Bo Strandberg

Concentrations and spatial variations of cyclodienes and other organochlorines in herring and perch from the Baltic Sea.

Herring (Clupea harengus) and perch (Perca fluviatilis) were collected in the northern and southern Baltic Sea and analyzed for the presence of the cyclodiene pesticides chlordane (CHL), heptachlor, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, isodrin, endosulfan and mirex, as well as other organochlorine contaminants, hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), DDTs, hexachlorobenzene (HCBz) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in order to investigate concentrations, accumulation and differences in geographical distribution. In the northern part of the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, herring were collected at two pelagic stations, one in the Bothnian Bay (BB) and the other in the Bothnian Sea (BS), respectively; perch were collected at four coastal locations along the Swedish coast. All these locations were selected to represent background areas except one in the vicinity of an industrialised and contaminated area. Both specimens were also caught in the southern part of the Baltic Sea, in the Gulf of Gdansk (GG), Poland, a potentially highly polluted area. From the eight cyclodiene pesticides analyzed, three were detected in herring and perch samples, including 12 different CHL-related compounds, dieldrin and mirex. To our knowledge, it is the first time that mirex has been detected in samples from the Baltic Sea. Neither heptachlor, aldrin, endrin, isodrin nor endosulfan were found. However, HCHs, DDTs, HCBz and PCBs were found in every sample investigated, and the concentrations ranged e.g. for the cyclodiene chemicals dieldrin and CHL-related compounds from 30 to 170 ng/g lipid and for PCBs from 360 to 5400 ng/g lipid, both fish species included. Differences in contamination burden between the sites can be seen, e.g. for herring the BB and GG locals were similar, and generally lower than BS for all chemicals except that of DDT where GG was the highest. For the perch samples the industrialised location had markedly higher concentrations of HCBz and PCBs than the other locations. This species also identifies GG as the most DDT contaminated site among the three studied areas.

Levels of PCBs in the aquatic environment of the Gulf of Bothnia : Benthic species and sediments

Levels of PCBs in the aquatic environment of the Gulf of Bothnia: Benthic species and sediments

Concentrations and biomagnification of 17 chlordane compounds and other organochlorines in harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) and herring from the Southern Baltic sea

Four species of harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) and one herring (Clupea harengus) sample from the southern Baltic Sea were analysed in an attempt to study the concentration and biomagnification of 17 chlordane related compounds (CHLs) including 12 components present in technical chlordane, the toxic metabolites oxychlordane and cis-hepatchlorepoxide and the photoconversion products photoheptachlor and two photo-cis-chlordanes. The concentration and biomagnification ability of CHLs were also compared to other organochlorines such as HCHs (hexachlorocyclohexanes), hexachlorobenzene, DDTs, dieldrin, mirex and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). Of the CHLs analysed, 16 were detected in porpoise and 15 in herring including the photoconversion products. In both species the highest concentrations were found for PCBs and DDTs. The concentration of PCBs and CHLs in porpoise varied from 5700-16,000 and 470-1250 ng/g lipid, and in herring from 1300 and 49 ng/g lipid, respectively. The biomagnification factor (BMF: concentration in organism/concentration in food; all lipid normalized) in porpoise was found to be high for CHLs followed by dieldrin and lowest for HCHs. Among the CHLs, a big variation of BMF (BMF range approximately 1-50) was found e.g., the nonachlorinated compounds biomagnified to the highest degree followed by cis-heptachlorepoxide, photoheptachlor and oxychlordane.

Spatial distribution and bioaccumulation of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) in mussel and fish from the Gulf of Gdańsk, Baltic Sea

Blue mussel, flounder, perch and lamprey from the Gulf of Gdansk accumulate many tetra- through hepta-CNs. Highest concentrations in fishes and lamprey are PCN congeners such as nos. 42, 52, 60, 61 and 69, which do not have vicinal (adjacent) carbon atoms unsubstituted with chlorine (NVC-Cl PCNs) and seem to be relatively resistant in the marine environment. In mussel, chloronaphthalenes such as nos. 3840, 33/34/37, 2843 and 47 dominate, i.e. the congeners, which have two or three vicinal carbon atoms unsubstituted with chlorine (DVC-Cl and TVC-Cl PCNs). PCNs with two vicinal carbon atoms unsubstituted with chlorine (DVC-Cl PCNs) are less abundant in fish and lamprey than NVC-Cl members, while those congeners with three (TVC-Cl PCNs) or four (QVC-Cl PCNs) vicinal carbon atoms unsubstituted are present as only minor compounds or are absent. Congener-specific data obtained using a non-destructive sample extraction and clean-up method coupled to HRGC-HRMS can be useful to explain potential species- or site-specific differences of the pollution pattern with PCNs. Most of the hexa-CNs, both hepta-CNs and some penta- and tetra-CNs show their high potency for bioaccumulation in flounder when related to mussel as their food.

Concentrations and biomagnification of polychlorinated naphthalenes in black cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis from the Gulf of Gdańsk, Baltic Sea

Black cormorants, Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis (the breast muscles and liver) originating from the colony near Katy Rybackie on the south coast of the Gulf of Gdańsk, Baltic Sea, were collected in 1992 and analysed for polychlorinated naphthalenes. PCNs were determined employing a multi-residue procedure including a non-destructive wide-bore open-tube extraction step, cleanup using semipermeable polyethylene membrane, HPLC fractionation of planar compounds on activated carbon column and final separation and identification and quantification with HRGC/HRMS. Tetra- to hepta-CNs were found in all samples examined, and penta- and next tetra-CNs were dominating homologue groups. Dominating members in the fingerprint of PCNs in black cormorants were 1,3,5,7-T4CN (no. 42); 1,2,3,5,7-/1,2,4,6,7-P5CN (no. 52/60); 1,2,4,6,8-P5CN (no. 61); 1,2,3,4,6,7-/1,2,3,5,6,7-H6CN (no. 66/67); 1,2,4,6-/1,2,4,7-/1,2,5,7-T4CN (no. 33/34); 1,2,4,5,7-P5CN (no. 58); and 1,2,4,7,8-P5CN (no. 62). When related to potential food items, black cormorants biomagnify in their body many PCNs and the congeners no. 42 and 66/67 show highest biomagnification factor (BMF) values.

Organochlorine compounds in the Gulf of Bothnia: sediment and benthic species

Surface sediment, amphipods (Monoporeia affinis), isopods (Saduria entomon) and fourhorn sculpins (Oncocottus quadricornis) were collected at two coastal stations in the Gulf of Bothnia, one in the Bothnian Bay and the other in the Bothnian Sea. The objective was to study the concentrations, composition profiles, bioaccumulation features and spatial differences of organochlorine compounds such as hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), DDTs, hexachlorobenzene (HCBz), chlordanes (CHLs), dieldrin, Mirex and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). All groups of compounds were found in every sample investigated, with the exception of Mirex that was not detected in the sediment samples. The concentrations for e.g. PCBs and CHLs ranged from 700 to 2400 and 70 to 400 ng/g lipid in the specimens. For the corresponding sediments the results were 9.0-9.3 ng/g dw for PCBs and 0.54-0.57 ng/g dw for CHLs, respectively. Bioaccumulation differences between the species with regard to both degree of and type of compound were observed. The highest accumulation potential was found for the cyclodiene compounds including CHLs and Mirex in isopod. Finally, there were only small concentration and bioaccumulation differences between the two stations.

Polychlorinated naphthalenes in three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus from the gulf of Gdańsk

Abstract The congener-specific data of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) are presented for the three-spined stickleback collected from four spatially distant sites in the beach zone in the south-western part of the Gulf of Gdansk, Baltic Sea. The lipid weight normalised concentration of total PCNs in stickleback ranged from 35 to 130 ng/g. Tetra-CNs (54–64%) were a dominating chloronaphthalene homologue group in sticklebacks, followed by penta- (37–44%), hexa- (0.9–1.7%), and hepta-CNs (0.02- 52 60 ), 1,2,4,6-/1,2,4,7-/1,2,5,7-T4CN (Nos 33/34/37) and 1, 3, 5, 7-T4CN (No. 42) as a most contributing members, and also some compositional (%) differences. The patterns of tetra-, penta-, and hexa-CNs displayed compositional variations in a residue picture of those substances, depending on the sampling site, and implied on a specific point source of pollution, possibly due to the neighbourhood of shipyards and marine ports, as a cause o f the differences/similarities observed.

Lipid removal using semipermeable membranes (SPMs) in PCDD and PCDF analysis of fat-rich environmental samples

Abstract We have studied the kinetics of lipid removal using the semipermeable membrane technique (SPM) during preparation of fat rich environmental samples for analysis of lipophilic substances such as dioxins. This is a useful alternative to the conventional methodologies (both destructive and non-destructive). For herring fat, the dialysis was found to be almost complete after two solvent replacements. Our study also showed recoveries exceeding 80% for a series of PCDFs and PCDFs in various biotic samples.

Concentrations and spatial distribution of chlordanes and some other cyclodiene pesticides in Baltic plankton

Twelve chlordane (CHLs) components and their metabolites (heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, U82, MC4, trans-chlordane, MC5, cis-chlordane, MC7, oxychlordane, MC6, trans- and cis-nonachlor) and aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, isodrin, endosulfan 1, endosulfan 2, and mirex were quantified in mixed subsurface phyto- and zooplankton collected at four spatially distant sites in the southern part of the Baltic Sea. The CHLs concentrations in plankton were low, i.e. 5.3, 8.7, 9.2 and 8.7 ng/g lipid in Gdansk Depth, Gotland Basin, Bornholm Basin and Pomeranian Bay, respectively. Chlordane compounds showed similar distributions and patterns in plankton at all four sampling sites. The trans-nonachlor to cis-chlordane ratio (N:C ratio) in plankton was between 0.76 and 1.0 which clearly indicates pollution from distant sources due to long-range aerial transport. The relatively high concentrations of heptachlor epoxide seem to be related to local sources of pollution around of the Baltic Sea. Dieldrin was the major cyclodiene pesticide quantified and its concentration was uniformly distributed in the plankton sampled and ranged from 23 to 42 ng/g lipid, while aldrin, endrin, isodrin, endosulfan 1, endosulfan 2 and mirex were undetected.

Counter-current extraction of dioxins from cod liver oil by supercritical carbon dioxide

Abstract Dioxins and dibenzofurans are chlorinated toxic compounds. They are formed in many different processes involving chlorine. They are found everywhere in nature. As they are nonpolar they accumulate in fat containing environments and are, for example, found in breast milk, fatty fish, and cod liver oil. For those cases where it is possible to get rid of the dioxins, it is important to try this. Counter-current extraction of dioxins from cod liver oil has been studied using supercritical carbon dioxide. The results show that 80% of the dioxins can be extracted together with the 17% of the oil. The best conditions so far, in a 1 m/14-mm i.d. column filled with glass rings, are 150 bar and 40 °C and an oil-to-carbon dioxide ratio of 1:100.