Persistent organic pollutants in tissues of farmed tuna from the Adriatic Sea

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin 2020-09, Vol.158, p.111413-111413, Article 111413
• Main Authors: Klinčić, Darija, Herceg Romanić, Snježana, Katalinić, Maja, Zandona, Antonio, Čadež, Tena, Matek Sarić, Marijana, Šarić, Tomislav, Aćimov, Dejan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural pollution; Bluefin tuna; Chlorine compounds; Contaminants; Cytotoxicity; Distribution; Liver; Mediterranean Sea; Muscles; Neuroblastoma; Neuroblasts; Organic compounds; Organochlorine compounds; Organochlorine pesticides; PCB; Persistent organic pollutants; Persistent organic pollutants (POPs); Pesticides; Pollutants; Pollution levels; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Thunnus thynnus; Tissue; Tissues; Tuna
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111413

This study investigated the levels and distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides in three tissue types of farmed Bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus): muscle, liver and branchiae. Seven adult species were caught in 2015 at a tuna farm in the Croatian Adriatic. The organochlorine compound levels decreased in the following order: liver > muscle > branchiae while contaminant distribution in all three tissues followed the same order: ΣPCB ≫ ΣDDT > ΣHCH ~ HCB. The found POP levels indicated moderate pollution of farmed tuna and were below all limits set by current laws. Furthermore, no cytotoxic effect of the POP mixture extracted from tuna liver samples on human neuroblastoma cells was observed. •POPs were quantified in tissues of farmed Bluefin tuna from the Adriatic Sea.•PCBs were the dominant contaminant group•The detected POP levels do not pose risk for human health.•There were no observed citotoxic effects.