Per-Anders Bergqvist

Overview on environmental fate of chlorinated dioxins and dibenzofurans. Sources, levels and isomeric pattern in various matrices

Abstract Polychlorinated dioxins and dibenzofurans have been identified in technical products and pesticides, most of which are not very widely used today. Other sources are incinerators of various types like MSW incinerators, but also hazardous waste incinerators and industrial incinerators. PCDDs and PCDFs have also been identified in exhausts from cars running on leaded gasoline with halogenated additives. Background levels of PCDDs and PCDFs have been identified in fish and other aquatic organisms from the Great Lakes and the Baltic Sea, and also in human adipose tissue samples from USA, Canada, Sweden, Japan and Viet Nam as well as in samples of breast milk from Sweden, Denmark, West Germany, the Netherlands, Yugoslavia and Viet Nam. The isomeric pattern in all these biological samples is very similar.

Levels and patterns of PCDD and PCDF contamination in fish, crabs, and lobsters from Newark Bay and the New York Bight

Abstract Samples of striped bass, crabs and lobsters were collected in Newark Bay and the New York Bight. The fish muscle and the hepatopancreas and meat from the crabs were subjected to congener specific analysis. All samples were found to be contaminated by 2,3,7,8-tetraCDD and a series of other highly hazardous 2,3,7,8-substituted congeners as well as less hazardous PCDDs and PCDFs. A value exceeding 6000 ppt wet tissue weight of 2,3,7,8-tetraCDD was found in a sample of crab hepatopancreas, which seems to be the highest value so far reported in a food product. The crab meat, on the other hand, contained only 100 ppt. In general the crustaceans contained many congeners, while the fish samples contained only 2,3,7,8-substituted compounds. An unknown compound, possibly a tetrachlorodibenzothiophene, was the dominating peak in most of the crustacean samples.

Dioxins in cod and herring from the seas around Sweden

Abstract The levels of PCDDs and PCDFs in pooled samples of cod, herring and whitefish from different fishing grounds in the seas around Sweden were determined by HRGC-HRMS. The results are expressed as TCDD equivalents, calculated according to the recently described Nordic model. The levels in pooled cod fillets were below or close to the limit of quantitation (ca 0.2 pg TCDD equivalents/g wet weight), whereas the levels in herring were 1.8–9.0 pg/g, the highest levels being found in Baltic herring. The levels in the two pooled samples of whitefish studied varied widely (2.3 and 19 pg/g).

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.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and dibenzo-furans (PCDF) in seal blubber

Abstract Blubber samples from seals collected in waters around the Scandinavian peninsula and from the Antarctic have been analyzed for the presence of PCDD and PCDF. The results do not indicate any substantial species or spatial differences in levels for animals representing the northern hemisphere but lower levels were found in the samples collected in the Antarctic. Among marine mammals highly persistent organochlorines normally increase with increasing age. In our study no clear age or sex dependence in levels of PCDD and PCDF was found. The levels of PCDD and PCDF in seal blubber are of the same magnitude as the levels found in humans.

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.