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

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin 2014-10, Vol.87 (1-2), p.381-387
• Main Authors: Corsolini, Simonetta, Ancora, Stefania, Bianchi, Nicola, Mariotti, Giacomo, Leonzio, Claudio, Christiansen, Jørgen S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agnatha. Pisces; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Cadmium; Cadmium - analysis; DDT; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Endrin; Environmental Monitoring; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Greenland; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers - chemistry; Hazardous Substances - analysis; Heavy metals; Isomers; Liver; Marine; Marine and brackish environment; Mercury (metal); Mercury - analysis; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Northeast Greenland fjords; Pancreas; PBDEs; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - analysis; POPs; Sea water ecosystems; Selenium; Selenium - analysis; Sharks; Somniosus microcephalus; Spleen; Synecology; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.07.021

•PCBs were more abundant in liver>muscle>fat and PBDEs in gonads>spleen>muscle.•Dioxin-like compounds and TEQs were lower than/comparable to those in Arctic species.•Cd and Se accumulated in the pancreas, mercury in muscle, lead in the skin.•The protective mechanism between Se and Hg is valid for this species.•First study on contaminant distribution across multiple tissues of Somniosus microcephalus. 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 fjords were analysed for PCBs, PCDDs/DFs, PBDEs; DDT isomers; HCH isomers; dieldrin; endrin; HCB; Cd, Hg, Pb, and Se. PCBs (2.01–103ng/gwetwt) and PBDEs (7.9–3050pg/gwetwt) 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 ΣTEQ was 5.76pg/g in muscle. Cadmium mainly accumulated in the pancreas and liver (19.6 and 10.7mg/kgdrywt, respectively); mercury in red muscle (4.10–6.91mg/kgdrywt); selenium in the pancreas (3.57mg/kgdrywt) and spleen (1.95mg/kgdrywt); lead in the skin (0.358mg/kgdrywt). The selenium-mercury ratio in the liver was also evaluated.