Persistent halogenated compounds in fish from rivers in the Pearl River Delta, South China: Geographical pattern and implications for anthropogenic effects on the environment

• Published in: Environmental research Vol. 146; pp. 371 - 378
• Main Authors: Sun, Runxia, Luo, Xiaojun, Tang, Bin, Li, Zongrui, Wang, Tao, Tao, Lin, Mai, Bixian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.04.2016
• Subjects: Animals; Brackish; Carp; Catfishes - metabolism; China; Cichlids - metabolism; Cirrhinus molitorella; Cyprinidae - metabolism; DDT; Deltas; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Monitoring; Ethers; Fish; Freshwater; Geographical pattern; Historic; Hydrocarbons, Halogenated - metabolism; Hypostomus plecostomus; Persistent halogenated compounds; Potential sources; Rivers; Species Specificity; Tilapia; Tilapia nilotica; Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism; China; China, People's Rep., Zhu R; China, People's Rep; Fish; Potential sources; Persistent halogenated compounds; Geographical pattern
• ISSN: 0013-9351; 1096-0953
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.01.021

Three fish species, mud carp (Cirrhinus molitorella), tilapia (Tilapia nilotica), and plecostomus (Hypostomus plecostomus), from rivers in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) were analyzed for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), and Dechlorane Plus (DP). The concentrations of DDTs, HCHs, PCBs, PBDEs, DBDPE, and DP ranged from 380–57,000, 5.5–100, 30–4200, 6.9–690, 0.29–460, and 0.09–20ng/g lipid weight, respectively. Congener profiles or chemical compositions of PBDEs, DPs, DDTs, and HCHs in plecostomus differed significantly from those in the other two fish species, which can be ascribed to species-specific metabolism. DDTs derived from historical residue and land erosion remained the predominant pollutants in the PRD, while industrial and urban activities resulted in elevated levels of PCBs and PBDEs in the metropolitan area. E-waste recycling activities have greatly impacted on the adjacent aquatic environment, and the potential point source for DBDPE was also revealed. •Persistent halogenated compounds (PHCs) were analyzed in fish from rivers in the PRD.•Interspecies differences were observed in the bioaccumulation of PHCs.•High levels of PHCs occurred in the region with intense anthropogenic activities.•Anthropogenic impacts played a role in the contaminant pattern of PHCs in the fish.