Organophosphate ester plasticizers in edible fish from the Mediterranean Sea: Marine pollution and human exposure

Berta Sala,Joan Giménez,Julio Fernández-Arribas,Carlota Bravo,Elena Lloret-Lloret,Antonio Esteban,José María Bellido,Marta Coll,Ethel Eljarrat

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118377

Abstract

Concentrations of organophosphate esters (OPEs) plasticizers were analysed in the present study. Fifty-five fish samples belonging to three highly commercial species, European sardine (Sardina pilchardus), European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus), and European hake (Merluccius merluccius), were taken from the Western Mediterranean Sea. OPEs were detected in all individuals, except for two hake samples, with concentrations between 0.38 and 73.4 ng/g wet weight (ww). Sardines presented the highest mean value with 20.5 ± 20.1 ng/g ww, followed by anchovies with 14.1 ± 8.91 ng/g ww and hake with 2.48 ± 1.76 ng/g ww. The lowest OPE concentrations found in hake, which is a partial predator of anchovy and sardine, and the higher δ15N values (as a proxy of trophic position), may indicate the absence of OPEs biomagnification. Eleven out of thirteen tested OPEs compounds were detected, being diphenyl cresyl phosphate (DCP) one of the most frequently detected in all the species. The highest concentration values were obtained for tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDClPP), trihexyl phosphate (THP), and tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP), for sardines, anchovies, and hakes, respectively. The human health risk associated with the consumption of these fish species showing that their individual consumption would not pose a considerable threat to public health regarding OPE intake.

Highlights

Plastic pollution is an increasing threat for marine ecosystems globally (Eriksen et al, 2014; Worm et al, 2017) where the Mediter ranean Sea stands out as a remarkably impacted area (García-Rivera et al, 2017; García-Rivera et al, 2018; De Haan et al, 2019; Compa et al, 2019) with estimates of up to 11.5 million items of floating marine macro-litter (Lambert et al, 2020) and a density of 16 items km− 2 along the North Mediterranean Sea (Garcia-Garin et al, 2020a)
organophosphates ester (OPEs) are increasingly being used in several products and can be released into the environment through different processes resulting in a wide range of concentrations levels detected throughout the environment: indoor/outdoor air, water, soil, and sedi ment, as well as in animals and humans (Li et al, 2019)
OPEs were detected in 96% of analysed samples with total OPE concentrations ranging between nd and 73.4 ng/g ww

Summary

Introduction

Plastic pollution is an increasing threat for marine ecosystems globally (Eriksen et al, 2014; Worm et al, 2017) where the Mediter ranean Sea stands out as a remarkably impacted area (García-Rivera et al, 2017; García-Rivera et al, 2018; De Haan et al, 2019; Compa et al, 2019) with estimates of up to 11.5 million items of floating marine macro-litter (Lambert et al, 2020) and a density of 16 items km− 2 along the North Mediterranean Sea (Garcia-Garin et al, 2020a). Chemical additives associated with plastics, such as plasticizers and flame retardants like organophosphates ester (OPEs), deserve special attention due to their environmental widespread and their toxicological effects. OPEs are increasingly being used in several products (i.e. plastics, textile, furniture, etc.) and can be released into the environment through different processes (like abrasion and volatil ization) resulting in a wide range of concentrations levels detected throughout the environment: indoor/outdoor air, water, soil, and sedi ment, as well as in animals and humans (Li et al, 2019). River flux, air-water distribution and macro- and micro-plastics are different sources of OPEs in the ma rine environment. Due to their ubiquity and increasing environmental

Methods

Results

Conclusion