This work aimed to evaluate the use of Mugil curema as a biomonitor for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) bioavailability. Fish biliary metabolites from low-contaminated (Cananéia) and contaminated (Santos) Brazilian estuaries were analysed using a high-performance liquid chromatography apparatus coupled to fluorescence detectors connected in a series. In the Cananéia and Santos estuaries, total metabolite levels ranged from 0.85 to 34.4μgg-1 of bile and from 4.06 to 528μgg-1 of bile, respectively. Metabolite levels were not influenced by feeding status or sexual hormones (p<0.05), thus suggesting that M. curema is a good biomonitor for PAH bioavailability. In estuarine regions, it is possible to sample both the male and female genders of this species in any reproductive period.
Keywords: Biliary metabolites; Biomarkers; Brazilian coast; HPLC/F; Mugil curema; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
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