Raija Paukku

Polychlorinated phenols, guaiacols and catechols in environment

Abstract Emissions, bioaccumulation and possible food chain enrichment of polychlorinated phenols, guaiacols and catechols have been studied by analyses of water, snow, ash, benthic animal, fish and bird samples in Finland. Seventeen individual compounds were analyzed using authentic reference model compounds and internal standard by GC/ECD. Although the enrichment potential of the studied compounds appeared to be lower than that of the chlorinated hydrocarbons, they proved to be very general pollutants and some of them showed specific bioaccumulation to certain species and high persistency thus forming environmental hazards.

Organic chlorine compounds in lake sediments. III. Chlorohydrocarbons, free and chemically bound chlorophenols

Abstract Chlorohydrocarbons and free and chemically bound chlorophenols, catechols and guaiacols were measured from lake sediments in Central Finland. Chlorohydrocarbons occurred at low backround levels except chlorocymenes from pulp mills and PCBs near the city of Aanekoski, where a local leakage occurrs. Free chlorophenols (hexane extractables) were found in all 18 areas studied, but the bound ones (extracted with strong alkali) only in the pulp mill reciepient lakes where they dominated. Preliminary analyses of chemically bound chlorophenols in high molecular fractions of spent bleach liquors and pulp mill effluents indicated that majority of chlorocatechols and guaiacols are bound already in the factory.

Organic chlorine compounds in lake sediments and the role of the chlorobleaching effluents

Abstract Chloride, total organic chlorine (TOCl) and chlorophenols have been measured in bottom sediment layers of seven lakes in Central Finland. Organic chlorine compounds were found even in layers formed in the 13th century. However, the amounts increase markedly in 20th century layers and are much higher below than above the pulp mills.

Mussel incubation method for monitoring organochlorine pollutants in watercourses. Four-year application in Finland

Abstract Four week incubation of mussels followed with analyses has been developed to a sensitive method for monitoring chlorohydrocarbons, chlorophenols and aromatic chloroethers in watercourses. During four-year application at the Kymijoki river basin in Central and Southern Finland a decreasing trend of chlorophenol pollution, appearance of chlorocymenes, -cymenenes, other chlorohydrocarbons from pulp bleaching and bioaccumulation of chloroanisoles and -veratroles were shown. A continuing local PCB pollution was found and place of its origin traced. Use of combined samples in analysis to improve the economy of monitoring was applied successfully. Toxaphene components and toxic PCDD and PCDF congeners were absent in mussels incubated very near to the effluent pipe of activated sludge treatment plant of a kraft pulp mill.

ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS IN LAKE SEDIMENTS. II, ORGANICALLY BOUND CHLORINE

Abstract Organically bound chlorine together with inorganic chloride was measured from dated bottom sediment layers of 18 lakes in Central Finland and compared to organic matter contents. Pulp mills were found to be the source of significant increase of the accumulation of all of these materials in the 20th century.

Chlorinated anisoles and veratroles in fish. Model compounds. Instrumental and sensory determinations

Abstract Model compounds of polychlorinated anisoles (PCA) and veratroles (PCV) have been used in development of their analysis in fish. Individual PCAs and PCVs in fish were identified from GC peaks by retention time, selected ion monitoring and flavour in sniff detector. Trout exposed to spent bleach liquor and fish in recipient of pulp chlorobleaching had significantly higher PCA and PCV contents than fish at less polluted reference areas. Taste impairment points of fish fillets given by a blind panel correlated significantly with PCA/PCV contents but also with contents of polychlorophenols (PCP), quaiacols (PCG) and catechols (PCC).

Chloroaromatic pollutants in mussels incubated in two Finnish watercourses polluted by industry

Abstract Concentrations of different chlorinated compounds were measured in mussels incubated in two polluted watercourses, a river (the River Kymijoki) and a lake (Lake Vanaja) for four weeks in summer 1995. The sum concentrations of polychlorinated phenols (PCP) and biphenyls (PCB) were both about 1 μg/g lipid weight (lw) in Lake Vanaja mussels, while in the River Kymijoki mussels PCPs were non-detectable and PCBs were measured 120 ng/g lIw. The concentrations of toxic polychlorinated dibenzo- p -dioxin (PCDD) and dibenzofuran (PCDF) congeners ranged between

Uptake of organochlorines from lake water by hexane filled dialysis membranes and by mussels

The distribution of organochlorines in aquatic ecosystem was followed by simultaneous incubation of mussels and solvent filled dialysis membranes. The uptake of organochlorines by the mussel represents both active and passive processes while the solvent filled membranes reflect the passive uptake. The active uptake by the mussel via food and the gills seems to be more important than the passive one since the mussel collected lipophilic organochlorine components more effectively than the solvent filled membranes.

Study of organochlorine pollutants in snow at North Pole and comparison to the snow at North, Central and South Finland

Abstract Organic pollutants, especially polychlorinated hydrocarbons, phenols, guaiacols and catechols have been studied by analyses of snow samples from North Pole, May 1984. All of these pollutants were below the limit of determination which was estimated to be as fallout 0.1–0.05 μg/m 2 for individual compounds. For comparison, snow samples from Central Finland and South Finland 1983–1985 also showed non-detectable levels of chlorinated hydrocarbons but well measurable levels of chlorophenol compounds which were significantly higher at urban (heavy traffic) than rural and higher at South than Central Finnish places, respectively. One sample from Lapland, North Finland 1985, however, had no measurable amounts of chlorophenols like the North Pole sample.

Lignin and organic chlorine compounds in lake water and the role of the chlorobleaching effluents

Abstract The closing of two old sulphite mills and one old kraft pulp mill and their replacement by one modern kraft pulp mill with a biosludge purification plant caused a very significant decrease in the sodium lignosulfonate and chloroform contents in the receiving waters. Chlorophenols decreased significantly but not to the same extent. The total lignin/humic levels in the receiving watercourse showed no change.