Time series data (2008-2023) of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans and polychlorinated biphenyls in bivalves from Shellfish Production Areas of the Basque coast (SE Bay of Biscay)

Izaskun Zorita; Oihana Solaun; José Germán Rodríguez; Joana Larreta; Esteban Abad; Manuela Ábalos

doi:10.1016/j.dib.2023.109751

Time series data (2008-2023) of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans and polychlorinated biphenyls in bivalves from Shellfish Production Areas of the Basque coast (SE Bay of Biscay)

Data Brief. 2023 Oct 31:51:109751. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2023.109751. eCollection 2023 Dec.

Authors

Izaskun Zorita¹, Oihana Solaun¹, José Germán Rodríguez¹, Joana Larreta¹, Esteban Abad², Manuela Ábalos²

Affiliations

¹ AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Herrera Kaia, Portualdea z/g, Pasaia 20110, Spain.
² Laboratory of Dioxins, Environmental Chemistry Dept., IDÆA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.

Abstract

The accumulation of contaminants in aquatic organisms is of concern to human health due to the potential for exposure through the consumption of seafood. This dataset presents the levels of 17 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), and 12 dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) (PCB-81, PCB-77, PCB-126, PCB-169, PCB-123, PCB-118, PCB-114, PCB-105, PCB-167, PCB-156, PCB-157 and PCB-189) in bivalves collected annually between 2008 and 2023 from the four Shellfish Production Areas of the Basque coast (southeastern Bay of Biscay). Additionally, data on 6 non-dioxin like polychlorinated biphenyls (NDL-PCBs) (PCB-28, PCB-52, PCB-101, PCB-153, PCB-138 and PCB-180) is provided for the 2012-2023 time period. Depending on the availability of bivalves at each Shellfish Production Area, different species, such as mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and oysters (Magallana gigas and Ostrea edulis) were used for the evaluation. Bivalve samples were analyzed at the accredited Laboratory of Dioxins of the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research - CSIC in Spain, following standardized methodologies according to the specific requirements established at the corresponding EU Regulation. Concentrations and the World Health Organization-Toxic Equivalents (WHO-TEQ) were calculated. Considering the data from the four Shellfish Production Areas and the study period, WHO-TEQ values ranged from 0.12 to 0.64 pg g^-1 wet weight for PCDD/Fs and from 0.45 to 2.23 pg g^-1 wet weight for DL-PCBs, whereas concentrations ranged from 7.45 to 51.10 ng g^-1 wet weight for NDL-PCBs. This database is useful for (i) assessing the spatial and temporal trends of PCDD/Fs and various PCBs in bivalves from the Basque coast, (ii) determining the relative contribution of different congeners, (iii) comparison with levels for human consumption and environmental quality standards, as well as with levels of other biogeographical areas, and (iv) the management of Shellfish Production Areas on the Basque coast.

Keywords: Cantabrian Sea; Dioxin-like PCBs; Dioxins; Mussel; Non dioxin-like PCBs; Oyster; Persistent organic pollutants; Seafood.