Bioaccumulation of organochlorine compounds in large, threatened elasmobranchs off northern New South Wales, Australia

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 139; pp. 263 - 269
• Main Authors: Cagnazzi, Daniele, Consales, Guia, Broadhurst, Matt K., Marsili, Letizia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-02-2019; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Animals; Bioaccumulation; Biodegradation; Biota; Chlorine compounds; Contaminants; Contaminated sediments; DDT; DDT - analysis; DDT - pharmacokinetics; Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene - analysis; Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene - pharmacokinetics; Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane; Elasmobranchii - metabolism; Elasmobranchs; Endangered Species; Environmental impact; Environmental Monitoring; Female; Gillnets; Hexachlorobenzene; Hexachlorobenzene - analysis; Hexachlorobenzene - pharmacokinetics; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated - analysis; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated - pharmacokinetics; Lethal effects; Male; Marine environment; Marine fishes; Marine organisms; Muscles - chemistry; New South Wales; Organic compounds; Organochlorine compounds; PCB; PCB compounds; Persistent organic pollutants; Pesticides; Pollutants; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - analysis; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - pharmacokinetics; Regions; Sediment pollution; Sediments; Sharks; Species; Urban agriculture; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - pharmacokinetics; New South Wales; Australia; New South Wales Australia; Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Persistent organic pollutants; Elasmobranchs; Hexachlorobenzene
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.12.043

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB), which are resistant to biodegradation and therefore accumulate in the marine environment. In Australia, POPs occur in high concentrations primarily in costal water near farming regions and urban centres. From contaminated sediments and biota, POPs are transferred and biomagnified in larger marine organisms. We quantified POPs concentrations in 57 individuals from ten species of sharks and rays caught in bather-protection gillnets deployed off northern New South Wales, Australia. Polychlorinated biphenyls, DDTs and HCB were detected in all species. For some individuals, concentrations were at levels known to have deleterious sub-lethal effects. Overall, the POP concentrations analysed in this study were comparable to those in similar species from more polluted regions, and may have negative impacts on longer-term health. Future research is warranted to investigate spatio-temporal patterns of species-specific contaminant loads and their implications.
•Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were detected in elasmobranchs off Australia.•Technical DDTs (non-insecticidal) were a key source of contamination.•Endocrine disrupting chemicals constituted 65 and 33% of POPs in rays and sharks.•Maternal transfer of POPs to embryos was noted in a bull shark.•POPs warrant ongoing monitoring for sublethal impacts.