environmental contaminants. In this study, liver, lung and adipose tissue in grey
seals (Halichoerus grypus) from the Baltic Sea, naturally exposed to organochlorines via their food, were analysed for the compounds mentioned. MeSO 2 -PCBs,
3-MeSO 2 -DDE and BCPS were all found in significantly higher concentrations in
the liver than in lung and blubber. The here-reported results imply that the sulfone
group is a crucial feature for the compound specific liver retention of MeSO 2 -PCBs,
3-MeSO 2 -DDE and BCPS.
As outlined earlier, Toxaphene
® is an US-produced broad-spectrum pesticide.
Similar brands marketed as Polychloropinene
® from the former Soviet Union and
Melipax
® from former Eastern Germany. Thus, direct release into soil and ground
water must be considered as a major pathway for environmental pollution with
human exposure as the ultimate consequence (de Geus et al. 1999, 2000).
Alder et al. (1996a, b) found high concentrations of three chiral chlorobornanes in
human milk from women with a high share of seafood in their diet indicating
exposure via contaminated food of marine origin. In addition, the same Toxaphene
®
components (chlorobornanes) were determined in the adipose tissue of monkeys
treated one year with the whole complex mixture of Toxaphene
® . In all extracts, two
out of the three toxaphene indicator compounds could be detected and separated into
the enantiomeric pairs, that is, Parlar26 (B8-1413) and Parlar50 (B9-1679). Regarding Parlar26, the authors obtained enantiomeric ratios between 1.07 and 1.28 for
human milk, while for monkey adipose tissue two values of 1.29 and 1.31 were
determined. The ERs for Parlar50 in the same samples ranged from 1.06 to 1.33 in
human milk and 1.35/1.44 in monkey adipose tissue. Alder et al. concluded that the
first eluting enantiomer of the two chlorobornane congeners was more abundant in
warm blooded animals like mammals than in fish samples that were also included in
their study.
A comparative study in bird egg samples was conducted by a Norwegian group
(Herzke et al. 2002). A total of 44 egg samples from 8 different birds of prey species
collected throughout Norway in the period 1991–1997 were investigated. The
content of 8 chlorinated bornanes, 9 chlorinated pesticides and 15 polychlorinated
biphenyl congeners (PCB) were determined. The highest average concentrations for
PCB were found for eggs from White-tailed Sea Eagle and Peregrine Falcon
(average sum PCB concentration: 8.9 and 9.1 μg/g wet weight (w.w.), respectively).
Merlin and Sparrowhawk eggs were the highest contaminated ones with chlorinated
pesticides (average sum pesticide concentration: 3.0 and 4.3 μg/g w.w.). For the first
time, the content of chlorobornanes was determined in Norwegian birds of prey
eggs. For White-tailed Sea Eagle eggs, a sum of chlorobornane concentrations of
(median) 0.09 μg/g w.w. was found, while no chlorobornane contamination was
detected in Osprey and Merlin eggs. In order to gain information about enantiomerspecific bioaccumulation and biotransformation capacity of the organism,
enantioselective analyses were performed for the chiral contaminants trans-chlordane, oxychlordane and the chlorobornane B9-1679 (Parlar50). Indications for
species-dependent deviation from the racemic distribution were confirmed. Peregrine Falcon and Merlin eggs were characterised with an extremely high enantiomeric excess of the (À)-trans-chlordane (enantiomeric ratio (ER) <0.01). For
Golden Eagle, Goshawk and Sparrowhawk eggs, the ERs ranged between 0.1 and
186
8 Enantiomer-Specific Fate and Behaviour of Chiral Contaminants
seals (Halichoerus grypus) from the Baltic Sea, naturally exposed to organochlorines via their food, were analysed for the compounds mentioned. MeSO 2 -PCBs,
3-MeSO 2 -DDE and BCPS were all found in significantly higher concentrations in
the liver than in lung and blubber. The here-reported results imply that the sulfone
group is a crucial feature for the compound specific liver retention of MeSO 2 -PCBs,
3-MeSO 2 -DDE and BCPS.
As outlined earlier, Toxaphene
® is an US-produced broad-spectrum pesticide.
Similar brands marketed as Polychloropinene
® from the former Soviet Union and
Melipax
® from former Eastern Germany. Thus, direct release into soil and ground
water must be considered as a major pathway for environmental pollution with
human exposure as the ultimate consequence (de Geus et al. 1999, 2000).
Alder et al. (1996a, b) found high concentrations of three chiral chlorobornanes in
human milk from women with a high share of seafood in their diet indicating
exposure via contaminated food of marine origin. In addition, the same Toxaphene
®
components (chlorobornanes) were determined in the adipose tissue of monkeys
treated one year with the whole complex mixture of Toxaphene
® . In all extracts, two
out of the three toxaphene indicator compounds could be detected and separated into
the enantiomeric pairs, that is, Parlar26 (B8-1413) and Parlar50 (B9-1679). Regarding Parlar26, the authors obtained enantiomeric ratios between 1.07 and 1.28 for
human milk, while for monkey adipose tissue two values of 1.29 and 1.31 were
determined. The ERs for Parlar50 in the same samples ranged from 1.06 to 1.33 in
human milk and 1.35/1.44 in monkey adipose tissue. Alder et al. concluded that the
first eluting enantiomer of the two chlorobornane congeners was more abundant in
warm blooded animals like mammals than in fish samples that were also included in
their study.
A comparative study in bird egg samples was conducted by a Norwegian group
(Herzke et al. 2002). A total of 44 egg samples from 8 different birds of prey species
collected throughout Norway in the period 1991–1997 were investigated. The
content of 8 chlorinated bornanes, 9 chlorinated pesticides and 15 polychlorinated
biphenyl congeners (PCB) were determined. The highest average concentrations for
PCB were found for eggs from White-tailed Sea Eagle and Peregrine Falcon
(average sum PCB concentration: 8.9 and 9.1 μg/g wet weight (w.w.), respectively).
Merlin and Sparrowhawk eggs were the highest contaminated ones with chlorinated
pesticides (average sum pesticide concentration: 3.0 and 4.3 μg/g w.w.). For the first
time, the content of chlorobornanes was determined in Norwegian birds of prey
eggs. For White-tailed Sea Eagle eggs, a sum of chlorobornane concentrations of
(median) 0.09 μg/g w.w. was found, while no chlorobornane contamination was
detected in Osprey and Merlin eggs. In order to gain information about enantiomerspecific bioaccumulation and biotransformation capacity of the organism,
enantioselective analyses were performed for the chiral contaminants trans-chlordane, oxychlordane and the chlorobornane B9-1679 (Parlar50). Indications for
species-dependent deviation from the racemic distribution were confirmed. Peregrine Falcon and Merlin eggs were characterised with an extremely high enantiomeric excess of the (À)-trans-chlordane (enantiomeric ratio (ER) <0.01). For
Golden Eagle, Goshawk and Sparrowhawk eggs, the ERs ranged between 0.1 and
186
8 Enantiomer-Specific Fate and Behaviour of Chiral Contaminants