Baseline concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls and DDT in Lake Michigan fish, 1971

Abstract

Responding to the recommendations of the Lake Michigan Interstate Pesticide Committee, the author aimed to establish baseline baseline data on polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) and DDT in Lake Michigan fish in 1971. Because the past 2 years had witnessed unprecedented legislative action to protect food resources and other aquatic species near the top of the food chain from persistent hazardous chemicals, the author also attempted to gauge the impact of cooperative legislative action on the quality of large lakes. Thirteen species of fish taken from 14 regions of Lake Michigan in the fall of 1971 were analyzed for PCB's and DDT analogs. Mean wet-weight concentrations of PCB's similar to Aroclor 1254 ranged from 2.7 ppm in rainbow smelt to 15 ppm in lake trout. Most trout and salmon longer than 12 inches contained PCB's at concentrations greater than the tolerance level of 5 ppm established by the Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Mean concentrations of total DDT ranged from less than 1 ppm in suckers to approximately 16 ppm in large lake trout. The presence of the major chlorinated hydrocarbons was confirmed by gas-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry; additional PCB confirmations were obtained through perchlorination. The most abundant PCB's were tetra, penta-, hexa-, and hepatchlorobiphenyls which are similar to commercially prepared Aroclor 1254; lesser chlorinated PCB's were present in fish from nearshore waters.