ORGANOCHLORINE COMPOUNDS IN FISH OFF THE ANTARCTIC PENINSULA

Various antarctic fish species, particularly Chaenocephalus aceratus, Champsocephalus gunnari and Gobionotothen gibberifrons, from 1987 and 1991 were analysed for 10 nonpolar xenobiotic compounds. Concentration s expressed on the basis of extractable organic matter (EOM) were near ly identical in liver and adipose tissue. They were also independent o f fish weight. Concentrations of HCB, which were as high as in Limanda limanda of the North Sea (20 ng/g EOM), are interpreted as results of cold condensation. p,p'-DDE, trans-nonachlor and PCB congeners 153, 1 38, 180 ranged one to two orders of magnitude lower than in North Sea fish. In addition, nonachlor III, octachlorobornane and mirex were rou ghly quantified. A residual compound comparable in concentration to oc tachlorobornane and not yet described in the literature was tentativel y identified. From chromatographic and mass spectrometric data the ele mental composition C10H3OCl7 was derived, p,p'-DDE and the three PCB c ongeners increased in Antarctica between 1987 and 1991 due to global r edistribution. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd