A Global, Cross-System Meta-Analysis of Polychlorinated Biphenyl Biomagnification

Studies evaluating the mechanisms underpinning the biomagnification of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a globally prevalent group of regulated persistent organic pollutants, commonly couple chemical and stable isotope analyses to identify bioaccumulation pathways. Due to analytical costs constraining the scope, sample size, and range of congeners analyzed, and variation in methodologies preventing cross-study syntheses, how PCBs biomagnify at food web, regional, and global scales remains uncertain. To overcome these constraints, we compiled diet (stable isotopes) data and lipid-normalized concentrations of sum total PCB (PCB_ST), seven indicator PCB congeners, and their sum (PCB_∑7). Our analyses revealed that the number of congeners analyzed, region, and class most strongly predicted PCB_ST, while similarly, region, class, and feeding location best predicted PCB_∑7 and all seven congeners. We also discovered that PCB_ST, PCB_∑7, and the seven indicator congeners all occur in higher concentrations in freshwater than marine ecosystems but are more likely to biomagnify in the latter. Moreover, although the seven congeners vary in their propensity to biomagnify, their trophic magnification factors are all generally greater in the Atlantic than the Pacific. Thus, novel insights regarding PCB biomagnification across taxonomic, food webs, regional, and global scales can be gleaned by leveraging existing data to overcome analytical constraints.