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Storelli a , G. Barone a , R. Giacominelli-Stuffler b , G.O. Marcotrigiano a, * a Pharmacological-Biological Department, Chemistry and Biochemistry Section, Veterinary Medicine Faculty, University of Bari, Strada Prov. le per Casamassima, km 3, 70010 Valenzano (BA), Italy b Comparative Biomedical Sciences Department, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Section, Veterinary Medicine Faculty, University of Teramo, Piazza Aldo Moro 45, 64100 Teramo, Italy Organochlorine pesticides (DDTs) are an important component of the chemical pollutants now found in all parts of the global mar- ine environment. They are potentially hazardous to living systems because of their inclination to accumulate in lipid deposits of bio- logical species and their resistance to degradation. Once released into aquatic environment these hydrophobic substances can either be immediately absorbed by organisms or adsorb onto suspended particles. After deposition with settling particles on bottom sedi- ments, these pesticides may still be accumulated by benthic organ- isms and re-enter the food chain (Nhan et al., 1997). Structurally similar compounds, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), are also a group of contaminants of great environmental concern. These com- pounds mimic organochlorine pesticides with regard to physical and chemical properties, environmental fate processes and poten- tial for accumulation in sediment and biota (Sapozhnikova et al., 2004). Both these categories of pollutants, all of anthropogenic ori- gin, have the potential to affect development, reproduction, and behaviour of fish and wildlife (Ferraro et al., 1991; McKim, 1994). One location of special concern regarding chemical contam- ination is the Mediterranean Sea. The uniqueness of its configura- tion in combination with the fact that this basin historically receives significant industrial and agri-chemical inputs render it a potentially threatened ecosystem (Gómez, 2003). Greater fork- beard (Phycis blennoides) is a gadoid fish representative of Mediter- ranean mesopelagic habitats. It is typically distributed along the continental shelf and slope at the bottom between 60 and 1000 m, where it feeds on small fish and various invertebrates, which include shrimps and crabs (Cohen et al., 1990; Sartor et al., 1992). Because of interactions with bottom environment, this organism, also named ‘‘sea-rat” for its capacity of living in polluted environment, might be more subject to bioaccumulation of these chemicals. The last years have produced few studies regarding con- tamination by organochlorine compounds in deep-sea biota (Berg et al., 1997, 1998; Looser et al., 2000; Froescheis et al., 2000; de Bri- to et al., 2002a,b), especially for the Mediterranean region (Solé et al., 2001; García et al., 2000; Storelli et al., 2004a,b; Storelli et al., 2007), although this may be used as a sentinel in marine pol- lution monitoring (Walker and Livingstone, 1992). In this study, we try to fill this omission by evaluating current levels of organochlo- rine pesticides (DDTs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the liver of greater forkbeard (P. blennoides), and contributing, hence, to the monitoring of either environmental quality or health of these organisms inhabiting the Mediterranean deep-sea waters (Adriatic sea). Specimens of P. blennoides (greater forkbeard) (specimen number: 180; weight: 60–1340 g, average: 505 ± 408; length: 20.80–56.70 cm, average: 37.39 ± 10.54) were caught in the South-eastern Mediterranean Sea (Adriatic Sea) along the Italian coast, between June and September 2006. From the total specimen number were formed pools (no. 21) within which individual fish were gathered as a function of their similar size. From fish of each pool, liver was taken, homogenised and kept in a deep freeze at À20 °C until chemical analysis. To determine polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs = 8, 20, 28, 35, 52, 60, 77, 101, 105, 118, 126, 138, 153, 156, 169, 180 and 209) and DDT compound (DDTs = * Corresponding author. Tel.: +39 (0)805443865; fax: +39 (0)805443863. E-mail address: g.o.marcotrigiano@veterinaria.uniba.it (G.O. Marcotrigiano). Baseline / Marine Pollution Bulletin 56 (2008) 1353–1376 1367