PT06 Organic, Metallic, Organometallic Pollutants
Exhibit Hall
8:00 AM - Tuesday
(PT088) PCB Congeners and Chlorinated Pesticides Concentrations in Amphibian Samples Collected from Western Kentucky.
Loganathan, B1, Metzger, C1, Kobylarz, B1, Whiteman, H1, 1 Murray State University, Murray, KY, USA
ABSTRACT- Polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (PCBs) and chlorinated pesticides such as DDT, hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and chlordane compounds are known for their widespread contamination, bioaccumulation and biomagnification in food chains and their long-term toxic effects on wildlife and humans. Recent investigators have suggested that the global decline and morphological deformities are disturbing indicators of environmental degradation and possible human health hazards. Although a variety of causes for these problems have been explored, the role of organic contaminants is unclear. The objective of the present study was to measure the organic contamination (PCBs and chlorinated pesticides) levels in normal and deformed amphibians collected at several farm locations in and around Calvert city, Kentucky lake in western Kentucky. Standard analytical procedures including, Soxhlet extraction, Kuderna-Danish (K-D) concentration, silica gel column chromatography cleanup and GC-ECD analysis were followed. The results revealed that amphibian contamination levels varied with population and species. In apparently normal Bullfrog larva, total PCBs and total pesticide concentrations ranged from detection limit (0.35 ng/g) to 10.36 ng/g wet weight and detection limit (0.35 ng/g) to 6 ng/g wet weight respectively. In deformed Bullfrog larva, total PCB concentration recorded was as high as 22 ng/g wet weight. However there was no significant difference in pesticide concentrations observed between normal and deformed individuals.
Key words: amphibians, PCBs, pesticides