Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in Olivaceous Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) from Sepetiba Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

An expressive number of man-made chemicals have been introduced in the aquatic environment represent the major problems arising in the development worldwide. Many of these chemical contaminants are persistent polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons known to bioaccumulate and biomagnify as they move through the aquatic food web, effecting species associated with aquatic systems. Concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in Olivaceous Cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus collected from 2007 to 2011 on Sepetiba Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Detectable hepatic concentrations of PCDD/Fs and PCBs were found in all samples analyzed. These data represent some of the first measurements of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in seabirds from this area. While levels of these contaminants in the tested specie currently appear to fall below critical values, continued monitoring is warranted for these compounds, especially in this bay.