Monitoring of organic pollutants in Choromytilus meridionalis and Mytilus galloprovincialis from aquaculture facilities in Saldanha Bay, South Africa

Persistent organic pollutants are lipophilic contaminants which can accumulate in marine food chains, causing health issues for human consumers. Farmed C. meridionalis and M. galloprovincialis were collected and analysed for POPs, extracted using QuEChERS method and analysed via GC-MS/MS. Detected OCPs (trans-permethrin > cis-permethrin > dieldrin > chlordane > chloro-benzilate > endosulfan > nonachlor > DDD) were highest contributors to POP contamination (average: 0.7 – 48 ng/g dry weight), followed by PAHs (flourene > pyrene > fluoranthene > benzo(a)pyrene > benz(a)anthracene; average: 1 – 13.4 ng/g d.w.), and PCBs (180 > 149 > 28 > 110 > 153 > 52 > 18 > 44 > 118 > 138; average: 0.3 – 3.2 ng/g d.w). Temporal differences were detected in both species for cis- and trans-permethrin, and PCBs 18, 118 and 149, with seasonal changes linked gametogenic cycle (fat) of mussels. All POP contaminants were below maximum limits of international regulations.