Levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, DDE, and mirex in waterfowl collected in New York State, 1979-1980.

Abstract

The PCBs, DDE, and mirex levels were measured in the subcutaneous fat and breast muscle of fifty-five waterfowl collected in New York State during 1981 and 1982. Levels were obtained by electron capture gas chromatography (EC-GC) on wet weight, dry weight, and lipid weight bases; results were confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The mean PCB levels were 6.1 (μg/g in fat and 0.25 μg/g in breast muscle on a wet weight basis. The mean DDE and mirex levels were 0.10 μg/g and 0.28 μg/g in fat and 0.01 μg/g and 0.002 μg/g in breast muscle on a wet weight basis, respectively.