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Wild boar (Sus scrofa) as a bioindicator of organochlorine compound contamination in terrestrial ecosystems of West Pomerania Province, NW Poland

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to detect the presence and determine the residue levels of DDT, lindane, endrin and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the liver of wild boars from the area of West Pomerania, NW Poland; to determine the activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST) as a biomarker of biological response and to assess the toxicological risk for consumers of the wild boar offal. The presence of pesticide residues and PCBs was found in all examined liver samples. The highest concentration was observed for endrin, and then, the descending order was PCBs >DDTs >lindane >dl-PCBs. The mean hepatic concentrations of endrin, PCBs, DDTs and lindane were 117.28, 78.59, 67.95 and 7.24 ng/g lipid weight, respectively. Among the dioxin-like PCB congeners, 118 and 156 were dominant in liver samples. The mean toxic equivalent (TEQ) level calculated for dl-PCBs was 2.10 ± 1.11 pg WHO-PCB-TEQ/g. There was a statistically significant (p < 0.05) negative correlation between the concentration of lindane, DDTs and PCBs (as a sum of indicator congeners) in the liver and in the activity of GST. However, GST activities showed no significant correlation with any of the dl-PCBs. In five boar liver samples, the levels of certain organochlorine compounds exceeded the maximum residue levels (MRLs). In one sample, the MRLs were exceeded simultaneously for PCBs, endrin and DDTs and in another one—for endrin and DDTs. In the remaining three samples, only PCB levels were exceeded.

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Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank Ms Diana Hendzel for help in obtaining material for the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Reproduction Biotechnology and Environmental Hygiene, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Judyma 6 Street, 71-466, Szczecin, Poland

    Agnieszka Tomza-Marciniak, Bogumiła Pilarczyk & Agnieszka Prokulewicz

  2. West Pomeranian Research Centre, Institute of Technology and Life Sciences in Falenty, ul. Czesława 9, 71-504, Szczecin, Poland

    Andrzej Marciniak

  3. Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Physiological Chemistry, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Judyma 24 Street, 71-466, Szczecin, Poland

    Radosław Drozd

  4. Department of Poultry and Ornamental Bird Breeding, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Judyma 20 Street, 71-466, Szczecin, Poland

    Marek Ligocki

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  1. Agnieszka Tomza-Marciniak
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  2. Andrzej Marciniak
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  3. Bogumiła Pilarczyk
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Correspondence to Agnieszka Tomza-Marciniak.

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Tomza-Marciniak, A., Marciniak, A., Pilarczyk, B. et al. Wild boar (Sus scrofa) as a bioindicator of organochlorine compound contamination in terrestrial ecosystems of West Pomerania Province, NW Poland. Environ Monit Assess 186, 229–238 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3368-z

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