Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Tissue distributions and body‐size dependent and species‐specific bioaccumulation of 12 organic ultraviolet absorbents (UVAs) were investigated in 9 species of wildlife freshwater fish from the Pearl River catchment, South China. The concentrations of the 12 UVAs were from 109 to 2320 ng/g lipid weight in the fish tissue samples. The UVAs 2‐hydroxy‐4‐ methoxybenzophenone (BP‐3), octocrylene (OCR), UV531, and 5 benzotriazole UV stabilizers (UVP, UV329, UV234, UV328, and UV327) were detected in more than half of the fish tissue samples. The UVA UV531 showed an obvious potential for bioaccumulation in the wild freshwater fish, with an estimated bioaccumulation factor (log BAF) and a biota–sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) of 4.54± 0.55 and 4.88± 6.78, respectively. Generally, liver (989± 464 ng/g lipid wt) contained the highest level of UVAs, followed in decreasing order by belly fat (599± 318 ng/g lipid wt), swimming bladder (494± 282 ng/g lipid wt), dorsal muscle (470± 240 ng/g lipid wt), and egg (442± 238 ng/g lipid wt). The bioaccumulation of UVAs in the freshwater wild fish was species specific and compound dependent. Bottom‐dwelling detritus‐ingesting omnivorous fish contained obviously higher UVA concentrations, suggesting that detritus/sediment ingestion is a significant pathway for exposure of the wild freshwater fish to the UVAs. The UVAs UV531 and BP‐3 demonstrated a potential for growth dilution. Metabolism might play a significant role in elimination of the UVAs in the fish tissues, with the highest rate of metabolism in the liver. The UVAs did not demonstrate obvious trophic magnification in the freshwater ecosystem of the Pearl River catchment. More research is warranted to elucidate maternal transfer of the UVAs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:343–351. © 2019 SETAC