ORGANOCHLORINES IN INSHORE VERSUS OFFSHORE YELLOWTAIL FLOUNDER (PLEURONECTES FERRUGINEA) - THE EFFECT OF A SMALL URBAN-POPULATION ON THE ENVIRONMENT

Levels of a series of organochlorine pesticides, including polychlorin ated biphenyls (PCB) were determined in muscle, liver and gonad of yel lowtail flounder, Pleuronectes ferruginea, collected in waters of the Northwest Atlantic, offshore the island of Newfoundland. Comparison wa s made to concentrations in tissues of fish maintained in tanks of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, located in the city of St John's . PCB and DDE concentrations in liver of inshore females were more tha n ten times more elevated than in offshore females. Concentrations of several organochlorines were also significantly more elevated in liver , muscle and gonads of inshore versus offshore fish. The PCB congeners fingerprint displayed the predominance of PCB-153 > 138/163/164 > 118 , in all samples. Twenty one PCB congeners were detectable in over 80% of liver samples, eight were detectable in muscle and 4 in gonads, wh ile no fingerprint differences were apparent between sexes or inshore and offshore samples.