Spatial distribution of extractable organohalogens in northern pink shrimp in the north Atlantic

Extractable organohalogens (EOX) are organic compounds that contain chlorine, bromine and/or iodine, which can be separated from the matrix by liquid/liquid or liquid/solid extraction. A combination of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and solvent extraction methods has been developed for the determination of EOX from the shrimp Pandalus borealis. Levels of EOX were evaluated for spatial trends for shrimp caught in several areas off the Labrador coast, off the coast of Nova Scotia, and off the coast of Maine. Muscle contained 1.09-6.05 micrograms EOCl/g tissue and 105-498 micrograms extractable organochlorine (EOCl)/g lipid; 0.0607-0.288 microgram extractable organobromine (EOB)r/g tissue and 4.74-10.5 micrograms EOBr/g lipid; and 0.014-0.048 microgram extractable organoiodine (EOI)/g tissue and 1.03-1.76 micrograms EOI/g lipid, respectively. The levels of EOCl in roe were 1.60-12.34 micrograms/g tissue and 39.0-146 micrograms/g lipid. In roe, the EOBr levels were 0.707-1.03 micrograms/g tissue and 6.96-13.5 micrograms/g lipid; and EOI levels were 0.123-0.349 microgram/g tissue and 1.42-4.11 micrograms/g lipid. The EOCl, EOBr, and EOI levels in roe increased noticeably from north to south along the coast of Labrador. Samples taken from the coast of Maine and from Canso Hole were typically higher in EOCl levels than those taken from Labrador. The results for EOBr and EOI were in the same range as those from Labrador.