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Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and Polybrominated Diphenyls Ethers (PBDEs) are two highly lipophilic classes of persistent organic pollutants able to resist degradation and with the ability to bioaccumulate through the food chain. In Brazil, there are still few studies on PCBs and PBDEs in aquatic organisms. In this study, we determined the levels of PBDEs and PCBs in three different fish species from the Ilha Grande Bay, located in the southern state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. PBDEs levels were very low, with values below the limit of quantification. PCBs concentrations ranged from 2.29 to 27.60 ng g(-1) ww in muscle and from 3.41 to 34.22 ng g(-1) ww in liver of the three investigated fish species. Significant positive correlations were established between PCBs concentration and fish biometric variables in mullet (length and lipid content) and a statistically significant change between seasons in croaker was observed.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous pollutants in the environment and subject of several studies due to their adverse effects as endocrine disruptors. Despite the concern over widespread distribution of PBDEs even in sparsely populated regions of the world, few studies have reported their occurrence in Brazil. In this study, PBDEs and PCBs levels were measured in selected fish species and dolphins from Paraiba do Sul River, Brazil. BDE 47 and 85 were the predominant congeners. Low chlorinated congeners showed the highest concentrations in fish; however dolphins presented the highest proportion of PCBs 153, followed by 138 and 180. The daily intake of PBDEs and PCBs was estimated for the population of this region. PCB daily intake through consumption of croaker was above the limits set by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, raising great concern over the existence of a source of PCB contamination in Brazil.

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Mullet (Mugil liza) were sampled in five different areas along the Guanabara Bay, southeastern Brazil, classified as non-contaminated, moderately contaminated and contaminated. Morphometric (Fulton condition factor, relative condition factor and weight to length scaling coefficient) and organosomatic (hepatosomatic index) indices of environmental stress were analysed. Fish from the differentially contaminated areas show statistically different Fulton and relative condition factors and hepatosomatic indices, but not the weight to length scaling coefficient. The Kn and the FCF followed the same trend, with fish from São Gonçalo (1.07 ± 0.04 and 0.89 ± 0.03), Itaipu (0.84 ± 0.01 and 0.86 ± 0.01) and the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon (1.03 ± 0.01 and 0.87 ± 0.20) showing higher FCFs than fish from Magé (0.96 ± 0.01 and 0.81 ± 0.01). Fish from Itaipu showed significantly higher HSI values than the other sampling sites (1.68 ± 0.07), with fish from Olaria and Ipiranga showing the lowest (1.56 ± 0.12 and 1.60 ± 0.07, respectively).