Investigation of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in mollusks collected from coastal sites along the Chinese Bohai Sea from 2002 to 2004

An Overview of Antibiotics as Emerging Contaminants: Occurrence in Bivalves as Biomonitoring Organisms

Simple Summary

In recent years, the use of antibiotics has increased worldwide in both human and veterinary fields. This led to them accumulating in the environment to such an extent that they are actually included in the category of contaminants of emerging concern. For this reason, many of them have been included in monitoring lists of potential pollutants by competent authorities in order to limit their concentration in surface waters and to determine the risk to the aquatic environments. From this perspective, the aim of this review is to update and discuss the available data on antibiotic residues, using bivalves as biomonitoring organisms. Bivalves are good candidate for this purpose, being globally present in large and accessible populations, sedentary and able to accumulate several xenobiotics thanks to their large filtration capacity. The current research indicates that antibiotics’ presence in bivalves has been investigated along European, American and Asian coasts. Except for tetracycline, determined at high concentration in the North Adriatic Sea, all antibiotics residues in bivalves were under the maximum residual limit established by the competent authorities. Nevertheless, further investigations are necessary in order to prevent antimicrobial resistance, preserve the environment from antibiotic pollution and monitor the associated risk for animals and humans.

Abstract

Antibiotics are used for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes in both human and veterinary medicine and as growth promoting agents in farms and aquaculture. They can accumulate in environmental matrices and in the food chain, causing adverse effects in humans and animals including the development of antibiotic resistance. This review aims to update and discuss the available data on antibiotic residues, using bivalves as biomonitoring organisms. The current research indicates that antibiotics’ presence in bivalves has been investigated along European, American and Asian coasts, with the majority of studies reported for the last. Several classes of antibiotics have been detected, with a higher frequency of detection reported for macrolides, sulfonamides and quinolones. The highest concentration was instead reported for tetracyclines in bivalves collected in the North Adriatic Sea. Only oxytetracycline levels detected in this latter site exceeded the maximum residual limit established by the competent authorities. Moreover, the risk that can be derived from bivalve consumption, calculated considering the highest concentrations of antibiotics residues reported in the analyzed studies, is actually negligible. Nevertheless, further supervisions are needed in order to preserve the environment from antibiotic pollution, prevent the development of antimicrobial resistance and reduce the health risk derived from seafood consumption.

Aquaculture-derived distribution, partitioning, migration, and transformation of atrazine and its metabolites in seawater, sediment, and organisms from a typical semi-closed mariculture bay

Atrazine (ATR) is one of the most commonly used herbicides that could directly impair the growth and health of organisms in mariculture areas and adversely affect human health through the food chain. This study investigated the contaminant occurrence, migration, and transformation of ATR and three of its chlorinated metabolites, namely deethylatrazine (DEA), deisopropylatrazine (DIA), and didealkylatrazine (DDA), in surface seawater, sediment, and aquatic organisms from the Xiangshan Harbor. ATR was detected in all samples, while DIA and DDA were only respectively detected in aquatic and seawater samples. The distribution of ATR and its metabolites presented different patterns depending on the geographic location and showed a higher level in the aquaculture area than that in the non-aquaculture area. The bioaccumulation of ATR in aquaculture organisms showed that benthic organisms, such as Ditrema, and Sinonovacula constricta (Sin), had increased levels. The ecological risks indicated that ATR posed medium or high risks to algae in the water phase of the study area. The microcosm experiment showed that the main fate of ATR in the simulated microenvironment was sedimentation, which followed the first-order kinetic equation. The ATR in the sediment could be enriched 3-5 times in Sin, and its major metabolites were DEA and DIA.

Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in grass, yak muscle, liver, and milk in Ruoergai high altitude prairie, the eastern edge of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

In highland pastures, where no agricultural and industrial activities exist, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are believed to be mainly coming from water-soil-grass system which is subject to air-water and air-soil exchanges and atmospheric precipitation. Samples of grass and yak muscle, liver, and milk were measured for OCPs and PCBs in the summer and winter of 2011. The total concentrations of HCHs, DDTs, endosulfans, HCB, and PCBs in grass samples were in the range of 0.53-2.45, 1.6-6.0, 1.10-4.38, 0.30-1.24, 0.65-2.04 ng g(-1) dw (dry weight), with the means 1.38, 2.86, 2.06, 0.73, and 1.19 ng g(-1) dw, respectively. The mean concentrations of HCHs and DDTs in yak muscle were 1.65 and 0.55 ng g(-1) fw (fresh weight), respectively; no significant seasonal differences. The average total concentrations of HCHs, DDTs, HCB, endosulfans, and PCBs in yak milk were 4.46, 0.59, 1.00, 0.27, and 0.097 ng g(-1) fat, respectively. Among the POPs investigated, β-HCH and HCB were dominant in yak muscle and liver, whereas β-HCH dominated the yak milk. Consistent with the results of other studies, PCB 153, 138, and 180 were detected in yak milk that is in accordance with the case reported for farmed cow milk in China and other countries. A human health risk was conducted based on the intake of OCPs via consumptions of the yak muscle and milk. Since the daily intake of HCHs and DDTs was lower than WHO or USEPA's acceptable daily intake or minimal risk level, showing that the consumptions of the yak muscle and milk would not pose any immediate risk to local people.

Emerging persistent organic pollutants in Chinese Bohai Sea and its coastal regions

Emerging persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have widely aroused public concern in recent years. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and perfluorooctane sulfonyl fluoride/perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (POSF/PFOS) had been newly listed in Stockholm Convention in 2009, and short chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) were listed as candidate POPs. Bohai Sea is located in the arms of numbers of industrial cities, the semienclosed location of which makes it an ideal sink of emerging pollutants. In the present paper, latest contamination status of emerging POPs in Bohai Sea was reviewed. According to the literature data, Bohai Sea areas are not heavily contaminated by emerging POPs (PBDE: 0.01–720 ng/g; perfluorinated compounds: 0.1–304 ng/g; SCCPs: 64.9–5510 ng/g; HBCDs: nd-634 ng/g). Therefore, humans are not likely to be under serious risk of emerging POPs exposure through consuming seafood from Bohai Sea. However, the ubiquitous occurrence of emerging POPs in Bohai Sea region might indicate that more work should be done to expand the knowledge about potential risk of emerging POPs pollution.

Organochlorine pesticides in surface soils from obsolete pesticide dumping ground in Hyderabad City, Pakistan: contamination levels and their potential for air-soil exchange

This study was conducted to examine organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) contamination levels in the surface soil and air samples together with air-soil exchange fluxes at an obsolete pesticide dumping ground and the associated areas from Hyderabad City, Pakistan. Among all the sampling sites, concentrations of OCPs in the soil and air samples were found highest in obsolete pesticide dumping ground, whereas dominant contaminants were dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDTs) (soil: 77-212,200 ng g(-1); air: 90,700 pg m(-3)) and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCHs) (soil: 43-4,090 ng g(-1); air: 97,400 pg m(-3)) followed by chlordane, heptachlor and hexachlorobenzene (HCB). OCPs diagnostic indicative ratios reflect historical use as well as fresh input in the study area. Moreover, the air and soil fugacity ratios (0.9-1.0) at the dumping ground reflecting a tendency towards net volatilization of OCPs, while at the other sampling sites, the fugacity ratios indicate in some cases deposition and in other cases volatilization. Elevated concentrations of DDTs and HCHs at pesticide dumping ground and its surroundings pose potential exposure risk to biological organisms, to the safety of agricultural products and to the human health. Our study thus emphasizes the need of spatio-temporal monitoring of OCPs at local and regional scale to assess and remediate the future adverse implications.

Assessing the spatial variability, level and source of organic chemical contaminants in bivalve fishing grounds on the Galician coast (NW Spain)

Polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides, organotin compounds and triazines were quantified in sediments and bivalves collected in four areas on the Galician coast. One or several species were analysed at each site depending on their availability, including mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis), cockles (Cerastoderma edule), clams (Venerupis pullastra and Ruditapes decussatus) and razor shells (Ensis siliqua). The general spatial distribution of contaminants was consistent in spite of the different sources of contamination. High inter-species variability was also observed. M. galloprovincialis and V. pullastra showed the highest levels of contaminants and intra-spatial variability, which highlights them as suitable species to be used as sentinel organisms. The area of O Burgo showed some worrisome results: PCB sediment concentrations were within the range that could cause biological effects. Also the level of heptachlor observed in V. pullastra was above limits accepted on edible seafood. Finally TBT concentration in mussels correlated with concentrations causing imposex in snails.

Bioaccumulation of HCH isomers in selected macroinvertebrates from the Elbe River: sources and environmental implications

Sediments of the Elbe River have been extremely polluted by contaminants originating from previous large-scale hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) production and the application of γ-HCH (lindane) in its catchment in the second half of the twentieth century. In order to gain knowledge on bioaccumulation processes at lower trophic levels, field investigations of HCHs in macroinvertebrates were carried out along the longitudinal profile of the Elbe and tributary. Among the sites studied, concentrations in macroinvertebrates ranged within five orders of magnitude (0.01-100 μg/kg). In general, lower values of HCH isomers were observed at all Czech sites (mostly <1 μg/kg) compared with those in Germany. At the most contaminated site, Spittelwasser brook (a tributary of the Mulde), extremely high concentrations were measured (up to 234 μg/kg α-HCH and 587 μg/kg β-HCH in Hydropsychidae). In contrast, the Obříství site, though also influenced by HCH production facilities, showed only negligibly elevated values (mostly <1 μg/kg). Results showed that fairly high levels of α-HCH and β-HCH compared to γ-HCH can still be detected in aquatic environments of the Elbe catchment, and these concentrations are decreasing over time to a lesser extent than γ-HCH. Higher HCH concentrations in sediments in the springtime are considered to be the result of erosion and transport processes during and after spring floods, and lower concentrations at sites downstream are thought to be caused by the time lapse involved in the transportation of contaminated particles from upstream. In addition, comparison with fish (bream) data from the literature revealed no increase in tissue concentrations between invertebrates and fish.

Imposex effects on the veined rapa whelk (Rapana venosa) in Bohai Bay, China

Environmentally relevant concentrations of organotin compounds (OTs) may trigger sex changes in marine invertebrates and pose a threat to the marine ecosystem. In this study, we investigated organotin levels and the biological responses of wild veined rapa whelk (Rapana venosa) from Lüjuhe district (LJH), Dashentang district (DST), and Nanpaihe district (NPH) in Bohai Bay, China. We found that 11.11 and 22.95 % of the veined rapa whelks from DST and NPH exhibited imposex characteristics with a relative penis size index (RPSI) of 12.50 and 12.31, respectively. The RNA/DNA ratio was significantly lower in females from DST than those from LJH (p < 0.05), and a slight increase in DNA damage was observed in females and imposex individuals compared to males. Moreover, less genetic distance occurred between LJH and NPH (0.016) than between LJH and DST (0.028), although they belonged to the same regional population. OTs analysis showed that triphenyltin chloride concentrations (41.45 ng/g dried weight) were significantly higher than tributyltin concentrations (9.51 ng/g dried weight) in tissues (p < 0.05), but no significant differences were observed in sediments (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the occurrence of imposex individuals and biological responses of the wild veined rapa whelk from Bohai Bay suggest that the marine ecosystem might be at risk.

A comparative chemometric study for water quality expertise of the Athenian water reservoirs

The aim of the present study is to compare the application of unsupervised and supervised pattern recognition techniques for the quality assessment and classification of the reservoirs used as the source for the domestic and industrial water supply of the city of Athens, Greece. A new optimization strategy for sampling, monitoring, and water management is proposed. During the period of October 2006 to April 2007, 89 samples were collected from the three water reservoirs (Iliki, Mornos, and Marathon), and 13 parameters (metals and metalloids) were analytically determined. Generally, all the elements were found to fluctuate at very low levels, especially for Mornos that comprises the main water reservoir of Athens. Iliki and Marathon showed relatively elevated values, compared to Mornos, but below the legislative limits. Multivariate unsupervised statistical techniques, such as factor analysis/principal components analysis, and cluster analysis and supervised ones, like discriminant analysis and classification trees, were applied to the data set, and their classification abilities were compared. All the chemometric techniques successfully revealed the critical variables and described the similarities and dissimilarities among the sampling points, emphasizing the individual characteristics in every sample and revealing the sources of elements in the region. New data from posterior samplings (November and December 2007) were used for the validation of the supervised techniques. Finally, water management strategies were proposed concerning the sampling points and representative parameters.

The concentration and distribution of organochlorine pesticides in the air from the karst cave, South China

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the air of Dayan Cave in Guilin were analyzed, to investigate the source and contamination levels. Generally, air outside of the cave had much higher concentrations than inside air, and both outside and inside air showed much lower contamination levels than those observed in other regions in China and abroad. The ratios of α-/γ-HCHs and the percentages of β-(or δ-)HCH implied a residue of historical local technical HCH contamination. The DDT concentrations, o,p'-DDT/p,p'-DDT, and p,p'-DDE/p,p'-DDT suggested fresh DDT-containing products acted as the primary source of DDT for the air in Dayan Cave. An intermediate level concentration of α-endosulfan (156.00 pg/m(3)) was observed in the outside air, implying local source was dominant. Based on the similar sources of HCH and DDT and the relationships between outside and inside air, it appeared that outside air pollutants affected on inside HCH and DDT's distribution. For other OCPs, outside air might be major contributor to inside air contamination under conditions of high concentrations in outside air compared with low levels in inside air for semi-closed karstic caves.

Investigation of antibiotics in mollusks from coastal waters in the Bohai Sea of China

This study focused on the presence and distribution of 22 antibiotics, including eight quinolones, nine sulfonamides and five macrolides in mollusks from the Bohai Sea of China. 190 samples of eleven species were collected in 2006, 2007 and 2009. Laboratory analyses revealed that antibiotics were widely distributed in the mollusks with quinolones as the major compounds with concentrations of 0.71~1575.10 μg/kg, which were up to two orders of magnitude higher than those of sulfonamides (0~76.75 μg/kg) and macrolides (0~36.21 μg/kg). The contents of quinolones and macrolides did not show significant changes from 2006, 2007 to 2009, while sulfonamides decreased significantly from 2006 to 2009. Compared with other sites, the city of Dalian was more polluted with quinolones, while Beidaihe was more contaminated with erythromycin and sulfapyridine. In addition, Mactra veneriformis and Meretrix merehjgntrix Linnaeus contained higher concentrations of quinolones and sulfamonomethoxine, while Mytilus edulis had higher levels of erythromycin and sulfapyridine.

Distribution of organochlorine pesticides in sediments and mussels from the Istanbul Strait

This study was conducted to determine the status and trends of organochlorine pesticide (OCP) compounds in the sediment and mussel samples collected along the Istanbul Strait and from the coasts of an island in the Marmara Sea. The total concentrations of OCPs were found in the range of 40-13,852 pg g(-1) dry weight for sediments and 5,195-12,322 pg g(-1) wet weight for mussels. The levels of OCPs in both sediments and mussels were dominated by DDTs and HCHs; β-HCH, 4,4(')-DDD and 4,4(')-DDE were the major pollutants. The degree of sediment pesticide contamination was more severe in the inner part of the strait. OCP concentrations in sediments and mussels were compared with the sediment guideline values and legal limits for human health, respectively. The results showed that OC pesticide contamination in the strait might not pose a serious threat to the health of the marine inhabitants at most of the stations.

Assessment of ametryn contamination in river water, river sediment, and mollusk bivalves in São Paulo state, Brazil

São Paulo state, Brazil, is one of the main areas of sugar cane agriculture in the world. Herbicides, in particular, ametryn, are extensively used in this extensive area, which implies that this herbicide is present in the environment and can contaminate the surface water by running off. Thereby, residues of ametryn were analyzed in samples of river water an river sediment and in freshwater bivalves obtained from the rivers Sapucaí, Pardo and Mogi-Guaçu in São Paulo State, Brazil. Samples were taken in the winter of 2003 and 2004 in two locations in each river. The specimens of freshwater bivalves collected and analyzed were Corbicula fluminea, an exotic species, and Diplodon fontaineanus, a native species. Additionally, the evaluation of the ability of bioconcentration and depuration of ametryn by the freshwater bivalve Corbicula fluminea was also performed. Ametryn concentrations in the samples were measured by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Residues of ametryn in water (50 ng/L) and in freshwater bivalves (2-7 ng/g) were found in the Mogi-Guaçu River in 2004, and residues in river sediments were found in all rivers in 2003 and 2004 (0.5-2 ng/g). The observation of the aquatic environment through the analysis of these matrixes, water, sediment, and bivalves, revealed the importance of the river sediment in the accumulation of the herbicide ametryn, which can contaminate the biota.

Organochlorine pesticides in consumer fish and mollusks of Liaoning province, China: distribution and human exposure implications

Fish and mollusk samples were collected from markets located in 12 cities in Liaoning province, China, during August and September 2007, and 22 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were detected. DDT, HCH, endosulfan, chlordane, and HCB were the dominating OCPs, with mean concentrations and ranges of, respectively, 15.41 and 0.57 to 177.56 ng/g, 0.84 and below detection limit (BDL) to 22.99 ng/g, 1.31 and BDL to 13.1 ng/g, 1.05 and BDL to 15.68 ng/g, and 0.63 and BDL to 9.21 ng/g in all fish and mollusk samples. The concentrations of other OCPs generally were low and were detectable in a minority of samples, reflecting the low levels of these OCPs in the study region. In general, OCP concentrations were obviously higher in fish than in mollusks, and higher in freshwater fish than in marine fish, which indicated, first, that freshwater fish are more easily influenced than seawater fish and mollusks by OCP residues in agricultural areas and, second, that there are different biota accumulation factors for OCPs between fish and mollusk. To learn the consumption of fish and mollusk, 256 questionnaires were sent to families in 12 cities of Liaoning province. Using the contamination data, average estimated daily intakes of OCPs via fish and mollusk consumption were calculated, which were used for exposure assessment. The public health risks caused by exposure to OCPs in the course of fish and mollusk consumption were compared to noncancer benchmarks and cancer benchmarks.

HCH and DDT in sediments from marine and adjacent riverine areas of North Bohai Sea, China

Residues of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) and their environmental risks in surface sediments collected from marine and adjacent riverine/estuarine areas in the northern Bohai Sea, China, were investigated. Concentrations of SigmaHCH and SigmaDDT in sediments ranged from below detection (<LOD) to 1964.97 ng g(-1) dry wt (dw; mean, 92.51 ng g(-1) dw) and <LOD to 86.46 ng g(-1) dw (mean, 9.23 ng g(-1) dw), respectively. Concentrations of HCH and DDT were generally higher in marine than riverine sediments. Concentrations of HCH and DDT residues found in the present study were higher than those reported in marine and river/estuary sediments from other areas of the world. The source of HCH in sediments could be explained by the large amount of historical use, while DDT seemed to be a combination of erosion of the weathered soils and long-range atmospheric transport. Concentrations of HCH in sediments from the study areas did not exceed sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), with the exception of gamma-HCH. However, risks posed by concentrations of DDT observed in sediments were found to be moderate to high compared with those posed by consensus-based SQGs. Although the mean sedimentary concentrations of HCH and DDT found in the area of the northern Bohai Sea, China were lower than suggested SQGs in general, their concentrations in some locations were close to or above the SQGs for adverse effects in benthic organisms and, thus, remain a cause for concern.

Distribution and potential human risk of organochlorine pesticides in market mollusks from Dalian, China

Levels of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were analyzed in mollusk samples collected from markets in Dalian, China. Among 14 OCPs screened, chlordane (Chls), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) were dominant compounds with the medians of 30.2, 5.31 and 2.03 ng/g wet weight (ww), respectively. Source analysis showed that, much higher concentrations of Chls in mollusk samples were the result of usage of the chemical in the city, HCH in samples were mainly due to historical technical HCH usage, and a small amount of fresh use of DDT might exist, causing high portion of p,p'-DDT in samples. Cumulative distribution functions for the concentrations of the selected OCPs were compared to several threshold criteria, indicating that concentrations in most mollusk samples were lower than the safe lines. The concentration data of selected OCPs were used for risk assessment, and human exposure levels were compared to noncancer and cancer benchmarks.

Persistent organic pollutant residues in the sediments and mollusks from the Bohai Sea coastal areas, North China: an overview

The Bohai Sea costal area is one of the most developed zones of China and the sewage water from populous and developed cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Qinhuangdao and Dalian is discharged into the Bohai Sea. Additionally, its semi-enclosed characteristic restricts water exchange, which leads to high accumulation of pollutants in the environment. This overview presents the residues of 6 classes of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), including PAHs, DDTs, HCHs, PCBs and PCDD/Fs, in the sediments and mollusks of the Bohai Sea through analyzing previous literatures. In the sediments, the highest PAH concentrations were detected in the vicinities of Qinhuangdao, while the northeast corner of the Bohai Bay possessed the highest levels of DDTs and PCBs. The investigations on HCHs and PCDD/Fs distributions on the whole sea scale have not been reported. In mollusks, PAH concentrations were in the same order of magnitude in the whole Bohai Sea, so were DDTs, HCHs and PCBs, while the outlier maximum values of PCDDs and PCDFs occurred in Yingkou. In general, the POPs residues in mollusks collected from Shandong Province were higher than the other areas. The compositions of DDTs, HCHs and PCBs in sediments indicated their recent usage. By comparing POP concentrations in sediments with the recommended criterions, it was shown that some individual PAH compounds occasionally associated with adverse biological effects in the vicinities of the Liaodong Bay and Qinhuangdao, and the Liaohe River Estuary were heavily contaminated with DDTs, but PCBs were all below the thresholds. In order to reveal the transference and transformation of POPs in the environment, further studies concerning with their behavior, fate and bioaccumulation in the different trophic levels should be programmed. Moreover, laws and regulations should be enforced to ban the illegal usage of POPs-containing pesticides to guarantee health of the environment and human.

Methods for determining pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in food samples--problems and challenges

Determination of residual amounts of pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in food samples requires the use of specific techniques regarding sample preparation as well as instrumental analysis which should be characterized by a very low detection limit. A problem associated with the use of pesticides and PCBs is the need for controlling their residues in the environment, particularly in food, as these chemicals show a propensity to accumulate. The analysis of food samples for the presence of pesticides and PCBs brings on many difficulties because of the specificity of sample preparation consisting of multistep purification procedures of samples that contain trace amounts of an analyte. Concentration determinations of pollutants that easily dissolve in complex matrices, particularly in the presence of a large apportionment of interfering substances, pose a big challenge. Therefore, the basic step in food analysis for the presence of pesticides and PCBs is sample preparation which mainly consists of analyte enrichment and the removal of interfering substances. But all steps of the analytical procedure that include sample collection and preparation, extraction of analytes from matrix, extract purification, and final determination, are very significant; their precision and correct application have a decisive effect on the final result.

Selection of bioindicators of polybrominated diphenyl ethers, polychlorinated biphenyls, and organochlorine pesticides in mollusks in the Chinese Bohai Sea

Mollusks, including bivalve and gastropod samples, were collected in the summer of 2006 and 2007 to evaluate the spatial patterns of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), and polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the coastal water of the Chinese Bohai Sea. Seven species of mollusks, including Rapana venosa (Rap), Neverita didyma (Nev), Scapharca subcrenata (Sca), Mytilus edulis (Blue mussel, Myt), Amusium (Amu), Meretix meretrix (Mer), and Crassostrea talienwhanensis (Oyster, Ost) were investigated to select appropriate bioindicators. Compared with other species, Ost and Myt possess higher lipid contents and have higher concentrations of OCPs and PBDEs. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that the most influential factor on the contaminant concentrations in mollusks is the trophic level (TL), followed by the lipid contents. Concentrations of OCPs, PCBs, and PBDEs correlated negatively with the TL of the selected mollusks. Results of principal component and correlation analyses suggest that Ost and Myt can be used as potential bioindicators of pollution by OCPs, PCBs, and PBDEs of the Chinese Bohai Sea.