Organochlorine pesticides, PCBs, and PBDEs in liver and muscle tissues of Paralonchurus brasiliensis, Trichiurus lepturus and Cathorops spixii in Santos Bay and surrounding area, São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract The occurrence of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), such as Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDE), was assessed in the muscle and liver tissues of the fishes Paralonchurus brasiliensis , Trichiurus lepturus, and Cathorops spixii from two different sites inside the Santos Bay (Santos, Brazil) and one near Moela Island (Guaruja, Brazil). Among the PCBs, the penta-chlorine substituents congeners, especially PCB 153, were the major contributors to the contamination of the three species. p,p ′ - DDE had the highest concentration among the OCPs. The different behavior of each of three species was reflected on the bioaccumulation of POPs. Spatial distribution of contaminants across the Santos Bay and surrounding area showed the importance of the Santos sewage outfall for distribution of pollutants inside the Bay whereas PBDE-47 and 99 was only observed at this site. The occurrence of low concentrations of POPs in the Santos Bay region contrasts with the high number of potential polluting industries in this region.