Bioaccumulation of POPs from contaminated sediment to lamprey (lampetra fluviatilis l. ) larva

Background Adult sea lampreys, a delicate food species catch from Baltic Sea rivers, migrate from sea and spawn to sediments of still river water areas. Their larva live there four years before return to sea. The few published studies of toxicity of the sediment contaminants to the lamprey larva, however, do not include chlorinated persistent organic pollutants (POPs), thus far. Kymijoki River in southeast Finland is known for high polychlorinated POP contamination which has been measured to accumulate in several bottom fauna and fish species. Goal of the Study To obtain the first screening results of the bioaccumulation power of POPs from sediment to lamprey larva during their life stage in the contaminated sediment. The accumulated dioxin-type of toxic load (TEQ) was also studied as a possible human hazard. Methods Surface sediment and lamprey larva were sampled from four localities of the lower Kymijoki River and analysed for MeO-PBDEs, PBDEs, PCBs, PCDDs, PCDEs, PCDFs, and PCDTs by solvent extraction, column clean up and GC/MS procedures. The larva were sorted to seven composites according to locality and (for one place) size of the specimens (to classes of small, medium and large individuals). From the analysis results, TEQ values for composites and the bioaccumulation factors from dry sediment to fresh larva (BSAF), from dry sediment to larva lipid (BSAFlw) and from sediment organic carbon to larva lipid (BSAFoc) were calculated. Results and Discussion TEQ load was highest (about 500 pg g -1 ww) in large larva composite due to high bioaccumulation of PCB 118, 1,2,3,4,7,8-hexachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (D66) and toxic penta- to octa-CDFs. A high positive significant correlation was found between weight and length of larva. Instead, lipid content had no significant correlations with weight and length of larva. Larva lipid or sediment organic carbon did not correlate significantly with any of the calculated BSAF, BSAFlw and BSAFoc values. Therefore, statistical comparisons between substance properties and bioaccumulation rate were possible for BSAF alone. These comparisons indicated a slightly significant increase of PCBs, but very significant decrease of PCDF bioaccumulation from sediment to larva by increase of the number of chlorine atoms (NCI) in the molecule. This property of highly chlorinated PCDFs indicates, as found earlier for local fish, a kinetic control of bioaccumulation by slow release from sediment back to water and the food chain. Recommendation and Outlook The results obtained point out that bioaccumulation of POPs in lamprey larva is a possible source of toxic hazard to human food consumption and to development of lamprey species. Therefore, both larva and adult lampreys should be studied further for significance of their POP contamination compared with other experiences on impact of POPs to human and wildlife.