LEVELS AND ENANTIOMERIC RATIOS OF CHLORINATED HYDROCARBONS IN LIVERS OF ARCTIC FOX (ALOPEX-LAGOPUS) AND ADIPOSE-TISSUE AND LIVER OF A POLARBEAR (URSUS-MARITIMUS) SAMPLED IN ICELAND

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), oxychlordane, DDT and its metabolite s, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), and compoun ds of technical toxaphene (CTTs) were quantified by gas chromatography and electron capture detection in livers of ten arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) and in liver and adipose tissue of a polar bear (Ursus mariti mus) sampled in Iceland. Enantiomeric ratios of oxychlordane and other chiral organochlorines were determined after gas chromatographic enan tioseparation on two chiral stationary phases. The organochlorine patt ern of the livers of arctic foxes was dominated by oxychlordane. The e nantiomeric ratio of oxychlordane was >1 with the exception of the sam ple with the highest oxychlordane level. This result was confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. PCB congeners and other organoch lorines were only lowly abundant. PCB congeners were topped by PCB 180 . The samples were from two independent populations, one feeding on th e marine and the other feeding on the terrestrial food web. Levels of chlorinated hydrocarbons reflected the different food habits of the ar ctic foxes from coastal and inland habitats. Liver and adipose tissue of the polar bear showed deviating levels and ratios of the contaminan ts. Oxychlordane and p,p'-DDD were the only compounds found in greater abundance in liver than in adipose tissue. All other compounds were m ore abundant in adipose tissue. Enantiomeric ratios of oxychlordane, a lpha-HCH, B8-1413 (Parlar #26), and B9-1679 (Parlar #50) were >1 if th e compounds were detected in the polar bear samples.