LEVELS OF PCBS IN THE AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT OF THE GULF-OF-BOTHNIA - BENTHIC SPECIES AND SEDIMENTS

The congener-specific analysis of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by HRGC/LRMS as part of a multi-residue method is described, The results displayed SDs, in general <30%, for replicate samples from the same sa mpling location, Results for 68 PCB congeners, resolved on a PTE-5 or DB-5 column, in benthic fauna (amphipods (Monoporeia affinis), isopods (Saduria entomon) and fourhorn sculpins (Oncocottus quadricornis)) an d sediments are presented for three coastal locations in the Bothnian Sea and two in the Bothnian Bay, The benthic fauna is suitable for mon itoring environmental contaminants since it is stationary and it provi des the staple diet of many fish and other predators, Sediments also g ive the contaminant loads of particular matter, Total PCB levels in th e Bothnian Sea increased from north to south for sediments (similar to 1600-8500 ng g(-1) extractable organic material), amphipods (similar to 400-1000 ng g(-1) lipids) and isopods (700-2400 ng g(-1) lipids). T he levels in the Bothnian Bay were higher than in the most northerly l ocation in the Bothnian Sea for sediments, amphipods and isopods. The trend for the sculpin samples from the different locations was, howeve r, not so evident. A chemometrical comparison of the distribution of t he PCB congeners at the different sampling sites using principal compo nent analysis (PCA), revealed that PCB congener patterns differ betwee n the Bothnian Bay and the Bothnian Sea.