Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediments and biota from four US Arctic Lakes

• Published in: Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology Vol. 33; no. 4; pp. 378 - 387
• Main Authors: ALLEN-GIL, S. M, GUBALA, C. P, WILSON, R, LANDERS, D. H, WADE, T. L, SERICANO, J. L, CURTIS, L. R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01-11-1997; Berlin Springer Nature B.V; New York, NY
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Arctic Regions; Biological and medical sciences; Biomass; Biota; Chlordane; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Pollutants - analysis; Fish; Food chains; Fresh Water - chemistry; Fresh water environment; Freshwater; Freshwater fish; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hexachlorobenzene; Insecticides; Insecticides - analysis; Lakes; Lymnaea; Organic compounds; Organochlorine pesticides; PCB; Pesticides; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - analysis; Salvelinus namaycush; Sediments; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Thymallus arcticus; Trout; United States; Arctic Region; United States; North America; America; Arctic Regions; USA; Fauna; Liver; Pesticides; Concentration; Sediments; Polychlorobiphenyl; Freshwater environment; Organochlorine compounds; Chlorocarbon; Lakes; Water pollution; Muscle; Biological accumulation
• ISSN: 0090-4341; 1432-0703
• DOI: 10.1007/s002449900267

Organochlorine (OC) concentrations in surface sediment, snails (Lymnea sp.), and two freshwater fish species (grayling, Thymallus arcticus; and lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush) from four lakes in the US Arctic were determined. In surface sediment, chlorinated benzenes (including hexachlorobenzene, HCB), and p,p'-DDT were the primary analytes detected (max = 0.7 ng/g dry wt), while individual polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners were always below 0.1 ng/g. A wider range of compounds and higher concentrations were found in lake trout, the top predatory fish species in the same lakes. The concentration ranges for hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), chlordane-related compounds (CHLORs), DDTs, and PCBs in lake trout and grayling were similar to those reported for other arctic freshwater fish (1-100 ng/g wet wt), but one to two orders of magnitude lower than Great Lakes salmonids. Nitrogen isotope analysis confirmed that differences in OC concentrations between grayling and lake trout are explained partly by differences in food web position.