PCB and PAH impacts on cytochrome P-450-dependent oxidases in roach (Rutilus rutilus) from the Seine River (France).

Roach were sampled in the Seine River along a gradient of polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations at three stations: Marnay upstream of Paris and Epinay and Poses downstream of Paris. Two hepatic monooxygenase activities: EROD (ethoxyresorufine-O-deethylase) and AE (aldrin epoxydase) and muscle residues of PCBs and PAHs were investigated during three periods of the year (before spawning, during spawning, and postspawning). Before spawning, EROD and AE activities were significantly correlated with muscle PCB levels (p

Occurrence of organochlorines (PCBs, pesticides) and herbicides (triazines, phenylureas) in the atmosphere and in the fallout from urban and rural stations of the Paris area.

The concentrations of organochlorines (PCBs, pesticides) and herbicides (triazines, phenylureas) were determined in the atmosphere. The total fallout in the Paris area in 1992 and in 1993 was measured. Fallout was investigated at two stations, urban and rural and the gaseous phase was studied at the rural one. PCB concentrations (0.3-4.9 ng/m3) and compositions in the atmosphere and in the fallout (20-520 ng/l) varied, according to the local emission, with the temperature and the direction of wind. Compared to our first results in 1986, there were no changes of pollution levels by organochlorines in that area. Pesticide concentrations in the atmosphere and in the fallout reached maximal values after the local agricultural treatments in spring. No phenylurea was detected in any of the gaseous or liquid samples. Lindane, atrazine and simazine were the main pesticides found. Their levels in the vapour phase, expressed as ng/m3, were: lindane 0.3-6.3, atrazine < 0.03-2, simazine < 0.03-3; in the fallout, expressed as ng/l they were: lindane 5-350, atrazine 5-380, simazine 5-650. In relative terms, the Parisian area is very small. No difference in the diversity and in the abundance of the micropollutants introduced by the atmosphere was observed between the rural and the urban stations. The pollution level of atrazine was close to that found in Europe and in North America, while the organochlorine and the simazine levels were higher.

Partition of metallic and organochlorinated pollutants and monoorthosubstituted PCB pattern in the trophic web from different areas of the river Seine.

The partition of metals and organochlorines was studied along the trophic web at two different pollution level areas of the river Seine. The metal results along the trophic web were: (1) High concentration processes by the sediment (Kb from 0.7 x 10(2) to 32 x 10(2) according to metal). (2) Bioconcentration processes by the plants from the water and the sediment for all metals (Kb from 0.5 10(3) to 13.2 x 10(3)); (3) The mussel (benthic and fossorial) exhibited the highest metal levels; (4) the bream (benthic and detritivorous) had higher metal levels than the roach and the perch. No biomagnification was shown for the metals along the trophic web. The organochlorine results were: (1) High concentration in the sediment with Kb-values about 10(3). (2) A relationship between lipid and PCB levels in plants. (3) No rise in organochlorines along the trophic web at the slightly polluted areas. (4) Occurrence of organochlorine biomagnification in the highly polluted area. For the PCB pattern: (1) The profiles are similar in plants and the water. (2) Sediment and animals exhibited a rise in the more chlorinated congeners accompanied by an impoverishment of the less chlorinated and monoorthosubstituted ones with rising position in the trophic web.

Contamination of fish from different areas of the river Seine (France) by organic (PCB and pesticides) and metallic (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn) micropollutants.

Organochlorine and metal pollution were studied in fish from different sites of the river Seine situated upstream and downstream of Paris. The metal content in roach were similar to those usually found in freshwater fish species. The PCB and the Pb pollutant levels in the fish evolved similarly along the river: from 1300 to 16,000 micrograms/kg dry weight for the PCBs and from 0.3 to 9.5 mg/kg for Pb, while the content of other metals did not change. The stations with the highest organochlorine contents are situated downstream from the Parisian discharges where there is a reduction of fish species present from 31 to 18. Fish caught at one station situated downstream from an industrial area (Guernes) contained a higher proportion of tri- and tetrachlorobiphenyls than fish from the other stations. Their muscle contents are above the French Food Standard of 2 ppm for PCB in fresh muscle.