CONGENER-SPECIF IC ANALYS IS OF THE ACCUMULATION OF POLYCHLORINATED B IPHENYLS (PCBs) BY AQUATIC ORGANISMS IN THE MAXIMUM TURBIDITY ZONE OF THE ST.

• Main Authors: Lawrence Estuary, Monique M. Gagnon, Julian J. Dodson, Michael E. Comba, Klaus L. E. Kaiser
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Beluga; Beluga*; Delphinapterus leucas
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.563.3717; http://www.bio.ulaval.ca/labdodson/Papers Julian/Gagnon_1990STE.pdf

The polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination of the biota of the St. Lawrence stuary maximum turbidity zone (MTZ) was investigated. The species analyzed consist of zooplankton (mostly Neomysis americana), larval smelt (Osmerus mordax), juvenile smelt, juvenile tomcod (Microgadus tomcod) and adult smelt, tomcod and capelin (Mallotus villosus). A significant increase in total PCB contamination from zooplankton to all fish developmental stages indicates that the St. Lawrence MTZ is a site of significant PCB contamination. The total PCB contamina-tion of adult smelt and tomcod sampled in the St. Lawrence MTZ was greater than the limit of 0.1 ppm set by the International Joint Commission for the protection of predators. For zooplankton, tomcod and capelin, significant correlations were found between lipid content and PCB contamina-tion. The congener-specific analyses howed that the bioconcentration factor of the individual congeners varied with the species involved and with the molecular structure of the congener. It was found that the chlorine atoms in positions 2, 4 and 5 on at least one phenyl ring of the PCB molecule was a dominant factor causing accumulation ofPCBs in aquatic organisms. The pattern of PCB congeners found in beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) whale tissues is similar to the PCB pattern found in the St. Lawrence stuary MTZ biota.