S. Tanabe et al., ISOMER-SPECIFIC ANALYSIS OF POLYCHLORINATED-BIPHENYLS IN HARBOR PORPOISE (PHOCOENA-PHOCOENA) FROM THE BLACK-SEA, Marine pollution bulletin, 34(9), 1997, pp. 712-720
The highly toxic coplanar PCBs and other isomers were determined in ha
rbour porpoises and fish (porpoise diet) collected from the Turkish co
astal water of the Black Sea, during 1993, The concentrations of total
PCBs were found in the range of 5.0-34 mu g g(-1) wet wt in the blubb
er of porpoises, Highly chlorinated members such as IUPAC Nos 138, 153
and 180 were the dominant congeners, consisting of 41% of the total P
CB concentrations, The mean total 2,3,7,8-TCDD toxic equivalents (TEQs
) of 13 coplanar PCBs including non-, mono- and di-ortho congeners wer
e 1400 pg g(-1) wet wt in the blubber of males and 300 pg g(-1) wet wt
in females, The IUPAC No, 118 was the most contributing congener occu
pying about 60% of the total TEQs, The most toxic non-ortho chlorine s
ubstituted coplanar PCBs such as IUPAC No, 77, 126 and 169 were minor
contributors and accounted for 7.8, 4.2 and 0.7%, respectively, of the
total TEQs, The activities of PB and MC-type enzymes were found to be
low in Black Sea harbour porpoises, suggesting long term accumulation
and possible toxic effects of PCBs in this species. (C) 1997 Elsevier
Science Ltd.