Estimation and Modelling of PCBs Bioaccumulation in the Adriatic Sea Ecosystem

Abstract

Persistent Organic Pollutants represent a global ecological concern due to their ability to accumulate in organisms and to spread species-by-species via feeding connections. In this work we focus on the estimation and simulation of the bioaccumulation dynamics of persistent pollutants in the marine ecosystem, and we apply the approach for reconstructing a model of PCBs bioaccumulation in the Adriatic sea, estimated after an extensive review of trophic and PCBs concentration data on Adriatic species. Our estimations evidence the occurrence of PCBs biomagnification in the Adriatic food web, together with a strong dependence of bioaccumulation on trophic dynamics and external factors like fishing activity.