| Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Chlorinated Pesticides
in Fish and other Animal Tissue |
| For more than 20 years the use of PCBs and many chlorinated pesticides (such as DDT) has been banned, but residues of these chemicals remain in the environment. |
Because of their lingering effect there has been a legacy of bird reproduction problems, tumor formation in fish and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) fish consumption advisories. | |
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| The analysis of samples submitted by the WDNR for these residues is an expensive and complicated process, requiring state-of-the-art equipment. Modern science has improved the analysis process, enabling scientists to better identify the components of the banned chemicals and give advisory agencies better data to work with. The WSLH Organic Chemistry Department uses capillary gas chromatography combined with electron capture detectors to separate and confirm the identities of chlorinated species. |
| | Both polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and chlorinated pesticides were very popular at one time because of their effectiveness and their stability. It is exactly this stability (or persistence) which has caused them to be a problem in the environment. |
| The US Food and Drug Administration has issued tolerance levels for several contaminants such as PCBs, DDT, dieldrin and toxaphene in fish to protect the public from consuming harmful amounts of these substances. Several of these chemicals continue to be of concern and the WSLH is frequently requested by the WDNR to analyze fish and other wildlife tissue for pesticides and/or PCBs. Click here for a compound list. |
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| In response to WDNR requests, the WSLH Organic Chemistry Department has performed analysis on numerous tissue matrices including: bear fat, eagle brains and eggs, swallows, mink (muscle and internal organs), and ducks. The bulk of the analysis, however, involves fish monitoring - both whole fish and fillets. In conjunction with the WSLH Inorganic Chemistry Unit, we provide the data for the WDNR's annual fish advisory. In addition, the lab does analysis relating to long term trend monitoring (of the Great Lakes and some of Wisconsin's rivers), bioaccumulation studies and other specific WDNR projects. |
![[DDT Molecule]](/ehd/organics/images/ddt.gif)
