CONCENTRATIONS AND BIOMAGNIFICATION OF 17 CHLORDANE COMPOUNDS AND OTHER ORGANOCHLORINES IN HARBOR PORPOISE (PHOCOENA-PHOCOENA) AND HERRING FROM THE SOUTHERN BALTIC SEA

Four species of harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) and one herring ( Clupea harengus) sample from the southern Baltic Sea were analysed in an attent to study the concentration and biomagnification of 17 chlord ane related compounds (CHLs) including 12 components present in techni cal chlordane, the toxic metabolites oxychlordane and cis-heptachlorep oxide and the photoconversion products photoheptachlor and two photo-c is-chlordanes. The concentration and biomagnification ability of CHLs were also compared to other organochlorines such as HCHs (hexachlorocy clohexanes), hexachlorobenzene, DDTs, dieldrin, mirex and PCBs (polych lorinated biphenyls). Of the CHLs analysed, 16 were detected in porpoi se and 15 in herring including the photoconversion products. In both s pecies the highest concentrations were found for PCBs and DDTs. The co ncentration of PCBs and CHLs in porpoise varied from 5700-16000 and 47 0-1250 ng/g lipid, and in herring from 1300 and 49 ng/g lipid, respect ively. The biomagnification factor (BMF: concentration in organism/con centration in food; all lipid normalized) in porpoise was found to be high for CHLs followed by dieldrin and lowest for HCHs. Among the CHLs , a big variation of BMF (BMF range similar to 1-50) was found e.g. th e nonachlorinated compounds biomagnified to the highest degree followe d by cis-heptachlorepoxide, photoheptachlor and oxychlordane. (C)1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved