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Biotransport is often associated with migration patterns of species, including large, anadromous salmonids. Several studies have reported biotransport of persistent organic pollutants in the Northern Hemisphere, but there is no published information on biotransport ocurring south of the equator. Chile’s Patagonia is one of the last largely intact natural areas in the world. The objective of this study was to determine whether persistent organic pollutants are transported by the invasive Pacific Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) from the Pacific Ocean to Chilean Patagonia. Samples of juvenile and adult Chinook salmon were analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides and polybrominated diphenyl ethers. The results revealed that concentrations of POPs in adults migrating into Patagonian rivers were significantly higher than those found in juveniles migrating seaward. A mass balance analysis indicates that Chinook salmon are a source of persistent organic pollutants to Chilean Patagonia inland waters. Capsule: Biotransport of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) by Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) from the Pacific Ocean to Chilean Patagonia has been confirmed by mass balance of POPs.

The watershed provides a physical basis for establishing linkages between aquatic contaminants, environmental health and human health. Current attempts to establish such linkages are limited by environmental and epidemiological constraints. Environmental limitations include difficulties in characterizing the temporal and spatial dynamics of agricultural runoff, in fully understanding the degradation and metabolism of these compounds in the environment, and in understanding complex mixtures. Epidemiological limitations include difficulties associated with the organization of risk factor data and uncertainty about which measurable endpoints are most appropriate for an agricultural setting. Nevertheless, it is our contention that an adoption of the watershed concept can alleviate some of these difficulties. From an environmental perspective, the watershed concept helps identify differences in land use and application of agrichemicals at a level of resolution relevant to human health outcomes. From an epidemiological perspective, the watershed concept places data into a construct with environmental relevance. In this perspectives paper, we discuss how the watershed can provide a conceptual framework for studies in environmental and human health.