Abstract
The occurrence of eight organic UV filters (UV-Fs) was assessed in fish from four Iberian river basins. This group of compounds is extensively used in cosmetic products and other industrial goods to avoid the damaging effects of UV radiation, and has been found to be ubiquitous contaminants in the aquatic ecosystem. In particular, fish are considered by the scientific community to be the most feasible organism for contamination monitoring in aquatic ecosystems. Despite that, studies on the bioaccumulation of UV-F are scarce.In this study fish samples from four Iberian river basins under high anthropogenic pressure were analysed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS/MS). Benzophenone-3 (BP3), ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (EHMC), 4-methylbenzylidene camphor (4MBC) and octocrylene (OC) were the predominant pollutants in the fish samples, with concentrations in the range of ng/gdryweight (d.w.). The results indicated that most polluted area corresponded to Guadalquivir River basin, where maximum concentrations were found for EHMC (241.7ng/gd.w.). Sediments from this river basin were also analysed. Lower values were observed in relation to fish for OC and EHMC, ranging from below the limits of detection to 23ng/gd.w. Accumulation levels of UV-F in the fish were used to calculate biota-sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs). These values were always below 1, in the range of 0.04–0.3, indicating that the target UV-Fs are excreted by fish only to some extent. The fact that the highest concentrations were determined in predators suggests that biomagnification of UV-F may take place along the freshwater food web.
Highlights
UV filters (UV-Fs) are emerging environmental pollutants of recent concern for which there is currently a lack of knowledge about their occurrence, fate and effects on the environment (Richardson, 2010)
The total detection frequencies were under 21.3% except for ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (EHMC) and BP3 in Guadalquivir River that attained 60% and 80%, respectively, showing big variations depending on the river basin
The present findings revealed that several fish species from four Iberian rivers contained detectable concentrations of UV-F
Summary
UV filters (UV-Fs) are emerging environmental pollutants of recent concern for which there is currently a lack of knowledge about their occurrence, fate and effects on the environment (Richardson, 2010). These compounds are used extensively in a variety of personal care products as well as in many industrial goods to protect products against photodegradation. UV-Fs enter the aquatic environment by direct inputs from recreational activities but mainly through the effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) (Cuderman and Heath, 2007). These chemicals have been widely detected in surface water and. Higher concentrations were found in mussels (Bachelot et al, 2012; Picot Groz et al, 2014), and relevant values of OC (89–782 ng/g l.w.) were recently determined in marine mammals (Franciscana dolphins (Pontoporia blainvillei)) along the Brazilian coast (Gago-Ferrero et al, 2013b)
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