Organochlorine pollutants level in fish from Mariut lake, Alexandria, Egypt

ABSTRACT

The residues of twenty-five organochlorine pollutants as well as three aroclors were analyzed by capillary GLC in two Tillipia fish species and Cyprinus carpio collected from Mariut Lake, Alexandria, Egypt. The studied pollutants were DDT's isomers, hexachlorocyclohexane [HCHS] isomers as well as cyclodiene compounds, mirex, methoxychlor, toxaphene and hexachlorobenzene [HCH], aroclors 1248, 1254 and 1260 in addition to nine individual PCBs congeners. Lindane dominated the alphaisomer of HCHS. P,p'-DDE dominated other DDTs analogs in all fish samples with maximum concentration 25.0 ng/g in Cyprinus carpio. Toxaphene was detected in all fish samples with a maximum level of 29.0 ng/g in Cyprinus carpio. Aroclor 1248 dominated other aroclors in all fish samples. For PCBs 153, congener dominated other congeners. The lower chlorinated biphenyls congeners occurred at lower levels except PCB 200 which was not detected