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Interdecadal Distribution of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Deep-Sea Chemosynthetic Bivalves
Summary
Researchers detected persistent organic pollutants including PCBs, PAHs, and organochlorine pesticides in deep-sea chemosynthetic bivalves collected over multiple decades, finding that POPs have penetrated even chemosynthetic ecosystems far from surface pollution sources.
Marine ecosystems are continuously subjected to anthropogenic environmental pollution. Understanding the spread of pollution and the potential risks it poses to deep-sea ecosystems is important for developing better conservation measures. Here, we identified non-negligible levels of persistent organic pollutants in deep-sea chemosynthetic bivalves with limited or no filter feeding. The bivalves were collected from two sites: one located near a highly populated region and the other located relatively far from human activity. Analyses of samples collected nearly every decade in a period of 30 years suggested that environmental policy restrictions might be effective in reducing chemical pollution. However, the detection of contamination in deep-sea chemosynthetic animals suggests that the pollution could be spreading globally to chemosynthetic organisms with limited or no feeding. To protect these highly endemic and vulnerable deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystems, our findings indicate that further research on chemical contamination and its effects on these ecosystems is required.
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