Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in fish collected from the urban tract of the river Tiber in Rome (Italy)

• Main Authors: Roberto Miniero, Emilio Guandalini, Elena Dellatte, Nicola Iacovella, Vittorio Abate, Silvia De Luca, Anna Laura Iamiceli, Alessandro di Domenico, Elena De Felip
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Istituto Superiore di Sanità 2011
• Subjects: anguilla; cavedano; contaminanti organici persistenti; fiume Tevere; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Tiber; European eel
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_11_03_12; https://doaj.org/article/2d76877e05874ee88cb22dd5073fb413

European eel and chub samples were analyzed to determine the levels of non-dioxin-like polychlorobiphenyls (NDL-PCBs), polychlorodibenzodioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDFs), dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs), and brominated polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in order to evaluate the extent of contamination of the river Tiber along the urban tract through the city of Rome (Italy). All samples presented detectable levels of the chemicals analyzed, and exhibited species-specific differences in terms of congener composition and total concentrations. On average the European eel presented the highest values. In this species the dioxin-like compound sums (WHO-TEQs) exceeded the pertinent maximum levels (MLs). Non-ortho PCBs constituted approximately 80% of WHO-TEQ toxicological potential whereas NDL-PCB and PBDE concentrations appeared to match values determined in other polluted aquatic ecosystems where non-point contamination sources were present. The contamination patterns determined in fish tissues seemed to reflect the impact of generic contamination source(s).