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(80-88) PFOS in marine and estuarine organisms from the Belgian North Sea and Western Scheldt estuary. Van de Vijver, Kristin*,1, Hoff, Philippe1, Van Dongen, Walter1, Esmans, Eddy1, Blust, Ronny1, De Coen, Wim1, 1 University of Antwerp (RUCA), Groenenborgerlaan 171, Antwerp, Belgium ABSTRACT- Among the halogenated organochemicals, the fluorinated organochemicals (FOCs) have been studied less intensively than the chlorinated and brominated organics regarding their ecotoxicological properties. However, due to the intensive use of organofluorine compounds over several decades, they are now ubiquitous environmental contaminants. One class of FOCs, the fluorinated sulfonates, are used worldwide as catalysts and surfactants. An important representative of this class is perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). Recently it was reported that PFOS is occurring worldwide in wildlife tissues with relatively high concentrations in top predators. Even in remote (Arctic) areas PFOS is present in a great diversity of organisms in detectable concentrations. Until now, little is known on the PFOS levels in organisms originating from the North Sea and the Western Scheldt estuary. In the present study, we determined, for the first time, the PFOS-exposure levels for vertebrate and invertebrate biota from these ecosystems. We sampled various organisms from this marine and estuarine ecosystem during several field campaigns. All tissue samples were extracted in methanol and concentrations of PFOS were determined using a high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS). The concentration of PFOS in crabs, starfish, shrimps and in several fish species (Pleuronectes platessa and Trisopterus luscus) provide a basic foundation for estimating fluoro-organic chemical contamination levels in the marine and estuarine environment and for further studies concerning the distribution patterns in marine and estuarine ecosystems. The observed results were discussed in relation to the possible point and/or diffuse discharges upstream of the River Scheldt. Key words: perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), water pollution, North Sea and Western Scheldt estuary, marine species |
