title: 3,3'-dichlorobiphenyl (non-Aroclor PCB-11) as a marker of non-legacy PCB contamination in marine species: comparison between Antarctic and Mediterranean bivalves.
abstract: In this study the accumulation of the 3,3'-dichlorobiphenyl (PCB-11) in monitoring organisms from the Antarctic and Mediterranean coastal environments has been investigated. This lesser-known PCB congener, unrelated to the industrial use of commercial mixtures, continues to be generated and released into the environment mainly as an unintentional by-product of pigment manufacturing. Specimens of the filter-feeders Adamussium colbecki from Terra Nova Bay and of Mytilus galloprovincialis and Ruditapes philippinarum from the north-western Adriatic coasts were collected and analyzed for PCB-11 by Gas Chromatography coupled both to Low-Resolution and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (LRMS, HRMS). In order to assess the influence of PCB-11 with respect to the legacy contamination, 126 PCB congeners related to the Aroclor commercial mixtures were simultaneously analyzed. PCB-11 was detected in all the samples, regardless of the species and of the geographical area, representing on average 17.6% and 15.6% of the total PCBs (n = 127) in Antarctic and Mediterranean samples, respectively. In the Adriatic area the highest concentrations were related to the influence of industrial activities or ship traffic, while the highest value found in Antarctic specimens, namely those collected in the austral summer 1997-1998, was ascribed to a local anthropogenic source. The occurrence of PCB-11 in the other samples from Terra Nova Bay may be related to Long-Range Atmospheric Transport (LRAT), facilitated by the higher volatility of the analyte compared to the heavier PCB congeners. Nevertheless, more in-depth studies are needed in order to evaluate the relative contribution of local and distant sources.
authors.affiliation: Institute for the Dynamics of Environmental Processes, National Research Council (CNR-IDPA), Via Torino, 155, 30172 Venice Mestre, VE, Italy. Electronic address: sarah.pizzini@idpa.cnr.it.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pizzini
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca'Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino, 155, 30172 Venice Mestre, VE, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sbicego
authors.affiliation: Institute for the Dynamics of Environmental Processes, National Research Council (CNR-IDPA), Via Torino, 155, 30172 Venice Mestre, VE, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabiana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Corami
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Genoa, Via Dodecaneso, 31, 16146 Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Genoa, Via Dodecaneso, 31, 16146 Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Magi
authors.affiliation: S.E.S.A. S.p.A. - Società Estense Servizi Ambientali, Via Principe Amedeo, 43/A, 35042 Este, PD, Italy.
authors.forename: Tiziano
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bonato
authors.affiliation: Institute for the Dynamics of Environmental Processes, National Research Council (CNR-IDPA), Via Torino, 155, 30172 Venice Mestre, VE, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cozzi
authors.affiliation: Institute for the Dynamics of Environmental Processes, National Research Council (CNR-IDPA), Via Torino, 155, 30172 Venice Mestre, VE, Italy; Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca'Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino, 155, 30172 Venice Mestre, VE, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barbante
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca'Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino, 155, 30172 Venice Mestre, VE, Italy; Institute for the Dynamics of Environmental Processes, National Research Council (CNR-IDPA), Via Torino, 155, 30172 Venice Mestre, VE, Italy.
authors.forename: Rossano
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Piazza
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000864:Antarctic Regions; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000737:chemistry; D001140:Aroclors / Q000032:analysis; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000737:chemistry*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D001140:Aroclors; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; C029906:3,3'-dichlorobiphenyl; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Adriatic Sea; Antarctic environmental specimen bank; Biota; Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; PCB-11 (3,3′-dichlorobiphenyl); Terra Nova Bay