DDTs and PCBs in the Adriatic Sea

A review and discussion of analytical developments in the determination of DDTs and PCBs in sea environment are presented, including sample treatment, clean-up, identification and quantitative determination by gas-liquid chromatography. The fates of chlorinated hydrocarbons in the sea are discussed with regard to the pollutant-particle association with surfaces and their dynamics in a coastal marine environment. Hydrophobic association of pollutants with surfaces and then their biological incorporation, aggregation and cycling are also discussed. The levels and trends of DDTs and PCBs in the Adriatic Sea air, rain, water, sediments, plankton, plants, shellfish, crabs, fishes, and other marine organisms, including seabirds and mammals, are reviewed and compared with the levels of these pollutants in the Mediterranean area. Comparison of data reported for DDTs and PCBs levels in different environmental compartments of the Mediterranean and the Adriatic Sea over the last two decades shows a substantial decline in these compounds. The author also presents discussion about the use of biomarkers for risk estimation of micropollutants in the Adriatic and the risk related to acceptable daily intake of chlorinated hydrocarbons by a critical population on the coast.