Occurrence and Concentrations of Benzotriazole UV Stabilizers in Marine Organisms and Sediments from the Ariake Sea, Japan

The benzotriazole UV stabilizers, which are used in a variety of plastic products, were analyzed in marine organisms and sediments collected from the Ariake Sea, Japan. The UV stabilizers, such as UV-320, UV-326, UV-327, and UV-328 were detected in all of the samples analyzed, suggesting the production and use of these compounds in Japan. High concentrations of UV stabilizers were found in clams, oysters, and gastropods collected from the tidal flat, at concentrations on the order of several hundreds of ng/g on a lipid weight (wt) basis. The higher trophic species, such as hammerhead sharks and coastal birds, accumulated UV stabilizers, with mean concentrations of 190 ng/g and 74 ng/g (lipid wt), respectively. These results indicate that benzotriazole UV stabilizers are persistent and bioaccumulative in the marine food-chains. The benzotriazole UV stabilizers were also detected in coastal and river sediments around the Ariake Sea, at concentrations in the range of 7.9-720 ng/g (dry weight basis). Significant correlations were found between concentrations of UV stabilizers and organic carbon content in sediments, implying adsorption of these compounds to organic matter. To our knowledge, this is the first report of ubiquitous contamination and bioaccumulation of benzotriazole UV stabilizers in the marine environment