Identification of Hazardous Organic Chemicals in Fish from the Ashtabula River, Ohio, and Wabash River, Indiana

Abstract

Composite fish samples from the Wabash River, IN, and the Ashtabula River, OH, were analyzed by conventional pesticide procedures for PCBs, DDTs, chlordane components, and hexachlorobenzene. Additional aliquots of each sample were processed by gel permeation chromatography and were analyzed with gas chromatography--mass spectrometry by using both electron impact and negative chemical ionization modes. These analyses resulted in the identification of a series of chlorinated alkanes, chlorinated alkenes, chlorinated alkylamines containing 2--5 carbons, and polychlorinated styrenes in the Ashtabula River sample, and a series of chlorinated norbornenes, pentachlorobenzyl alcohol, and pentachlorophenol in the Wabash River sample.