Legacy and emergent POPs in the marine fauna of NE Greenland with special emphasis on the Greenland shark Somniosus microcephalus

Abstract

Persistent organic pollutants include several groups of chemicals with similar structures and physical–chemical properties that elicit comparable toxic effects. They have been used extensively worldwide in agriculture, industrial, and health applications. Their degradation is very slow in the polar regions due to the low temperatures and winter darkness. The aims of this study were to determine the concentrations of polychlorobyphenils (PCBs), polybromodiphenylethers (PBDEs), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in the Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) and other marine fishes and invertebrates from NE Greenland. The concentration increases were assessed by calculating the biomagnification factor (BMF) among pairs of alleged predator-prey organisms. PFOS were Careproctus reinhardti (5.02 ng/g wet wt) > stomach content of Amblyraja hyperborea (1.4454 ng/g wet wt) > Boreogadus saida (0.355 ng/g wet wt). The higher contaminant biomagnification was found in the predator → prey pairs: shark → invertebrates (BMF_Σ6PCBs = 75-88672, BMF_Σ3PBDEs = 14-124), shark → A. hyperborea → preys, according to their diets. Ecotoxicological baseline data on marine wildlife in NE Greenland are particularly important due to the risk of prospect petroleum activities.