicos e Ecotoxicologia Aquática, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, RS, 96201-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vanda
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Artifon
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Microcontaminantes Orgânicos e Ecotoxicologia Aquática, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, RS, 96201-900, Brazil.|Departamento de Ciências do Mar, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Santos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ítalo Braga
authors.initials: ÍB
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Microcontaminantes Orgânicos e Ecotoxicologia Aquática, Instituto de Oceanografia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, RS, 96201-900, Brazil. gfillmann@furg.br.
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fillmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D061006:Bays; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000378:metabolism; D001938:Brazil; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D012734:Disorders of Sex Development / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000662:veterinary; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D049851:Gastropoda / Q000378:metabolism; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D062211:Spatio-Temporal Analysis; D014220:Trialkyltin Compounds / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants; D014220:Trialkyltin Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C011559:tributyltin
keywords: Antifouling; Human health risk; Imposex; Mytella guyanensis; Sediments; TBT