Elsevier

Chemosphere

Volume 53, Issue 6, November 2003, Pages 667-678
Chemosphere

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in antarctic fish: levels, patterns, changes

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0045-6535(03)00551-4Get rights and content

Abstract

Organochlorine compounds were analysed in three fish species of different feeding types from the area of Elephant Island in the Antarctic. In 1996, hexachlorobenzene (HCB) (means: 15–20 ng/g lipid), p,p-DDE (5–13 ng/g lipid) and mirex (1–7 ng/g lipid) predominated, while PCBs were minor components (PCB 153: 0.4–2 ng/g lipid). Concentration patterns were species-dependent: PCB 180, PCB 153, mirex, nonachlor III, trans-nonachlor and the toxaphene compound B8-1413 were highest in the bottom invertebrate feeder Gobionotothen gibberifrons and lowest in the krill feeder Champsocephalus gunnari. Levels of p,p-DDE, PCB 138 and heptachloro-1-methyl-1,2-bipyrrole (Q1), a natural bioaccumulative product, were highest in the fish feeder Chaenocephalus aceratus, whereas HCB was present in about equal concentrations in all species. Most compounds were taken up preferentially via the benthic food chain, the chlorinated bipyrrole via the pelagic food chain and HCB from the water. In antarctic fish, biomagnification was generally more important than bioconcentration. Between 1987 and 1996, most persistent organic pollutant (POP) levels showed significant increases in the benthos feeder and the fish feeder, while they remained nearly constant or increased less in the krill feeder. Hence, the former species represent indicator species for changing POP levels in Antarctica. Ratios (1996/1987) of average concentrations in G. gibberifrons were: PCB 138 0.7, HCB 0.8, B8-1413 1.5, PCB 180 1.7, PCB 153 1.8, p,p-DDE 2.0, nonachlor III 2.9, trans-nonachlor 3.3, mirex 6.7. By comparison with trends in the northern hemisphere it is concluded that global distribution of HCB is close to equilibrium. Changing levels of other POPs reflect global redistribution and increasing transfer to antarctic waters probably due to recent usage in the southern hemisphere and climate changes.

Introduction

In the northern hemisphere environmental levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs)––pesticides and technical chemicals––generally declined in the 1970s and levelled off in the 1980s because of bans in the industrialised world. However, substantial export of banned persistent pesticides to developing countries continued at least until 1999 (Smith, 2001). In recent years, POPs have increasingly been documented to occur in arctic and antarctic animals remote from points of their uses or emissions (Weber and Goerke, 1996; Van den Brink, 1997; Zimmermann, 1997; AMAP, 1998; Goerke et al., 2003). Atmospheric long-range transport is responsible for advection of POPs as gases and aerosols to the polar regions (Tanabe et al., 1983; Larsson et al., 1992; Bidleman et al., 1993). Cold condensation (Wania and Mackay, 1995; Wania and Mackay, 1996) and subsequent bioaccumulation lead to their occurrence in polar animals. Whereas rivers and ocean currents are additionally of importance as vectors in the marine Arctic, analyses of POPs in the Antarctic clearly point to compounds being transferred via the atmosphere. Owing to the remoteness of the Antarctic, levels of POPs in antarctic animals reflect the global pollution with these compounds without interference from local impacts. The relation between antarctic and global pollution is particularly expressive, if global partition is close to steady state. Therefore, in this study both recent levels of various POPs in antarctic fish were determined, and also their changes in roughly a decade; these data fill a gap in information on trends of POPs in Antarctica. The samples allowed the determination of temporal trends for three species separately and the detection of the relationship of POP concentration patterns to feeding characteristics. This evaluation is superior to a previous one of combined species (Weber and Goerke, 1996), if species-specific uptake or bioaccumulation occurs.

Section snippets

Material and methods

Three fish species were obtained by bottom trawling during Polarstern cruises ANT VI/2 in 1987 and ANT XIV/2 in 1996: humped rockcod, Gobionotothen gibberifrons (Nototheniidae), mackerel icefish, Champsocephalus gunnari (Channichthyidae) and blackfin icefish, Chaenocephalus aceratus (Channichthyidae). They were packed in polyethylene bags and stored deep-frozen at −30 °C until analysed in 1998. For improving the comparative results of different years, specimens of comparable weight ranges and

POP concentrations for 1987 and 1996

Introductory remarks: POP concentrations in fish are presented in this study on the basis of EOM, because chlorinated hydrocarbons are preferentially stored in lipids. In G. gibberifrons and C. gunnari liver samples in 1996 had slightly lower EOM concentrations in 1987. The reasons for these differences are unknown, as all fishes were obtained at the same season. Fig. 1 contains not only data of the present analytical series but also values from 1987 of Weber and Goerke (1996). The results of

Conclusion

Because POPs were shown to vary in concentration pattern with the feeding types of fish species (bottom invertebrate, krill, fish feeder), they are differently transferred to environmental compartments in Antarctica. Many of them associate with organic matter and bioaccumulate preferably in the benthic food web. Of the most highly concentrated pollutants, HCB is bioconcentrated from the water, while p,p-DDE is substantially biomagnified. Most POPs showed increasing levels in antarctic fish

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Ms. A. Müller and Mr. W. Drebing for excellent laboratory assistance and Dr. K.-H. Kock (Bundesforschungsanstalt für Fischerei, Hamburg) for the collection of fish during Polarstern cruise ANT XIV/2. We are greatly indepted to Dr. R.F. Addison (Institute of Ocean Sciences, Sidney, BC, Canada) for reviewing and improving the manuscript.

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