Polychlorinated biphenyls in Barents and Greenland seas fish

Journal Article · Sun Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997 · Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s001289900417· OSTI ID:530475

Ali, I B; Joiris, C R; Holsbeek, J L ^[1]

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1. Free Univ. of Brussels (Belgium)

PCBs are widespread, persistent organochlorines which have the potential for harmful biological effects. The number of possible congeners is 209, but few only are both prevalent and toxic. Commercially-produced PCBs (e.g. Aroclors) consist of mixtures containing between 50 and 90 congeners. According to the classification of PCBs based on potential toxicity, environmental prevalence and relative abundance in animal tissues, the number of environmentally threatening PCB congeners reduces to about 36, of which 25 account for 50 to 75% of the total PCBs in biological compartments. Their dispersion and accumulation through the ecosystem is reflected by their presence in air, snow, ice, fish, birds and mammals in the polar regions, in the surface and sub-surface water of oceans, in the atmosphere, and in a wide range of plankton, fish, and marine and terrestrial mammals including humans. It has been estimated that about 31% of the 1.2 million tons of PCBs that have been produced are still present in the environment. Seven major fish species collected in the Barents and Greenland seas have been studied in an attempt to answer the question raised by Ottar: {open_quotes}is the Arctic marine environment, as a result of its cold climate, a sink for semi-volatile organics, such as PCBs, PCDD/ PCDFs, organochlorine pesticides, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and metals, such as mercury, emitted in the mid-latitudes?{close_quotes}. This work is part of a broader ecotoxicological study on stable residues in European Arctic seas. 17 refs., 7 figs., 4 tabs.

• OSTI ID: 530475
• Journal Information: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, Journal Name: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 58; ISSN 0007-4861; ISSN BECTA6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
ARCTIC OCEAN
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
CONTAMINATION
FISHES
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS