Reproduction of European eel jeopardised by high levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs?
Geeraerts, C.; Focant, J-F; Eppe, G.; De Pauw, E.; Belpaire, C. (2011). Reproduction of European eel jeopardised by high levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs? Sci. Total Environ. 409(19): 4039-4047. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.05.046
In: Science of the Total Environment. Elsevier: Amsterdam. ISSN 0048-9697; e-ISSN 1879-1026, more
Dioxins, furans and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were analysed in muscle tissue from yellowphased European eel (Anguilla anguilla) from 38 sites in Belgium. Dioxin concentrations in eel varyconsiderably between sampling locations, indicating that yellow eel is a good indicator of local pollutionlevels. Measured levels of dioxin-like PCBs are much higher than those of the dioxins and furans. In themajority of the sites, eel has levels considered to be detrimental for their reproduction. Field levels of dioxinand dioxin-like PCBs are therefore suggested as an additional causal factor contributing to the decline of theEuropean eel. 42% of the sampling sites show especially dioxin-like PCB levels exceeding the Europeanconsumption level (with a factor 3 on average). Human consumption of eel, especially in these highlycontaminated sites, seems unjustified.
