SPATIAL DIFFERENCES AND TEMPORAL TRENDS OF CHLOROBIPHENYLS IN YELLOW EEL (ANGUILLA-ANGUILLA) FROM INLAND WATERS OF THE NETHERLANDS

During the period 1977-1990 about 20 chlorobiphenyls (CBS) have been m onitored in yellow eel (Anguilla anguilla) from inland waters of the N etherlands. CB levels found in eel from the rivers Rhine and Meuse are amongst the highest reported in fish. The high levels of lower chlori nated biphenyls in the river Roer, a tributary of the Meuse, could be attributed to the leakage of CBs from hydraulic systems in German mini ng areas. The discharge of CBs from unknown sources in the Netherlands could be identified. Yellow eel was shown to be a very practicable bi o-indicator for the identification of spatial differences and temporal trends of CBs in surface waters.