GAS CHROMATOGRAPHIC-MASS SPECTROMETRIC ANALYSIS OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON METABOLITES IN ANTARCTIC FISH (NOTOTHENIA GIBBERIFRONS) INJECTED WITH DIESEL FUEL ARCTIC

Fish (Notothenia gibberifrons) collected in pristine Antarctic sites w ere injected with Diesel Fuel Arctic (DFA). Gas chromatography/mass sp ectrometry (GC/MS) was used to identify and quantify polycyclic aromat ic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites obtained from hydrolyzed fish bile. T he concentrations of naphthols (NPH), phenanthrenols (PHN), dibenzothi ophenols (DBT), and total PAH metabolites (Sigma PAH) vary with time. The response curve (production of PAH metabolites vs. time) resembled a Sigmoid curve, with an initial low response at 24 h followed by a ra pid rise in production of PAH metabolites (55.74 mu g/g) 120 h after e xposure to DFA. PAH metabolites identified include NPH, PHN, and DBT a nd their alkylated derivatives, reflecting the composition of the DFA to which the fish were exposed. The GC/MS technique is highly sensitiv e, particularly in the detection of multi-ring PAH metabolites. The re sults suggest that analysis of PAH metabolites is a valuable tool for environmental monitoring and assessment of exposure to petroleum.