CONTENTS AND ORIGIN OF POLYCHLORINATED DIPHENYL ETHERS (PCDE) IN SALMON FROM THE BALTIC SEA, LAKE SAIMAA AND THE TENOJOKI RIVER IN FINLAND

The presence of 26 congeners of polychlorinated diphenyl ethers (PCDEs ) was investigated in salmon from three locations in Finland. In addit ion to salmon, one chlorophenol wood preservative (Ky-5) and one fly a sh sample were analyzed for PCDEs. Concentrations of PCDE congeners in salmon muscle measured by high resolution gas chromatography/low reso lution mass spectrometry ranged from < 0.02 to 2.4 ng/g fresh weight. The major components of tetra- to octachlorinated PCDEs in salmon were one TeCDE (22'44'-), two PeCDEs (22'44'5- and 23'44'5-) and three HxC DEs (22'44'56'-, 22'44'55'- and 22'344'5-). The Baltic salmon caught f rom the Simojoki River had higher levels of PCDEs than the Atlantic sa lmon from the Tenojoki River or salmon from Lake Saimaa in South-Finla nd. Same PCDE congeners which were abundant in the wood preservative w ere also detected in salmon, whereas PCDE congeners in the fly ash wer e different from those in salmon or in Ky-5.