Polychlorobiphenyl and pesticide residues in monkfish Lophius piscatorius and black scabbard Aphanopus carbo from the Rockall Trough

Abstract

Chlorobiphenyl congeners (CBs) and pesticide residues were determined in various organs of monkfish (Lophius piscatorius) and black scabbard (Aphanopus carbo) caught 600-1150 m deep on the continental slope of the Rockall Trough, west of Scotland. Median concentrations of ΣCB (24 congeners), HCB, Σchlordane, ΣDDT and dieldrin ranged from 40-970, from 6-28, from 5-130, from 10-550 and from 5-36 μg kg lipid weight -1, respectively, in the organs studied. There were no significant differences in the concentrations between organs (within species) on a lipid weight basis. Differences in the distribution of individual CB congeners between organs are described. The concentrations of all pesticides were linearly correlated in both species, as were some CBs in black scabbard. DDT and chlordane distribution patterns are broadly similar to those published elsewhere on deep-sea fish from the Northeastern Atlantic and off Japan. The different patterns of contaminant distributions between species permitted separation of the two species by discriminant analysis.