Organohalogen contaminants of emerging concern in Great Lakes fish: a review

Abstract

Organohalogen chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) have attracted much attention during the past decade and are of special importance for the Great Lakes of North America, which are together the largest surface freshwater resource on the earth. In this paper we review and summarize detection and levels of legacy contaminants in Great Lakes fish, lessons learned from legacy contaminants in advancing the analytical detection of CECs, progress and challenges in measuring CECs, and levels of CECs in Great Lakes fish reported to date. The CECs considered include chlorinated paraffins, polychlorinated naphthalenes and other chlorinated aromatics, halogenated flame retardants, and perfluorinated compounds.

Divergent responsiveness of two isoforms of the estrogen receptor to mixtures of contaminants of emerging concern in four vertebrates

“…However, their effects as complex, environmentally relevant mixtures are poorly understood across vertebrate phylogeny. A wide variety of wildlife, including listed (e.g., threatened or endangered) species, have been experimentally exposed to CECs, and the consequences of exposures to reproductive function have been documented in various species including teleost fishes (Clement, Reiner, & Bhavsar, ; Jorgenson, Buhl, Bartell, & Schoenfuss, ; Newsted et al, ; Stahl et al, ), American alligators (Bangma et al, ) and humans (Casas et al, ; D’Hollander, de Voogt, De Coen, & Bervoets, ). Although it has been documented that species are being exposed and have the potential to bioaccumulate CECs, information is limited relating exposure to effects in wildlife, particularly listed species.…”

Biological and chemical contaminants as drivers of change in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence river basin

“…Besides legacy contaminants, another group gaining recognition is the contaminants of emerging concern, for which no guidelines or criteria exist and risks often are not yet known or poorly understood. The latter include some current-use pesticides, flame retardants, personal care products, and pharmaceuticals, as well as biological contaminants such as toxins from harmful algal blooms, viruses, bacteria, and protozoa (Clement et al, 2012). Awareness of these contaminants within the research community has increased with the prevalence of biological and chemical contaminants in the basin (Fig.…”

“…With bans and regulations instated in the 1970s and 1980s, there has been a reduction in the levels of these contaminants in fish, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s (Clement et al, 2012). While levels continue to decrease, the rates of decline are slow and it is expected they will persist in the environment for decades (SGL, 2009).…”

“…While levels continue to decrease, the rates of decline are slow and it is expected they will persist in the environment for decades (SGL, 2009). The atmosphere and lake sediments continue to act as important sources of OCs to the water column and food web in the basin (Clement et al, 2012). Their highly lipophilic properties impart a high potential for biomagnification and their high affinity for inert particles and sediment facilitates long-term storage, which even at extremely low concentrations can lead to adverse effects in the basin food chains (USEPA, 2013).…”

Evaluation of multiple alternative instrument platforms for targeted and non‐targeted dioxin and furan analysis

“…1 The international scientific community has acknowledged that these compounds are known to be detrimental to and accumulate in the environment and animals. [2][3][4][5] Of the 210 chlorinated PCDD and PCDF congeners, 2,3,7,8-TCDD is considered the most toxic and only 17 other congeners have been given Toxic Equivalency Factors (TEFs) relative to 2,3,7,8-TCDD by the World Health Organization. 6 These 17 congeners are the only compounds routinely monitored for in environmental and biological samples.…”