Chlorinated pesticides and polychorinated biphenyls in marine species, Oregon/Washington Coast, 1972

Concentrations of chlorinated pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) were determined in three offshore marine species from the Oregon/Washington coast: pink shrimp, euphausiids, and flatfish; five species of bivalve mollusks from five estuaries along the Oregon coast; several fish species from the Coos Bay and Columbia River estuaries; and a summer run of steelhead from the Rogue River. The compounds p,p'-DDE and PCB's were detected most frequently. Euphausiids and pink shrimp contained approximately 2 ppb (mug/kg) wet-weight DDE and 8 and 25 ppb PCB's, respectively. Offshore flatfish contained an average of 9 ppb DDE and 29 ppb PCB's. DDE residues in estuarine mollusks approximated 0.5 ppb. PCB levels were not detectable (greater than 3 ppb) except in collections from the mouth of the Columbia River where the levels averaged 400 ppb PCB's and 17 ppb DDT. Selected Columbia River where levels averaged 400 ppb PCB's and 17 ppb DDT. Selected Columbia River fish species contained 38 ppb DDE and 480 ppb PCB's; summer-run steel-head in the Rogue River contained 97 ppb DDE and 125 ppb PCB's. PCB chromatograms of most euphausiids closely resembled those of Aroclor 1254. Chromatograms of shrimp and flatfish indicated selective metabolism of two compounds in the Aroclor 1254 formulation. Biphenyls of higher chlorine content were also detected in the shrimp and flatfish.