Ecological Risk Assessment Using High Resolution Analysis of

• 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

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.