TABLE 3 



Concentration ot toxaphene in selected samples. 



Sample Station Concentration Number of 



(ng/gwetwt.) Retention-Time- 

 Matched Peaks** 



* The parentheses indicate that these are estimated concentrations. 

 ** There were a possible 68 peaks from the standard to be matched. 



For example, neuston, which were collected at the sea surface, 

 had some of the highest residues found in our collections. 

 Hinckley and associates ( Subchapter 8.1.1, this volume) make 

 a strong case for atmospheric loading of the HCH class of 

 insecticides that were found in this study. Other researchers 

 also stress the atmosphere as the major loading mechanism for 

 contaminants into remote areas of the Arctic (Norstrom et al, 

 1988; Bidleman et ai, 1989; Patton et «/., 1989). 



There were traces of toxaphene evident in each of the eight 

 samples that were selected for GC/MS analysis for toxaphene 

 (Table 3). The highest levels were found in two pollack 

 samples, 10.8 ng/g and an estimated 10 ng/g. These two 

 samples also produced the best retention time matches to the 

 toxaphene standard (e.g., matched percentages of 439^ [29/68] 

 and 29% [20/68], respectively). The neuston and zooplankton 

 samples had lower but identifiable toxaphene residues. The 

 remaining samples ( shrimp, crab, phytoplankton, and sediment) 

 had only traces of toxaphene; the sediment contained the 

 lowest level (estimated concentration of 0.25 ng/g and a match 

 percentage of 6%). 



For the FCB's, detection limits ranged from a high of 

 7.8 ng/g for Aroclor 1 242 to a low of 0.8 ng/g for Aroclor 1 260. 

 For the individual OC"s, the range was 0.5 ng/g for beta-HCH 

 to 0.0 1 ng/g for oxychlordane. The last group of biota samples 

 analyzed had detection limits as shown in Table 4. The blanks 

 for the sediment often were higher than those for the biota, 

 which therefore caused the detection limits for the sediment to 

 be higher than the biota. The detection limits for sediment, in 

 ng/g, are shown in Table 4. 



Organochlorines in northern latitude regions, especially 

 Canada, have been investigated. Muir and associates (Muir 

 et al.. 1988) sampled arctic cod (Boreogadus saida), seals 

 (Phoca hispida), and polar bears (Urns maritimus) from the 

 Canadian Arctic and found a number of OC s in these organisms 

 at low to moderate levels. In cod, toxaphenes were the single 

 highest compound class at 1 4 to 23 ng/g. Next highest were the 

 HCH class of compounds at 2 to 18 ng/g, followed by PCB's, 

 chlordanes, and DDT's. Muir and associates' (Muir et al, 

 1988) results for fish from this area are coinparable with ours. 



TABLE 4 



Method detection limits for the organochlorines by 

 electron capture gas chromatography. 



BIOTA* SEDIMENT** 



(ng/gwetwt.) (ng/g dry wt.) 



* The biota detection limits are based on extraction of 10 g of 



sample and concentration of the extract downto 0.5 ml for 



injection. 

 ** The sediment detection limits are based on extraction of 20 g of 



sample and concentration of the extract down to 0.5 ml for 



injection. 



Their results for arctic cod muscle versus ours for whole 

 pollack in ppb, were, toxaphene, 14 to 23 versus 10.8 

 cis-chlordane, 2 to 3 versus 3.5; total HCH, 2 to 28 versus 2.0 

 total DDT, 2 to 3 versus 6.5 ; total PCB " s, 3 to 5 versus 6 to 1 5 

 andHCB, 1.9 versus 0.63. 



Kawano and associates (Kawano et ai, 1988) sampled 

 water, zooplankton, pollack, salmon, porpoises (Phocoenoides 

 dalli). and thick billed murres (Una lomvia) froin the central 

 areaof the Bering Sea (near our Station 4) in 1982. Their data 

 were presented in terms of ng/g lipid. By reporting our data on 

 a lipid basis (Table 5), a comparison was possible. For 

 zooplankton, there was remarkably good agreement between 

 our two data sets. For example, the agreement was good for the 

 chlordanes except that we found higher levels of cis-nonachlor. 

 These data were also comparable for the HCH. We found 

 relatively higher levels of DDT's than did Kawano and 

 coworkers ( Kawano et al. , 1 988 ). The two data sets for pollack 

 were also generally comparable. In view of the few data points, 

 however, it would be difficult to establish any significance in 

 the way of trends to these comparisons. The most we can say 

 at this point is that our data give further evidence that low-level 

 OC residues appear to be widely spread throughout the Bering 

 and Chukchi Seas. Kawano and associates (Kawano et al.. 

 1986) reported PCB results for samples from the central Bering 

 Sea in zooplankton and pollack that are in agreement with ours. 



We acknowledge the able assistance of Julie Himelrick Anderson 

 and Valerie McPhatter in preparing these samples for analyses. The 

 patience and expert assistance of the crew of the R/V Akadetnik 

 Korolev are deeply appreciated, especially in helping us with our 

 numerous special needs. We also thank Texas A&M University for 

 the use of their box corer and other coring equipment. 



288 



