CRITICAL CONSIDERATIONS ON THE ANALYSIS AND BIOACCUMULATION OF MUSK XYLENE AND OTHER SYNTHETIC NITRO MUSKS IN FISH

Several analytical methods for the residue analysis of musk xylene (MX ), musk ketone (MK), and other nitro musks in fish are presented and d iscussed. In particular because of a publication about a fast and simp le analysis without any clean-up procedure, the necessity of a thoroug h clean-up of fat-containing samples is emphasized. In addition, the p resent knowledge about the high bioconcentration of these lipophilic p ollutants in fish is summarized. In a long-term bioconcentration study we found in rainbow trouts bioconcentration factors (BCF) on a wet we ight basis (BCFW) of MX from 4,200 to 5,100 while the BCF values on a lipid basis (BCFL) ranged from 115,000 to 122,000. These BCF values of MX are in good agreement with the BCF values calculated from the n-oc tanol/water partition coefficient (log K-ow = 4.90) using the Quantita tive Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR). A published study with ex tremely low bioconcentration factors of MX is critically discussed. (C ) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.