Review on persistent organic pollutants in the environment of Greenland and Faroe Islands

The literature concerning persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the envir onment of Greenland and the Faroe Islands covering the period up to 1995 ha s been revisited. It is difficult to compare data from earlier studies with those from more recent investigations. Thus as the former quantified the c ontent of CBs by comparison to a technical mixture of CBs (e.g. Aroclor 125 4), the latter analyses typically are quantified on a single congener level . Single CB congeners have in some cases been determined, but the results w ere subsequently expressed as total PCB related to an Aroclor standard. For studies based on single CB congener determinations, the highest levels are reported for porpoise blubber From Greenland (700 - 4500 mu g/kg wet we ight), the conclusion, however being based on two determinations only. In G reenlandic seal blubber and peregrine falcon plasma equal levels of CBs (13 0 - 750 mu g/kg ww) and of DDTs (150 - 860 mu g/kg ww) were found. Levels o f CBs and DDTs in fish liver were found to be around 40 - 75 mu g/kg ww. In sediment samples the CBs were almost all below the detection limit (<0.02 - 0.1 mu g/kg dry weight), and thereby being the matrix with the lowest CBs concentration levels. Earlier data based on Aroclor standards showed DDT levels in Greenlandic wh ale blubber in the range of 2700 - 4100 mu g/kg ww and PCB levels of 3700 m u g/kg - 5400 mu g/kg ww. DDT levels for seal blubber were at the same leve l (2700 - 4500 mu g/kg ww) whereas the PCB level was lower (900 - 3900 mu g /kg ww). The PCB level corresponds to the level found in human adipose tiss ue determined with a similar quantification technique. The lowest levels re ported for mammals correspond to walrus blubber, the sum of PCBs and DDTs b eing in the ranges of 180 - 360 mu g/kg ww and 50 - 90 mu g/kg ww, respecti vely. The content of PCBs in scallops was found to be 3 mu g/kg ww near the Thule Air base. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.