Organochlorines in Greenland marine fish, mussels and sediments

Shorthorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius), polar cod (Boreogadus saida), blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and sediments were sampled in Greenland 1994-1995 at three locations at the west coast and one at the east coast. Fish liver, mussel soft tissue and sediments were analysed for PCBs (10 congeners), DDTs (pp'), HCHs (alpha, beta, gamma), HCB and trans-nonachlor. The overall geometric mean concentrations found for PCBs were 17 mu g kg(-1) wet wt. in shorthorn sculpin liver, 33 mu g kg(-1) wet wt. in polar cod liver, and 0.86 mu g kg(-1) wet wt. in blue mussels. For the three species, the geometric mean concentrations for DDTs were 11, 36, and 0.39 mu g kg(-1) wet wt., respectively; for HCHs: 8.7, 32 and 0.56 mu g kg(-1) wet wt., respectively; for HCB: 4.2, 11 and 0.06 mu g kg(-1) wet wt., respectively; and for trans-nonachlor: 6.3, 19 and 0.16 mu g kg(-1) wet wt., respectively. All organochlorines in the sediment samples were below the detection limit of 0.1 mu g kg(-1) dry weight. For sculpins and mussels, most organochlorine compounds were found to increase with increasing lipid content. The weight of mussels did not influence organochlorine concentrations, whereas organochlorine content in general increased with fish length of sculpins. The concentrations were found to be comparable to levels in other Arctic regions, but orders of magnitude lower than levels found in the southern part of the North Sea. Organochlorine concentrations in sculpins showed a decreasing trend following the ocean current flowing from north to south at the east coast and from south towards north at the west coast of Greenland. The proportion of higher chlorinated PCBs (Cl atoms greater than or equal to 6) in sculpin liver followed the decreasing trend of PCB concentrations. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.