Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of short and medium chain polychlorinated paraffins in different species of fish from Liaodong Bay, North China

Huiting Huang,Lirong Gao,Lin Qiao,Dan Xia

doi:10.1038/s41598-017-06148-5

Abstract

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are highly complex technical mixtures, and the short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) are classed as persistent and have been included in the Stockholm Convention. However, there have been few studies of SCCPs and medium chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) and their bioaccumulation and biomagnification in different species of fish. The present study investigated the levels, congener group profiles, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification of SCCPs and MCCPs in different species of fish from Liaodong Bay, North China. The ranges for the ΣSCCP and ΣMCCP concentrations were 376.3–8596 ng/g lipid weight (lw) and 22.37–5097 ng/g lw, respectively. The logarithms of bioaccumulation factors of ΣSCCPs ranged from 4.69 to 6.05, implying that SCCPs bioaccumulated in the fish. The trophic magnification factor of ΣSCCPs was 2.57, indicating that SCCPs could biomagnify in fish. Carbon chain length, the numbers of chlorine atoms, and octanol/water partition coefficients of the SCCPs and MCCPs might be important factors affecting the bioaccumulation of these chemicals in fish. The risk posed to human health by consumption of fish containing SCCPs was low. New SCCPs with nine carbons (C9) were detected in fish in this study.

Highlights

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are polychlorinated n-alkanes with low volatility that have flame retardant and good electrical insulation properties
SCCPs and medium chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) were detected in all the fish samples collected from
Similar CP concentrations (7000 ng/g lw) have been found in eels from rice fields in the Yangtze River Delta, China[33]. This comparison of results clearly shows that the CP concentrations measured to date in fish have been higher in China than in any other country in the world, and this emphasizes the importance of further studies of CPs in the environment in China

Summary

Introduction

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are polychlorinated n-alkanes with low volatility that have flame retardant and good electrical insulation properties. To study the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of SCCPs and MCCPs in fish, different species of fish from Liaodong Bay, North China were collected. Except for turbot, there was a significant positive relationship between the concentrations of SCCPs and those of MCCPs in all the fish species (R2 = 0.84, p < 0.001, Fig. 1).

Results

Conclusion