Chlorinated pesticides in mussels from Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Chlorinated pesticides are common pollutants in coastal areas and estuaries resulting mainly from agricultural practices and insect control. As hydrophobic compounds, organochlorines exhibit a high affinity for lipids and tend to accumulate in marine organisms. Mussels have traditionally been used as sentinels for monitoring such compounds. Guanabara Bay is a coastal area of great economic importance in the Brazilian south eastern coast line. The Bay receives discharges of chemical contaminants together with domestic, industrial and agricultural wastewaters. A detailed study of the Bay has been published by Kjerfve et al. (1997). The present paper reports the occurrence of eight chlorinated pesticides in common mussels Perna perna sampled at five stations within the Bay. In Brazil, the use of these compounds has been banned or restricted.