High Concentrations Of Polychlorinated Biphenyls Research Articles

Organochlorine and Butyltin Residues in Mesopelagic Myctophid Fishes from the Western North Pacific

Organochlorine (OCs) and butyltin (BTs) residues were determined in mesopelagic myctophid fishes collected from the western North Pacific to elucidate contamination status, accumulation patterns, and distribution. Among OCs, concentrations of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and DDTs (DDT and its metabolites) were the highest in myctophids (at maximum concentrations of 370 ng/g and 280 ng/g lipid wt, respectively). CHLs (chlordane compounds) or HCHs (hexachlorocyclohexanes) were the next most abundant OCs, and HCB (hexachlorobenzene) was the lowest. The maximum concentration of total butyltin (∑BTs = MBT + DBT + TBT) in fish was 46 ng/g wet wt. Concentrations of PCBs, CHLs, and BTs were significantly lower in oceanic myctophids than those in fishes from Japanese coastal water, Suruga Bay. The residue pattern of OCs and BTs showed a specific trend according to diel vertical migration of myctophids. Relatively high concentrations of PCBs, DDTs, and CHLs were found in nonmigratory species living in deeper waters, whereas concentrations of HCHs, HCB, and BTs were high in migratory species, which migrate up to the upper 200 m at night for feeding. These patterns are also influenced by the vertical distributions of OCs and BTs in the subarctic and transitional waters of the western North Pacific, where intrusion of watermass from the Okhotsk Sea has been suggested. Temporal variation in the residue level and composition of OCs found in myctophids indicated a significant decrease in the input of DDTs into the marine environment while HCHs declined at a slower rate.

Persistent Organochlorines and Organophosphorus Compounds and Heavy Elements in Common Whale ( Balaenoptera physalus) from the Western Mediterranean Sea

On March 1998, a female specimen of common whale ( Balaenoptera physalus) appeared dead in the western Mediterranean coast of Valencia (Spain). Analyses of whale tissues (blubber, liver and kidney) were carried out in order to elucidate the contamination pattern present in the whale, as indicator of the contaminants present in its habitat from the Mauretanian coast to Ligurian Sea, sited in the western Mediterranean area. A multiresidue method based on normal-phase LC prior to GC-MS determination of residues of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides and derivatives and lipophylic organophosphorus (OP) pesticides was applied. Moreover, determination of heavy metals by ICP-MS was carried out, selecting for quantitative analysis Cr, As, Cd, Hg and Pb. Results obtained show high concentrations of PCBs and pp ′DDE, at μg g −1 level, as well as significant concentrations of As and Hg, which could affected the condition of the animal, and as a consequence, its survivor possibilities.

Polychlorinated biphenyls and 2,3,7,8‐tetrachlorodibenzo‐p‐dioxin equivalents in tree swallows from the upper Hudson River, New York State, USA

AbstractThe upper Hudson River of New York State, USA, is contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as a result of industrial discharges throughout the latter half of this century. In 1994 and 1995, we monitored the transfer of PCBs from aquatic sediments to a terrestrial wildlife community using the tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) as a model organism. Tree swallow eggs and nestlings were collected at four colonies established along a 40‐km stretch of the upper Hudson River watershed. Samples were analyzed for total PCBs and PCB congeners, including non‐ortho‐ and mono‐ortho‐substituted PCBs. Mean concentrations of PCBs in tree swallow eggs and nestlings ranged from 721 to 62,200 ng/g and were as much as 15 times greater than PCB concentrations in tree swallow eggs and nestlings collected from PCB‐contaminated areas within the Great Lakes ecosystem. The corresponding 2,3,7,8‐tetrachlorodibenzo‐p‐dioxin equivalents (TEQs) calculated using avian toxic equivalency factors ranged from 410 to 25,400 pg/g. Concentrations of PCB congener 77 (3,39,4,49‐tetrachlorobiphenyl) were extremely elevated and were major contributors to the calculated TEQs. Homologue pattern comparisons between Hudson River and Saginaw River (Michigan, USA) ecosystems supported the hypothesis that a consistent Hudson River PCB source was the major contributor to PCBs in Hudson River tree swallows. The high concentrations of PCBs in Hudson River sediments and resultant concentrations observed in tree swallows were indicative of a potential elevated risk to these and other wildlife linked to the aquatic food web of the Hudson River ecosystem.

Identification of the metabolically active members of a bacterial community in a polychlorinated biphenyl-polluted moorland soil.

The presumptive metabolically active members of a bacterial community in a moorland soil in Germany, highly polluted with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), were identified by sequencing of cloned reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification products of 16S rRNA generated from total RNA extracts. Analysis of the 16S rRNA clone library revealed a considerable diversity of metabolically active bacteria in the soil, despite the acidic pH and high concentrations of PCBs. Cloned sequence types clustered within the Proteobacteria (34% alpha-, 33% beta- and 7% gamma-subclasses), the Holophaga-Acidobacterium phylum (14%), the Actinobacteria (6.5%) and the Planctomycetales (2%). Three cloned sequence types were not affiliated to any described phylogenetic group. An unusual feature of this soil was the abundance of sequence types within the beta-subclass of the Proteobacteria, most of which were similar to the 16S rRNA gene sequences of species from only two genera, Burkholderia and Variovorax. Three other numerous 16S rRNA sequence types were similar to the sequences of Sphingomonas species, members of the Rhodopila globiformis group and Acidobacterium capsulatum. Some of the sequence types retrieved were similar to the 16S rRNA sequences of bacterial isolates able to degrade a variety of organic pollutants, including PCBs. As the PCB contamination is the major source of measurable carbon in this soil, some of the 16S rRNA sequence types detected and presumed to represent the metabolically active members of the community indicate the organisms likely to be involved, directly or indirectly, in the utilization of the PCBs as carbon and energy sources.

Loading capacity and chromatographic behavior of a porous graphitic carbon column for polychlorinated biphenyls

A porous graphitic carbon column (Hypercarb) was used for the fractionation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into classes of 2-4 ortho chlorines, 1 ortho chlorine and 0 ortho chlorine congeners. A method was developed that combined the fractionation of PCBs, polychlorinated dibenzo- p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in a variety of biotic environmental samples. Many of these samples have high concentrations of PCBs which cause fractionation problems as adsorption sites on the graphitic surface are occupied. The loading capacity of the column for PCBs was determined by injecting up to 1 mg of total PCBs and monitoring changes in chromatographic behavior of tetra-/di- ortho, mono- ortho and non- ortho substituted PCBs. Effective loading capacities were 1 mg for tetra-/di- ortho PCBs, but only 3–5 μg for non- ortho PCBs and about 2 μg for mono- ortho PCBs. Loading capacity of the PGC column for environmental fish and avian egg samples was determined to depend on the mono- ortho and non- ortho PCB levels found in these samples.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in bulk soil and particle size separates of soils in a rural community

AbstractIn a rural community (Stephanskirchen, Southern Germany) situated near a waste incineration plant six A horizons were sampled to determine 14 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in bulk soil and particle size separates (clay, silt, fine and coarse sand) and to test the suitability of alkaline saponification for PCB extraction. The PCB concentrations were higher in alkaline saponification extracts than in Soxhlet extracts. However, the extraction efficiency of up to fourfold chlorinated PCBs was lower and more than sevenfold chlorinated PCBs were destroyed. Nevertheless, alkaline saponification was suitable to determine the indicator congeners 28, 52, 101, 138, 152, and 180. The sum of the PCB concentrations ranged from 8.4 to 59.5 μg kg−1 which was as high as in soils of big cities. However, the concentrations did not reach the threshold value for agricultural purposes of 200 μg kg−1 as proposed in literature for the sum of the six indicator congeners. The hexachlorinated PCBs 138 and 153 were the most abundant (together > 50% in all samples) whereas PCB 1 could not be detected in any sample. On the average, PCB concentrations increased as particle size decreased. When normalized to Corg, however, the fine sand fraction had the highest PCB concentrations. A slight decrease of lower chlorinated PCBs as particle size decreased indicated an increasing state of degradation. The PCB compositions in the emissions of a comparable waste incineration plant (Bamberg, Bavaria) and in Stephanskirchen soils differed markedly. Therefore, we did not get any indications that waste incineration was a main source of PCBs in the examined soils. Instead, higher chlorinated technical PCB mixtures such as Clophen A 60 or Aroclor 1260 may be the most important sources.

Comparative developmental toxicity of planar polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in chickens, American kestrels, and common terns

AbstractThe effects of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, PCB 126 (3,3′,4,4′,5‐pentaCB) and PCB 77 (3,3′4,4′‐tetraCB), were examined in chicken (Gallus gallus), American kestrel (Falco sparverius), and common tern (Sterna hirundo) embryos through hatching, following air cell injections on day 4. PCB 126 caused malformations and edema in chickens starting at 0.3 ppb, in kestrels at 2.3 to 23 ppb, but in terns only at levels affecting hatching success (44 ppb). Extent of edema was most severe in chickens and least in terns. Defects of the beak were common in all species but with crossed beak most prevalent in terns. Effects on embryo growth were most apparent for PCB 126 in chickens and kestrels. The approximate 50% lethal dose (LD50) for PCB 126 in chickens was 0.4 ppb, in kestrels was 65 ppb, and in terns was 104 ppb. The approximate LD50 for PCB 77 in chickens was 2.6 ppb and in kestrels was 316 ppb. Induction of cytochrome P450 associated monooxygenase activity (ethoxyresorufin‐O‐dealkylase activity) by PCB 126 in chick embryo liver was about 800 times more responsive than in tern and at least 1,000 times more responsive than in kestrel. High concentrations of PCB 126 found in bald eagle eggs are nearly 20‐fold higher than the lowest toxic concentration tested in kestrels. Concentrations of PCB 126 causing low‐level toxic effects in common tern eggs are comparable to highest levels in common terns and Forster's terns in the field, suggesting additional involvement of other compounds in the Great Lakes.

Isolation of a Pseudomonas Strain Resistant to Organic Solvents and Capable of Degrading Coplanar Polychlorinated Biphenyls.

Biological treatment of waste polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) mixed with organic solvents (OSs) requires bacteria that have both OS tolerance and PCB-degrading capacity. Therefore, we tried to find such bacteria strongly capable of both tolerating OS and degrading PCBs. We screened eleven bacteria capable of degrading more than 70% (w/v) of KC-300 containing 10ppm PCB from 200 samples of soil and sea water taken from the mouth of Sagami river and elsewhere. We selected six of the 11 strains that could degrade more than 50% (w/v) of KC-500 (10 ppm). The six strains were subjected to experiments using high concentrations of PCBs (HC-PCBs) and OS tolerance tests. Of these six, a strain that could degrade HC-PCBs was selected, and identified by physiological, biological and electron microscopic examinations as Pseudomonas putida. The isolate was then named SN-4992. SN-4992 degraded more than 60% of PCBs at 100 ppm (KC-400) over 15 d, and 86.8 % of very toxic coplanar PCBs (c-PCBs) in KC-400 (100 ppm).

Persistence and fate of PCBs in sediments of the Saint Lawrence River

Abstract Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congener concentrations and composition were determined in sediments from three sections of the St. Lawrence River that have been exposed to high PCB contamination. In at least one sampling station in each river section (upper Lac St-Francois (LSF) and two sections in metropolitan Montreal, Canada), high PCB concentrations were found in the top 10 cm of sediments (respectively 16.2, 9.8 and 3.8 mg/kg d.w. of Aroclor 1248 equivalents). In the case of sediments along the south shore of LSF, both PCB concentrations (regression analysis) and composition (correspondence analysis) were related to the distance of sampling sites downstream from the local source area. In the most contaminated station of the lake, located near an industrial facility, analysis of sediment core profile dated by 137 Cs revealed a relatively constant input of PCBs since ∼ 1982. The di- and tri-chlorinated congeners accounted for more than 70% of the quantified congeners in surface sediments of this station, whereas these congeners made up less than 30% of the PCBs found in less contaminated St. Lawrence River sediments. The PCB concentrations and compositions found in the river sediments suggest that local point sources, river hydrology, physicochemical processes and microbial dechlorination were major factors explaining the fate of PCB congeners in St. Lawrence River sediments.

Persistent organochlorine residues in fish and water birds from the Biobio river, Chile

Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDT and its metabolites, HCH isomers and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were determined in fish and birds from different locations in the Biobio river basin (central Chile). Samples collected near the mouth of the river contained high concentrations of PCBs, reflecting the massive use of these xenobiotics in the urban and industrial areas of Concepcion and Talcauano. Samples collected in the central part of the basin contained very high concentrations of lindane that coincide with the widespread use of lindane-based pesticides (purified γ-HCH) in this area. DDT was distributed homogeneously throughout the basin, except at Laguna Icalma, the source of the river in the Andes. Most PCB residues in fish and birds consisted of congeners between penta- and hepta-chlorobiphenyls. In fish, the predominant congeners were the pentachlorobiphenyl 23'44'5 (IUPAC number 118) and the hexachlorobiphenyl 22'344'55' (PCB-153); in birds 22'44'55' (PCB-180) prevailed.

PCB Levels in Plasma of Dutch Preschool Children 185

Background: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent and toxic environmental pollutants. Humans are exposed to PCBs mainly through the food chain and they are stored in adipose tissue. During lactation high concentrations of PCBs are transferred to breast-fed infants. To study the adverse effects of PCBs on growth and development in children, plasma PCB levels were measured in Dutch preschool children in relation to their perinatal and current exposure to PCBs.

Sampling and Analysis Artifacts Caused by Elevated Indoor Air Polychlorinated Biphenyl Concentrations

Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations were measured in the indoor air of several public buildings in Bloomington, IN. The concentrations ranged from 5 to 300 times higher than outdoor concentrations, and the indoor air PCB levels were highest in buildings with the earliest construction dates; see Figure 2. These elevated indoor air PCB levels have caused contamination in sample preparation as well as artifacts in sample collection. PCBs in procedural blanks in a laboratory with an indoor air PCB concentration of 6 ng/m3 averaged 1 order of magnitude lower than those measured in a laboratory with an indoor air PCB concentration of 300 ng/m3. Air sampling conducted on the roof of a building with high indoor air PCB concentrations and roof-top ventilation gave PCB concentrations that were approximately five times above ambient levels. However, sampling on the roof of another building without roof-top ventilation gave PCB concentrations that were not artificially elevated. We recommend measuring the i...

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and organochlorine pesticides in sediments of the baltic and coastal waters of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

The distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and organochlorine pesticides, e.g. the isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), p,p’-dichiorodiphenyitrichloroethane (DDT) and its primary metabolites DDE and DDD was investigated in surface sediments (0–2 cm) and sediment cores (0–45 cm) from the western Baltic Sea and the coastal waters of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Sediment sampling was carried out in the Belt Sea, the Arkona Basin, the Pomeranian Bight and in almost all Bodden and Haff areas of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in autumn 1993 and 1994. The highest concentrations of PCB and DDT compounds, measured in the innercoastal waters, reached 214 ng g-1 dry weight (d. w.). The values of HCH isomers ranged between 0.01 and 2.9 ng g-1 d.w., the highest levels being those of Β-HCH.

The Response of Rat Serum Lipids to Diets of Varying Composition or Contaminated with Organochlorine Pesticides

The effects of different diets (high carbohydrate, high protein, high fat) and diets contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and/or gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (lindane) on the levels of serum triglycerides, cholesterol and phospholipids were investigated in Wistar rats. Serum triglyceride levels differed significantly among the diets, while those of cholesterol and phospholipids were much less affected by the diet composition. A change in diet composition resulted in a gradual adaptation to the lipid levels characteristic of the new diet with major variations including oscillations. There was, however, no specific component of a diet that could be associated with any specific change in serum lipids. While feed deprivation decreased the serum lipids (40-65% in 3 days), refeeding the starved animals caused pronounced increases of the lipids that were different among the diets. The response of the triglyceride levels was the strongest (up to 10 times the starvation levels) followed by those of the phospholipids (4-fold) and cholesterol (2.5-fold). Response of the triglyceride levels peaked within 1 or 2 days of refeeding, whereas those of cholesterol and phospholipids took 4 days to reach the maximum. Feeding PCB-contaminated diets increased the serum lipids in a dose-dependent manner (15-250 ppm). Higher PCB concentrations were increasingly inhibitory (350 ppm) or overtly toxic (> 400 ppm). Elevated lipids returned to the starting levels immediately after peaking (triglycerides) or only after several days (cholesterol, phospholipids) but with an earlier onset at lower PCB concentrations. Refeeding starved animals with PCB-contaminated diets also increased the serum lipids dose-dependently. Feeding lindane-containing diets (50-150 ppm) as well as refeeding animals with lindane diets resulted in a considerable increase of the triglyceride levels, while cholesterol and phospholipids increased much less. Higher lindane concentrations (250 ppm) were inhibitory. The outcome on serum lipid levels on feeding diets contaminated with both PCBs and lindane was basically additive.

TOXIC POTENCIES OF LIPOPHILIC EXTRACTS FROM SEDIMENTS AND SETTLING PARTICULATE MATTER (SPM) COLLECTED IN A PCB-CONTAMINATED RIVER SYSTEM

Sediments and settling particulate matter (SPM) were sampled in a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated lake, Lake Järnsjön, and in lakes located up-/and downstream from Lake Järnsjön. The 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD)-inducing potencies of lipophilic extracts from sediment and SPM were investigated in organ cultures of chicken embryo livers (denoted in vitro chicken embryo liver bioassay). The extract from sediments collected in Lake Järnsjön had the greatest EROD-inducing potency of the extracts studied, and it also contained the highest concentrations of PCBs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated dibenzodioxins/furans (PCDDs/Fs). The non-ortho-chlorinated PCBs in the extracts were probably major contributors to the EROD induction noted. The EROD-inducing potency of sediment extract from the lake downstream Lake Järnsjön was higher than that of extract from the upstream lake. This indicates that EROD-inducing substances were transported from Lake Järnsjön sediment to the lake downstream. The extracts from Lake Järnsjön sediment and SPM were separated into three fractions containing aliphatic/monoaromatic, diaromatic, and polyaromatic compounds, respectively, which were tested in the in vitro chicken embryo liver bioassay. In all extracts, the aliphatic/monoaromatic fractions were low in EROD-inducing potency, while the polyaromatic fractions from SPM were more potent than their corresponding diaromatic fractions, indicating that they contained high concentrations of aromatic hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor ligands. Only a small part of the EROD induction caused by the polyaromatic fractions could be attributed to the 15 analyzed PAHs in the samples. The EROD-inducing potencies of the diaromatic fractions correlated quite well with their concentrations of PCDDs/Fs and PCBs. The in vitro chicken embryo liver bioassay detected low concentrations of EROD inducers in the extracts and therefore proved useful for estimating the contents of Ah receptor ligands in environmental samples.

Organochlorine residues in tissues of striped dolphins affected by the 1990 mediterranean epizootic: Relationships with the fatty acid composition

A simple and rapid method was developed for the simultaneous determination of fatty acids, organochlorine pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners in the same sample in order to explore possible connections between levels of contaminants and fatty acid composition. The method was applied to samples of melon, cerebrum, cerebellum, lung, liver, kidneys, and skeletal muscle obtained from 5 male and 5 female striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) found stranded in 1990 in the northeastern Spanish coasts during the morbillivirus epizootic that affected this cetacean in the Mediterranean Sea. The results indicate that PCBs were dominant in all tissues, with the highest geometric mean concentration being found in melon (903 micrograms g-1 wet wt); sigma DDTs were also found at high concentrations (111 micrograms g-1 wet wt, in melon). Statistical analysis indicate that organochlorine concentration was correlated with the fatty acid composition of tissues, although some of these variations can be interpreted as a consequence of a shift in the diet produced in the striped dolphin population. However, other changes such as the negative correlation with arachidonic acid may suggest that the eicosanoid production could have been affected by the extremely high concentrations of PCBs and sigma DDTs.

PCB Accumulation by Salmonine Smolts and Adults in Lake Michigan and its Tributaries and its Effect on Stocking Policies

In 1987, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources suspended stocking of salmonines in the Sheboygan River, a Lake Michigan tributary in southeastern Wisconsin and an Environment Protection Agency Superfund site, because of contamination with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Starting in 1990, uniquely finclipped, hatchery-raised fish were stocked in the Sheboygan River and two other Lake Michigan tributaries (Pigeon and Root rivers) to determine whether PCB accumulation in salmonine species warranted a continued ban on stocking fish into that system. Smolts were collected, homogenized, and analyzed (whole-body) monthly until they migrated from the river. Skin-on fillets and whole-body PCB analyses were performed on returning sub-adults and adults. To determine levels of PCB contamination in stocked salmonines, we (1) measured PCB levels in rainbow trout Oncorhyncus mykiss and coho salmon O. kisutch smolts stocked in the Sheboygan River and compared these data with comparable data from two reference locations; (2) measured PCB levels in returning adult rainbow trout and coho salmon after residence in Lake Michigan; and (3) made recommendations regarding future salmonine stocking policy for the Sheboygan River. Sheboygan River smolts stocked in the fall accumulated higher PCB concentrations than smolts stocked in other rivers and those stocked in the spring. Total PCB concentrations in skin-on fillets of sub-adult and adult coho salmon and sub-adult and adult rainbow trout from the Sheboygan River did not differ significantly from concentrations in sub-adults and adults returning to reference rivers. Returning sub-adult and adult fillet samples did not exceed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration tolerance level for PCBs of 2.0 /μg/g wet weight. Results indicated that PCB concentrations in smolts were not correlated with PCBs concentrations in adult skin-on fillet samples. Therefore, we recommended the Sheboygan River be stocked with chinook salmon O. tshawytscha, coho salmon, and rainbow trout.

Relation of a Seafood Diet to Mercury, Selenium, Arsenic, and Polychlorinated Biphenyl and Other Organochlorine Concentrations in Human Milk

Human transition milk was sampled from 88 mothers at the Faroe Islands, where the seafood diet includes pilot whale meat and blubber. Milk mercury concentrations (median, 2.45 μg/liter) were significantly associated with mercury concentrations in cord blood and with the frequency of pilot whale dinners during pregnancy. Milk selenium concentrations (mean, 19.1 μg/liter) correlated significantly with concentrations in cord blood but not with seafood consumption. Arsenic concentrations were very low. Twenty-four of the milk samples were separated into four pools based on fish intake and milk mercury concentrations. The polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations (1.8-3.5 μg/g lipid) were high and mainly due to congener numbers 153, 180, and 138. One pool contained a congener 77 concentration of 1380 ppt, which is the highest ever reported in a human specimen for a coplanar PCB. The highest PCB concentrations were seen in the pools from women who had eaten frequent whale dinners and whose milk contained high mercury concentrations, The concentrations of chlorinated dibenzo- p-dioxins and furans were not similarly elevated. Given the advantages associated with breast-feeding, advice to nursing mothers in this population should take into regard the possible risks associated with long-term exposure to milk contaminants.

Biochemical Responses and Environmental Contaminants in Breams ( Abramis brama L) Caught in the River Elbe

Adult breams ( Abrama brama L.) were caught in October 1992 at seven stations in the river Elbe and at one nonpolluted reference site, the Belauer See. The locations of the sampling stations extended from the city of Steti (Tschechien Republic) to the city of Hamburg. Indices of biochemical effects in microsomal and cytosolic fractions of livers were studied by measuring cytochrome P450-dependent monooxygenases and glutathione- S-transferase (GST) activities. In addition, levels of mercury and 35 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners were analyzed in livers of breams. Fish caught in the River Elbe exhibited a significant increase of cytochrome P450-mediated monooxygenase activities and the detoxifications enzyme GST compared to the reference site. At two stations of the river Elbe (Steti and Dresden) elevated activities of ethoxyresorufin- O-deethylase (EROD) were analyzed. These effects were discussed as effects from the pulp mill industries at station Steti and high concentrations of PCBs in the livers of breams at station Dresden. A significant reduction of GST activities was observed at station Dresden compared to those at Steti. These findings were probably a synergistic effect of high mercury concentrations at Dresden. The results presented in this study suggest that breams can be successfully employed for monitoring biological effects in the river Elbe.

Human Contamination of the Marine Environment-Arthur Harbor and McMurdo Sound, Antarctica

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, and trace metal concentrations in McMurdo Sound and Arthur Harbor, Antarctica, sediments and marine biota are reported. Biomarkers of contaminant exposure, biliary metabolites and EROD assays, were also measured. Hydrocarbon and trace metal contamination are generally limited to within hundreds of meters of human settlements. Local releases of fossil fuels, disposal of waste materials, and aging of ship and station structures contribute to contamination. High concentrations of PCBs were detected in sediments (250-4200 ng g{sup -1}) and organisms (up to 420 ng g{sup -1}) from Winter Quarters Bay (WQB). Trace metal and PAH sediment concentrations rarely exceed levels known to cause toxic effects in marine organisms, whereas PCBs in WQB often do. Biological responses to exposure include the formation of PAH metabolites and the inducement of the P4501A detoxification system in fish. Induction of EROD activity in in vitro rat hepatoma H4IIE cell bioassays by tissue extracts correlated with known levels of PCB contamination in invertebrate tissues. Local sources of contaminants greatly exceed those attributable to long-distance atmospheric transport. 31 refs., 4 figs.