Ecological Risk Assessment Using High Resolution Analysis of

Abstract—Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are complex mixture of ubiquitous, persistent, bioaccumulative toxic substances. Congener specific determination of this mixture demands high resolution (against co-contaminants and coeluants), sensitivity and accuracy. Analytical methodology using high reso...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Polychlorinated Biphenyls (pcbs, Narayanan Kannan, Gert Petrick
Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 2009
Subjects:
PCBs
multidimensional chromatography
metabolic stress
ecological indicators
ocean health
seals
birds
fish
Antarctic
North Atlantic
Baltic
Antarc*
Razorbill
Online Access:http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.577.3680
http://www.terrapub.co.jp/onlineproceedings/ec/02/pdf/ERA11.pdf
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Summary:Abstract—Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are complex mixture of ubiquitous, persistent, bioaccumulative toxic substances. Congener specific determination of this mixture demands high resolution (against co-contaminants and coeluants), sensitivity and accuracy. Analytical methodology using high resolution cleanup and multi dimensional chromatography with electron capture detection (MDGC-ECD) was applied to archived samples of flat fish, a flightless bird (Penguin), a flying bird (Razorbill) and seal. Thus the determined concentrations, represented in pg/mg fat, ranged from as low as 88 to as high as 32,000. The actual levels (mean) were: flat fish: 152; penguin (n = 2): 321; razorbill (n = 2): 576 and seal (n = 7): 7645. Target organisms accumulated several of the toxic non-, mono-, and di-ortho Cl substituted congeners including the most toxic 3,3′,4,4′5-pentachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC = 126) in their body fat. Toxic Equivalents (TEQs) were calculated and reported as follows (fg/mg TEQ fat): flat fish: 70; penguin (n = 2): 68; razorbill (n = 2): 1600; and seal (n = 7): 635. Metabolic index for each PCB congener was calculated in seal based on X/153 ratio. This index revealed metabolism of several persistent congeners indicating induction of both Cytochrome P450 CYP IA and IIB enzymes. This congener-specific analysis of PCBs revealed the ecological stress in aquatic organisms from land based anthropogenic contamination.

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