Baseline survey of concentrations of toxaphene congeners in fish from European waters

The European Union project "Investigation into the monitoring, analysis and toxicity of toxaphene" (MATT) began in 1997 involving participants from the Netherlands, Ireland, Norway and Germany. Concentration information, analytical methodology and statistical interpretation of 207 samples covering 23 different fish species from European waters are presented for three toxaphene indicator congeners: CHBs 26, 50 and 62 (CHB = chlorobornane). Concentrations for the Σ3CHBs were more elevated in fish from more northern latitudes, such as the Barents and Norwegian Sea, compared to fish from Irish, Dutch and German waters. Concentrations were lowest in shellfish and in fish species having low lipid content and were highest in medium/ high lipid species. Females from a number of fish species were shown to contain significantly higher concentrations than those observed in male fish. Overall no samples were shown to exceed existing German MRL legislation, with only one Greenland halibut sample shown to exceed Canadian TDI recommendations.