Organotropism of persistent organic pollutants and heavy metals in the Greenland shark Somniosus microcephalus in NE Greenland

• Published in: Marine Pollution Bulletin
• Main Authors: CORSOLINI, SIMONETTA, ANCORA, STEFANIA, BIANCHI, NICOLA, Mariotti, G., LEONZIO, CLAUDIO, Christiansen, J. S.
• Other Authors: Corsolini, Simonetta, Ancora, Stefania, Bianchi, Nicola, Leonzio, Claudio
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: Somniosus microcephalu; Northeast Greenland fjord; POP; PBDE; Heavy metal; Selenium; Greenland; Somniosus microcephalus
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11365/49153; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.07.021; http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X14004573

The Greenland shark Somniosus microcephalus is an opportunistic feeder, a top predator, and a very long-lived species. The brain, liver, red and white muscle, gonads, fat, skin, pancreas, and spleen of Greenland sharks from NE Greenland fiords were analysed for PCBs, PCDDs/DFs, PBDEs; DDT isomers; HCH isomers; dieldrin; endrin; HCB; Cd, Hg, Pb, and Se. PCBs (2.01-103 ng/g wet wt) and PBDEs (7.9-3050 pg/g wet wt) were detected in most of the samples. PCDDs/DFs showed high values when detected. DDTs, HCB and HCHs were only detected in some tissues. The Sigma TEQ was 5.76 pg/g in muscle. Cadmium mainly accumulated in the pancreas and liver (19.6 and 10.7 mg/kg dry wt, respectively); mercury in red muscle (4.10-6.91 mg/kg dry wt); selenium in the pancreas (3.57 mg/kg dry wt) and spleen (1.95 mg/kg dry wt); lead in the skin (0.358 mg/kg dry wt). The selenium-mercury ratio in the liver was also evaluated.