Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Concentrations of Polychlorinated Biphenyl Congeners in Cultivated Oysters (Crassostrea gigas) in Western Taiwan

  • Published:
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Spatial and temporal variations of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations in cultivated oysters from five aquaculture areas along the western coast of Taiwan were investigated. Poor correlations between total PCB concentrations (ng/g dry weight [dw]) and physiologic parameters of oysters (shell length, width, thickness, and lipid content) were found. Total PCB concentrations ranged from 3.4 to 94 cng/g dw. The highest value was found in oysters from the Lu’ermen aquaculture area, which receives wastewater from a sodium hydroxide and pentachlorophenol factory. Furthermore, principal component analysis confirmed that the PCB congener pattern in this area was distinct from others and that two additional pollution sources might exist in the Tainan and Hsinchu areas. Oysters with PCB concentrations > 1 SD above the geometric mean were found mainly in Tainan (stations TN5 to TN9) with only one increased concentration in the Yunlin (station YL2) and Hsinchu (station HC4) aquaculture areas. Except for four confined stations, TN3 to TN6, where total PCB concentrations were higher (p = 0.028) in the warmer (May and July) than in the colder season (November and March), seasonal variation of total PCB concentrations in oysters was not significant. Geometric mean and geometric mean plus 1 SD of total PCB concentrations in this study are lower than those in South Korea and the United States (Mussel Watch).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alvarez Pifieiro ME, Simal Lozano J, Lage Yusty MA (1995) Organochlorine compounds in mussels of the Estuarine Bay of Galicia (North-West Spain), Mar Pollut Bull 30:484–487

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Breivik K, Sweetman A, Pacyna JM, Jones KC (2002) Towards a global historical emission inventory for selected PCB congeners a mass balance approach 1. Global production and consumption. Sci Total Environ 290:181–198

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chao WY, Hsu CC, Guo YL (1997) Middle-ear disease in children exposed prenatally to polychlorinated-biphenyls and polychlorinated dibenzofurans. Arch Environ Health 52:257–262

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chou SS, Pan JK, Shy RJ, Chen LH (1984) Studies on PCBs and PBBs in fishes. Food Sci 11:218–224

    Google Scholar 

  • Chou SS, Ho KO, Chan HH (1987) Routine determination of PCBs residues in fish and shell fish in Taipei country. Chemosphere 16:1835–1840

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen W, Zhang L, Xu L, Wang X, Hong L, Hong H (2002) Residue levels of HCHs, DDTs and PCBs in shellfish from coastal areas of east Xiamen Island and Minjiang Estuary. China Mar Pollut Bull 45:385–390

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Connor L, Johnson MS, Copplestone D, Leah RT (2001) Recent trends in organochlorine residues in mussels (Mytilus edulis) from the Mersey Estuary. Mar Environ Res 52:397–411

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ferreira AM, Vale C (1998) PCB accumulation and alterations of lipids in two length classes of the oyster Crassostrea angulata and of the clam Ruditapes decussates. Mar Environ Res 45:259–268

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia AL, Den Boer AC, De Jong APJM (1996) Determination of non- and mono-ortho-polychlorinated biphenyls in background ambient air. Environ Sci Technol 30:1032–1037

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guo YL, Ryan JJ, Lau BPY, Yu ML, Hsu CC (1997) Blood-serum levels of PCBs and PCDFs in Yucheng women 14 years after exposure to a toxic rice oil. Arch Environ Contain Toxicol 33:104–108

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Han BC, Hung TC (1990) Green Oyster caused by copper pollution on the Taiwan coast. Environ Pollunt 65:347–362

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hung TS, Ling YC, Jeng WL (1998) Asia/Pacific mussel watch: Distribution of organic compounds along the Machu-minjiang estuarine and coastal environment. J Environmental Protection Society of the Republic of China 21:38–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisheries Statistical Yearbook (1993–2003) Fisheries Agency, Council of Agriculture, Taiwan

  • Ikeda M, (1996) Comparison of clinical picture between Yusho/Yu-Cheng cases and occupational PCB poisoning cases Chemosphere 32:559–566

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Iwata H, Tanabe S, Sakai N, Tatsukawa R (1993) Distribution of persistent organochlorines in the oceanic air and surface seawater and the role of ocean on their global transport and fate, Environ Sci Technol 27:1080–1098

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jensen S (1966) Report of a new chemical hazard, New Sci 32:612

    Google Scholar 

  • Kang SG, Choi KS, Bulgakov AA, Kim Y, Kim SY (2003) Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) used in quantification of reproductive output in the pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas in Korea. J Exp Mar Biol Eco 282:1–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim SK, Lee DS, Oh JR, Shim WJ, Lee DH, Yim UH, et al. (2002) Geographical distribution and accumulation features of organochlorine residues in bivalves from coastal areas of South Korea. Pollut Bull 45:268–279

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kimbrough RD, Doemland MI, Krouskas CA (2001) Analysis of research studying the effects of polychlorinated-biphenyls and related chemicals on neurobehavioral development in children. Vet Hum Toxical 43:220–228

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lauenstein GG, Cantillo AY, O’Connor TP (2002) The status and trends of trace element and organic contaminants in oysters, Crassostrea virginica, in the waters of the Carolinas, USA. Sci Total Environ 285:79–87

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee CL, Chen HY, Chuang MY (1996a) Use of oyster, Crassostrea gigas, and ambient water to assess metal pollution status of the Charting coastal area Taiwan, after the 1986. Green Oyster incident Chemosphere 33:2505–2532

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee KM, Kruse H, Wassermann O (1996b) Seasonal fluctuation of organochlorines in Mytttus Edulis L from the South West Baltic Sea. Chemosphere 32:1883–1895

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin SW, Hsieh IJ (1999) Occurrences of green oyster and heavy metals contaminant levels in the Sien-San area, Taiwan Mar Pollut Bull 38:960–965

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lung SCC, Chen CF, Hu SC, Bau YP (2003) Exposure of Taiwan residents to polychlorinated biphenyl congeners from farmed, ocean-caught, and imported fish. Environ Sci Technol 37:4579–4585

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin M, Richardson BJ, Lam PKS (2003) Harmonisation of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) analyses for ecotoxicological interpretations of southeast Asian environmental media: What’s the problem?, Mar Pollut Bull 46:159–170

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Monirith I, Ueno D, Takahashi S, Nakata H, Sudaryanto A, Subramanian A, et al. (2003) Asia-Pacific mussel watch: Monitoring contamination of persistent organochlorine compounds in coastal waters of Asian countries. Mar Pollut Bull 46:281–300

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mullin MD, Pochini CM, McCrindle S, Romkes M, Safe SH, Safe LM (1985) High-resolution PCB analysis: Synthesis and chromatographic properties of all 209 PCB congeners. Environ Sci Technol 18:468–476

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Connor TP (2002) National distribution of chemical concentrations in mussels and oysters in the USA. Mar Environ Res 53:117–143

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oliver LM, Fisher WS, Winstead JT, Hemmer BL, Long ER (2001) Relationships between tissue contaminants and defense-related characteristics of oysters (Crassostrea virginica) from five Florida bays. Aquat Toxical 55:202–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phillips DJH (1980) Quantitative biological indicators: Their use to monitor trace metal and organochlorine pollution. Applied Science, London, UK, pp 91–291

    Google Scholar 

  • Sericano JL, Wade TL, Jackson TJ, Brooks JM, Tripp BW, Farrington JW, et al. (1995) Trace organic contamination in the Americas: An overview of the US national status and trends and the international ‘Mussel Watch’ programmes. Mar Pollut Bull 31:214–225

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Soong DK, Ling YC (1997a) Reassessment of PCDD/DFs and co-PCBs toxicity in contaminated rice-bran oil responsible for the disease Yu-Cheng. Chemosphere 34:1579–1586

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Soong DK, Hou PCC, Ling YC (1997b) Dioxin in soil and fish samples from a waste pentachlorophenol manufacturing plant. J Chin Soc 44:545–552

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tseng WY, Chen SC (1975) A preliminary study on growth of oyster (Crassostrea gigas). Bull Taiwan Fish Res Inst 25:11–128 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Villeneuve JP, Carvalho FP, Fowler SW, Cattini C (1999) Levels and trends of PCBs, chlorinated pesticides and petroleum hydrocarbons in mussels from the NW Mediterranean coast: Comparison of concentrations in 1973/1974 and 1988/1989. Sci Total Environ 237/238:57–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu MLM, Hsu CC, Guo YL, Lai TJ, Chen SJ, Luo JM (1994) Disordered behavior in the early-born Taiwan Yucheng children. Chemosphere 29:2413–2422

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Council of Agriculture and National Science Council of the Republic of China for their financial support on this work under Contracts No. COA-92-AST-8.2.3-FID-F1(4), COA-93-AST-8.2.3-FID-F1(1–3) and NSC No. 91–2611-M-110–008, respectively. The authors are also grateful to Profs. Saulwood Lin and RongJeng Tseng for valuable assistance in sample collection.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marine Environment and Engineering, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

    M. D. Fang, H.-T. Fang & C.-L. Lee

  2. Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, Center for Environmental Science, University of Maryland, Solomons, Maryland, 20688, USA

    F.-C. Ko & J. E. Baker

Authors
  1. M. D. Fang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H.-T. Fang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. C.-L. Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. F.-C. Ko
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. J. E. Baker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C.-L. Lee.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fang, M., Fang, HT., Lee, CL. et al. Concentrations of Polychlorinated Biphenyl Congeners in Cultivated Oysters (Crassostrea gigas) in Western Taiwan. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 51, 223–231 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-005-1051-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-005-1051-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation