2.6 Body Burden Analysis 



Test organisms for body burden analysis were collected from 

 four of the disposal mounds (STNH-N, FVP, MQR, and CLIS-86) and at the 

 new reference station using a Smith-Mclntyre grab. Sediment was 

 sieved through a 2 mm mesh and the deposit-feeding organisms (the 

 polychaete, Nephtys incisa) were isolated and placed in seawater at 

 ambient temperature. Sufficient biomass was collected for triplicate 

 analyses at all of the stations except CLIS-86, where only enough 

 biomass could be collected for a single sample. The animals were 

 allowed to purge any sediment from their guts for 24 hours before they 

 were frozen for transport to the laboratory for chemical analysis. 

 The polychaetes were analyzed for eight trace metals and PCBs at the 

 SAIC laboratory in La Jolla, California. A detailed description of 

 the methods used for the analysis of the polychaete tissue can be 

 found in DAMOS Contribution #60 (SAIC, 1989b) . 



The quality of the tissue trace metal data was assured in 

 several ways. These included the analysis of blank samples and 

 measurements of the precision and accuracy of the results. Blank 

 concentrations were all well below the element concentrations for 

 these samples. Measurements of the precision of the inorganic 

 analyses were made by doing replicate analysis of a sample of Pitar 

 morrhuana (collected at the New London Disposal Site) and NRC Lobster 

 Hepatopancreas Tissue (Table 2-2) . The relative standard deviations 

 of replicate analyses of the Pitar morrhuana were less than 2 0% for 

 all elements. 



Results from the analyses of certified NRC Lobster 

 Hepatopancreas Tissue showed excellent accuracy for the inorganic 

 analysis methods. The concentrations reported for all eight elements 

 in the NRC tissue were very similar (91-108% agreement) to the NRC 

 values, indicating good accuracy (Table 2-2) . 



Samples for organic analysis were first sonicated with 

 methanol and then three additional times with hexane. The 

 methanol/hexane mixture was partitioned in a separatory funnel and 

 the aqueous methanol was extracted with additional hexane. The 

 combined hexane extracts were decanted through Na 2 S0 4 and concentrated 

 to 1.0 ml using standard Kuderna-Danish (K-D) equipment and 

 techniques. Next, 0.5 ml aliquots of the concentrated samples were 

 adjusted to 1.0 ml with acetone and eluted with hexane over neutral 

 alumina columns. 



Samples were analyzed for their PCB content according to 

 EPA Federal Register Method 608, using a Hewlett Packard 5840A gas 

 chromatograph equipped with an electron capture detector and a 30 m 

 DB-5 fused silica capillary column. The column oven temperature was 

 proqrammed from an initial temperature of 45 °C to 290 °C using a 

 three-step program. The program rate was 7°C/min to 164 °C, then 

 2°/rain to 214°C, and finally 10°C/min to 290°C. Quantification was 

 by the external standard calibration method. 



8 



