Ecological and sanitary risk associated with organochlorine compound bioaccumulation in populations of anguilla from Mediterranean coastal waters

Recently dioxin-like contaminants were taken into account as one of the possible causes of the dramatic decline of European eel. For this reason three populations of Anguilla anguilla , from freshwater and brackish environments in Central and Southern Italy, where this species growths and is fished, were monitored for bioaccumulable organochlorine compounds (OCs). A very high intrapopulation variability, that could not be explained on the basis of the age or/and size, was found. Therefore, attention should be paid when using this species as a bioindicator of pollution of the aquatic ecosystems. However, a significant higher pollution could be recorded in eels from Tevere River in comparison to those collected in the Caprolace and Lesina lagoons. The most polluted specimens collected in this study should be considered at risk both for the human consumption and for the reproductive efficiency.