PAH metabolites in fish bile: from the Seine Estuary to Iceland

• Published in: Marine Environmental Research
• Main Authors: Kammann, U., Akcha, Farida, Budzinski, H., Burgeot, Thierry, Gubbins, M. J., Lang, T., Le Menach, K., Vethaak, A. D., Hylland, K.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Sci Ltd 2017
• Subjects: PAH metabolite; Dab; Flounder; Haddock; Marine monitoring; Atlantic; North Sea; Iceland
• Online Access: https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00317/42861/42288.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2016.02.014; https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00317/42861/

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are environmental contaminants that pose significant risk to health of fish. The International Workshop on Integrated Assessment of Contaminant Impacts on the North Sea (ICON) provided the framework to investigate biomarker responses as well as contaminant concentrations side by side in marine ecosystems. Concentrations of the main PAH metabolites 1-hydroxypyrene, 1-hydroxyphenanthren and 3-hydroxybenzo(a)pyrene were determined in bile by HPLC with fluorescence detection. Fish species under investigation were dab (Limanda limanda), flounder (Platichthys flesus) and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus). A contamination gradient was demonstrated from the low contaminated waters of Iceland and off-shore regions of the North Sea towards higher concentrations in coastal areas. Concentrations of PAH metabolites differed primarily according to sampling region and secondarily to species.