Distribution of chlorinated hydrocarbons in overlying water, sediment, polychaete, and hornyhead turbot ( Pleuronichthys verticalis) in the Coastal ocean, Southern California, USA

• Published in: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
• Main Authors: Zeng, Eddy Y., Tran, Kim
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2002
• Subjects: Turbot
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/etc.5620210810; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fetc.5620210810; https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/etc.5620210810

Abstract 1, 1, 1‐Trichloro‐2,2‐bis( p ‐chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) and its primary metabolites (DDTs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a major source of concern in the Southern California Bight (SCB), USA. The fate of DDTs and PCBs is a key element in assessing the effects imposed by these potential carcinogens on the marine ecosystem. We found that DDTs and PCBs remained widely distributed in the overlying water, sediment, polychaetes, and liver and muscle tissues of the hornyhead turbot ( Pleuronichthys verticalis ) collected from three nearshore locations of the SCB with different levels of contamination. Student's t tests indicated that the measured partition coefficients between the nonaqueous phases (sediment, polychaete, and fish) and overlying water at a heavily contaminated location were significantly greater than those predicted by the equilibrium partitioning theory (EPT). Measured partition coefficients between the nonaqueous phases and overlying water for a few DDT components at two other stations (moderate and low contamination) were also generally greater than the EPT predictions. On the other hand, DDTs and PCBs in polychaetes and fish tissues may be taken up from sediments via equilibrium partitioning or from food sources. These findings are suggestive of the possibility that contaminated sediments may have become an important source of contamination.