Occurrence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the sea anemone Bunodosoma zamponii, sediments and seawater from the southwestern Atlantic.

Abstract

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent and bioaccumulable organic compounds. The occurrence of PCBs was assessed in two populations of the intertidal sea anemone Bunodosoma zamponii living under different anthropogenic strains. One location was in vicinity to a wastewater plant (Las Delicias, LD), and the other was a preserved location chosen as a reference site (Punta Cantera, PC). Anemone populations were sampled 4 times (spring, summer, autumn and winter) throughout a year, in addition to seawater and sediment from those areas. PCB loadings ranged from 2.89 to 79.41 ng L-1 in seawatersamples and from 0.07 to 6.61 ng g-1 dry weight in sedimentsamples. Total PCB levels ranged from 0.22 to 14.94 and 2.79 to 24.69 ng g-1 wet weight in anemonesfrom PC and LD, respectively. PCBs concentrations in anemonesfrom LD were significantly greater than PC during spring, summer and winter. The congeners 18 and 44 prevailed in seawatersamples, 44 and 52 in sedimentand 18 and 132+153 in anemones. Redundancy analysis integrated PCB levels from all matrixes and bolstered contrast between sampling sites. Seasonality was also a relevant factor since during winter PCB loading was greater in sedimentand anemone samples, coincident with the rainiest season. Disparity between sites could be due to LD's proximity to the wastewater plant, effect of littoral drift direction and/or asymmetries in anemonesphysiological condition.