Chlorinated diphenyl ethers in great lakes fish and their environmental implication

Abstract

Tetra‐ to decachlorodiphenyl ether (CDPE) concentrations were measured in lake trout and walleye, fish that represent the higher trophic levels in the North American Great Lakes GC MS analyses indicated the mean total CDPE concentrations were 4, 16, 57, and 126 μg/kg in whole fish from Lakes Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, respectively The number of known and unidentified congeners detected above the 0 4 μg/kg detection limit ranged from six to 24 congeners among the lakes, and this number increased with the total concentration of CDPEs The Cl6 homologue represented 46 to 61% of total CDPEs in Lakes Huron, Erie, and Ontario, and the Cl5, Cl6, and Cl7 homologues represented 78 to 93% of total CDPE concentrations About 83 to 91% of total CDPEs detected in these samples were identified from analytical standards Rank correlation analyses indicated no significant differences among the relative concentration patterns of congeners in Lakes Ontario, Erie, and Huron fish A similar congener pattern was not shown in Lake Superior fish because of relatively higher contributions from unidentified Cl8 and Cl9‐DPEs

Early life‐stage mortalities of Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) exposed to polychlorinated diphenyl ethers

“…The GC on this instrument was equipped with a 60‐m DB5 capillary column (0.25 mm i.d.). The PCDEs, PCDDs, and PCDFs were quantitated in all samples by electron impact MS in selected ion mode (SIM) using previously published characteristic ions [10,13]. PCDE congeners were quantitated by using a standard purchased from J. Paasivirta, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland, which contains 45 tetrachloro‐ to decachlorodiphenyl ether compounds.…”

“…PCDEs have also been detected in the vicinity of chemical manufacturing plants [9,10]. Although analytical data for PCDEs in biota are limited, these compounds have been detected in fish from the Great Lakes [10–12], including lake trout from Lake Ontario at concentrations of 54–303 ng/g wet weight [13].…”

Persistent synthetic chlorinated hydrocarbons in albatross tissue samples from midway atoll

“…First, hexachloro-PCNs have been shown to be the most toxic members of this chemical family [19,20]. Similarly hexachlorinated PCDEs are the predominant congeners detected in biota [22]. Similarly hexachlorinated PCDEs are the predominant congeners detected in biota [22].…”

Mechanism of polychlorinated diphenyl ether formation on a simulated fly ash surface

“…Sources of PCDEs include the technical production of chlorinated phenols and all incomplete combustion processes [7,8,[16][17][18]. PCDEs have been identified in emissions from a municipal waste incinerator (MWI) [8].…”