engleski

The residues of PCBS and organochlorine hydrocarbons in the frog liver from the Kragujevac hot spot

Anthropogenic environmental changes have caused serious deterioration of various natural ecosystems, as well as range reductions and population declines of many wildlife species, and many species have become extinct. Specific population declines are linked to habitat modification, or environmental pollutants may directly affect animal species. Monitoring of PCB concentration in water, sediment and aquatic and terrestrial organisms, especially amphibians, is of a primary interest for determination of the level of pollution of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem because of high bioconcentration factors of PCBs and their bioaccumulation in flora and fauna. Determination of PCBs in amphibians can also provide data on exposure of humans to these toxic contaminants, being the top of the food web. Frogs may not be beautiful, but they can serve as very fine and very subtle pollution indicators, as it was shown in our previous investigations on pollution of Bor area (industrial town in Serbia, one of UNEPs hot spots in Serbia) The level of PCB contamination was significantly raised after the 1999 NATO attack to industrial facilities, when numerous transformers containing Pyralene oil were destroyed and PCBs leaked into soil and water flows. Rana ridibunda. Strongly aquatic, inhabits lakes, pools or slowly flowing streams with much vegetation. Stays in close proximity of water bodies and prefers low plains or marshes. They inhabit an area in relatively large numbers ; they live in different water and terrestrial systems, thus allowing direct comparison. А ll this makes them good bioindicators of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and can provide an earlier warning than other indicators. Samples of frogs were collected from the banks of the lake Sumarice, which was formed in Memorial Park by accumulation of natural well. Although the Lake of Sumarice is relatively distant from area targeted during war accidents, organochlorine contaminants, especially PCBs, were detected in frog samples. Almost all EPA’ s indicator PCB congeners, except PCB 52, were detected in all frog liver samples . There is no literature data on the maximal allowed concentrations of PCBs in amphibians ; however, frog meat is used in human diet, and the residual limits should be established for frogs. Detected organochlorine insecticides, especially PCBs in the Kragujevac locality indicate both historical and more recent pollution, where the dominant way of PCBs input is probably atmospheric transport.

PCBs, war waste, former Yugoslavia

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