Occurrence of DDT and PCB compounds in Baltic herring and pike from the Turku archipelago

• Published in: Environmental pollution 1974-01, Vol.7 (3), p.193-207
• Main Authors: Linko, R.R., Kaitaranta, J., Rantamäki, P., Eronen, L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0013-9327; 0269-7491
• DOI: 10.1016/0013-9327(74)90066-4

The contamination of Baltic herring and pike from six different areas of the Turku archipelago (the southwestern coast of Finland) with DDT and its metabolites DDE and DDD, and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) was studied. Herring muscle contained on average 0·38 ppm Σ DDT and 0·31 ppm PCBs on a fresh tissue basis. However, the values obtained for individual fish specimens showed large variations, depending mainly on the differences in the fat content of the fish. The range of DDT and PCB concentrations in herring from the Turku archipelago was similar to that found in herring from the Gulf of Bothnia. Pike muscle contained on average only 0·04 ppm DDT compounds and 0·05 ppm PCBs on a fresh weight basis. The results show local differences in the residue concentration of the fish. The chlorinated hydrocarbons were found to accumulate in the liver and ovary of the pike and, to a lesser degree, in the testis and kidney. In the ovary fat the Σ DDT concentration rose to 100 ppm and that of PCBs to 190 ppm.