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Article

Tracing the Legacy of Historical PCB Pollution and Contemporary PAH Contamination in the Kupa River (Danube Basin, Croatia)

by
Snježana Herceg Romanić
1,
Ivana Jakovljević
1,
Maja Đokić
2,
Nina Bilandžić
2,
Goran Jakšić
3,
Gordana Mendaš
1,
Martina Biošić
1,
Gordana Pehnec
1,
Tijana Milićević
4,* and
Gordana Jovanović
4
1
Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska Cesta 2, 10001 Zagreb, Croatia
2
Croatian Veterinary Institute, Savska Cesta 143, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
3
Aquatika-Freshwater Aquarium Karlovac, Ulica Branka Čavlovića Čavleka 1/A, 47000 Karlovac, Croatia
4
Institute of Physics Belgrade, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Pregrevica 118, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Environments 2026, 13(4), 192; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments13040192
Submission received: 3 February 2026 / Revised: 25 March 2026 / Accepted: 26 March 2026 / Published: 1 April 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occurrence, Fate, and Environmental Risk Assessment of Organic Pollutants in Water)
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Abstract

The Kupa River (Croatia), a tributary of the Danube basin forming part of the Slovenian border, was heavily contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) between 1962 and 1985 due to improper handling and downstream transport via the Krupa and Lahinja rivers. This study evaluated the occurrence, interspecific distribution, and human health implications of PCBs and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in fish (Northern pike, Common carp, Grass carp, Pike-perch, Wels catfish, Bream, and Chub) from the Croatian Kupa River. PCB concentrations were consistently higher than PAH levels across all species. In 30% of samples, Σ6 non-dioxin-like PCBs exceeded the European Commission maximum permissible level for freshwater fish (125 ng⋅g−1 wet weight). Of the 11 PAHs analyzed, only fluoranthene and pyrene were detected. Self-Organizing Map identified distinct pollutant patterns, with chub showing the highest variability and accumulation. PCB concentrations position the Kupa River among moderately to highly impacted European freshwater systems affected by legacy industrial contamination. Health risk assessment, incorporating updated national consumption data, indicates that long-term, uncontrolled consumption of Kupa River fish may pose risks due to PCB exposure, while PAH-related risks appear negligible. These findings highlight the persistence of legacy PCB pollution and the need for integrated sediment–biota monitoring.
Keywords: river pollution; freshwater fish; persistent organic pollutants (POPs); polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH); polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB); health risk river pollution; freshwater fish; persistent organic pollutants (POPs); polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH); polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB); health risk

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MDPI and ACS Style

Herceg Romanić, S.; Jakovljević, I.; Đokić, M.; Bilandžić, N.; Jakšić, G.; Mendaš, G.; Biošić, M.; Pehnec, G.; Milićević, T.; Jovanović, G. Tracing the Legacy of Historical PCB Pollution and Contemporary PAH Contamination in the Kupa River (Danube Basin, Croatia). Environments 2026, 13, 192. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments13040192

AMA Style

Herceg Romanić S, Jakovljević I, Đokić M, Bilandžić N, Jakšić G, Mendaš G, Biošić M, Pehnec G, Milićević T, Jovanović G. Tracing the Legacy of Historical PCB Pollution and Contemporary PAH Contamination in the Kupa River (Danube Basin, Croatia). Environments. 2026; 13(4):192. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments13040192

Chicago/Turabian Style

Herceg Romanić, Snježana, Ivana Jakovljević, Maja Đokić, Nina Bilandžić, Goran Jakšić, Gordana Mendaš, Martina Biošić, Gordana Pehnec, Tijana Milićević, and Gordana Jovanović. 2026. "Tracing the Legacy of Historical PCB Pollution and Contemporary PAH Contamination in the Kupa River (Danube Basin, Croatia)" Environments 13, no. 4: 192. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments13040192

APA Style

Herceg Romanić, S., Jakovljević, I., Đokić, M., Bilandžić, N., Jakšić, G., Mendaš, G., Biošić, M., Pehnec, G., Milićević, T., & Jovanović, G. (2026). Tracing the Legacy of Historical PCB Pollution and Contemporary PAH Contamination in the Kupa River (Danube Basin, Croatia). Environments, 13(4), 192. https://doi.org/10.3390/environments13040192

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