Determination of toxaphenes in fish and marine mammals

An analytical method for the determination of toxaphene in biological materials using gas chromatography with an electron capture detector (GC–ECD) has been established and validated for three single congeners (chlorinated bornanes (CHB) 26, 50 and 62). The analytical method was based on a method for determination of PCB, DDT and other chlorinated pesticides. To include toxaphene congeners an extra step, adsorption chromatography on silica columns, was introduced to separate the pesticides from PCB. The recovery of CHB-26, 50 and 62 were 97 ± 11%, 94 ± 10% and 99 ± 12%, respectively. Samples from cod, ringed seal and polar bear from the Norwegian arctic environment have been analysed. The levels of CHB-26 and 50 found were 13–55 ng/g fat in cod, 1.3–7.7 ng/g fat in ringed seal and 0.4–119 ng/g fat in polar bear. The levels of CHB-62 were 2.0–13, 0.8–3.4, 0.2–11 ng/g fat in cod, ringed seal and polar bear, respectively.