Researcher from the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO, CSIC) has developed the first multi-year dataset on the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in European hake along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula.
The results, published in the journal "Environmental Sciences Europe," highlight clear geographical differences in exposure levels. The highest concentrations were repeatedly detected in the Bay of Biscay, while the lowest records were found in the Gulf of Cádiz. In the case of Galicia, the values were situated at an intermediate point, as detailed by the IEO in an informative note.
The scientific team emphasizes that, to date, there were no time series data on bile metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in European hake for this area. This lack of information hindered the proper inclusion of the species in environmental assessments for regulatory purposes and complicated comparisons with other species used in monitoring programs, they point out.
"This work provides a solid scientific reference for future environmental assessments and reinforces the role of European hake as a sentinel species in monitoring marine pollutants," said Lucía Viñas, researcher at the Vigo Oceanographic Center of the IEO and responsible for the study.
In the study, 192 female European hake captured between 2014 and 2019 in three major fishing grounds of the Iberian Atlantic were examined: the Bay of Biscay, the coast of Galicia, and the Gulf of Cádiz.