PT03 Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
Exhibit Hall
8:00 AM - Tuesday
(PT027) Accumulation of persistent organic pollutants and tributyltin in nine species of Atlantic deep sea squid.
Unger, M1, Vadas, G1, Harvey, E1, Vecchione, M2, 1 Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, Gloucester Pt., VA, USA2 NMFS National Systematics Laboratory, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
ABSTRACT- Nine species of deep sea squid were collected from seven locations in the western Atlantic Ocean in May 2003. Species were selected for analysis based on their importance as prey for toothed whales and other pelagic predators. Samples were analyzed for butyltins, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and halogenated organic pollutants. Most samples contained detectable butyltin concentrations and ranged up to 2 ng/g TBT wet weight. PAH were detected in all samples and included biphenyl, pyrene, flouranthene, chrysene, and benzo flouranthenes. Halogenated organic compounds were detected in the majority of the samples at ng/g concentrations and included PCB, hexachlorobenzene, chlordanes, DDT, DDD, DDE, toxaphene, mirex, BDE and methoxy tetra BDE. Accumulation of persistent organic pollutants in these important pelagic prey species has implications for the trophic level transfer of POP in the Atlantic Ocean.
Key words: PCB, Squid, BDE, tributyltin