Contaminants assessment in the coral reefs of Virgin Islands National Park and Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument.

Coral, fish, plankton, and detritus samples were collected from coral reefs in Virgin Islands National Park (VIIS) and Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument (VICR) to assess existing contamination levels. Passive water sampling using polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) and semi-permeable membrane devices found a few emerging pollutants of concern (DEET and galaxolide) and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. Very little persistent organic chemical contamination was detected in the tissue or detritus samples. Detected contaminants were at concentrations below those reported to be harmful to aquatic organisms. Extracts from the POCIS were subjected to the yeast estrogen screen (YES) to assess potential estrogenicity of the contaminant mixture. Results of the YES (estrogen equivalency of 0.17-0.31 ng/L 17-ß-estradiol) indicated a low estrogenicity likelihood for contaminants extracted from water. Findings point to low levels of polar and non-polar organic contaminants in the bays sampled within VICR and VIIS.

Metals in sediments and fish from Sea Lots and Point Lisas Harbors, Trinidad and Tobago.

Concentrations of heavy metals were determined in nearshore marine sediments and fish tissue from Sea Lots area on the west coast, at Caroni Lagoon National Park, and in the Point Lisas harbor, Trinidad. The most dominant metals found in sediments were Al, Fe and Zn with mean concentrations highest at Sea Lots (Al-39420 µg/g; Fe-45640 µg/g; Zn-245 µg/g), when compared to sediments from Point Lisas (Al-11936 µg/g; Fe-30171 µg/g; Zn-69 µg/g) and Caroni (Al-0400 µg/g; Fe-19000 µg/g; Zn-32 µg/g), High concentration of Cu, Al, Fe and Zn were also detected in fish tissue from Point Lisas and Caroni. Metal concentrations in fish tissue showed significant correlation with sediment metals concentration, which suggests that tissue levels are influenced by sediment concentration. Of the metals, only Zn, Hg and Cu had a bioaccumulation factor (BAF) greater than one, which suggests a high bioaccumulation potential for these metals.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in harbor sediments from Sea Lots, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were determined in nearshore marine surficial sediments from three locations in Trinidad. Sediments were sampled at Sea Lots on the west coast, in south Port-of-Spain Harbor, south of Sea Lots at Caroni Lagoon National Park, and on Trinidad's east coast at Manzanilla. Total PCB concentrations in Sea Lots sediments ranged from 62 to 601ng/g (dry weight {dw}), which was higher than at Caroni and Manzanilla, 13 and 8ng/g dw, respectively. Total OCP concentrations at Sea Lots were ranged from 44.5 to 145ng/g dw, compared with 13.1 and 23.8n/g (dw), for Caroni and Manzanilla respectively. The concentrations of PCBs and of some OCPs in sediments from Sea Lots were above the Canadian interim sediment quality guidelines. To date, this data is the first report on the levels of PCBs and other organochlorine compounds from Trinidad and Tobago.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in harbor sediments from Sea Lots, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Organochlorine compounds are a class of pollutants considered toxic to humans, fish and wildlife, and show great potential for accumulation and persistence in the environment. In May 1995, the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) Governing Council adopted Decision 18/32 (GC18/32) on persistent organic pollutants (POPs), the goal of which was to initiate an expeditious assessment process, initially beginning with twelve priority POPs: polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs or dioxins), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), aldrin, dieldrin, DDT, endrin, chlordane, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), mirex, toxaphene and heptachlor. In 1997, based on recommendations from the Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS), UNEP decided that immediate international action should be initiated to protect human health and the environment by reducing and/or eliminating emissions and discharges of the twelve persistent organic pollutants (the ‘dirty dozen’) specified by GC18/32. UNEP decision GC19/13C proposed a series of immediate action responses based on the IFCS recommendations: (1) general awareness of POPs; (2) information exchange between countries and organizations; and (3) improved availability of information and expertise on alternatives to POPs (UNEP, 2001 UNEP. 2001. The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. . English. PDF (accessed 29.09.08.).UNEP, 2001). In accordance with the mandates of UNEP GC18/32, GC19/13C and GC20/24, the first global legally binding instrument on POPs, ‘The Stockholm Convention’, was agreed upon. Trinidad and Tobago declared its accession to this in December 2002 and the Convention became legally binding in 2004 after France became the fiftieth country to ratify the agreement...