Spatial distribution of extractable organohalogens in northern pink shrimpin the North Atlantic

Extractable organohalogens (EOX) are organic compounds that contain chlorin e, bromine and/or iodine, which can be separated from the matrix by liquid/ liquid or liquid/solid extraction. A combination of instrumental neutron ac tivation analysis (INAA) and solvent extraction methods has been developed for the determination of EOX from the shrimp Pandalus borealis. Levels of E OX were evaluated for spatial trends for shrimp caught in several areas off the Labrador coast, off the coast of Nova Scotia, and off the coast of Mai ne. Muscle contained 1.09-6.05 mu g EOCl/g tissue and 105-498 mu g extracta ble organochlorine (EOCl)/g lipid; 0.0607-0.288 mu g extractable organobrom ine (EOB)r/g tissue and 4.74-10.5 mu g EOBr/g lipid; and 0.014-0.048 mu g e xtractable organoiodine (EOI)/g tissue and 1.03-1.76 mu g EOI/g Lipid, resp ectively. The levels of EOCl in roe were 1.60-12.34 mu g/g tissue and 39.0- 146 mu g/g lipid. In roe, the EOBr levels were 0.707-1.03 mu g/g tissue and 6.96-13.5 mu g/g lipid; and EOI levels were 0.123-0.349 mu g/g tissue and 1.42-4.11 mu g/g lipid. The EOCl, EOBr, and EOI levels in roe increased not iceably from north to south along the coast of Labrador. Samples taken from the coast of Maine and from Canso Hole were typically higher in EOCl level s than those taken from Labrador. The results for EOBr and EOI were in the same range as those from Labrador.