Residues of Chlordanes in Fish and Shellfish from Kanto Area and its Vicinity

Abstract

cis-and trans-Chlordane, cis-and trans-nonachlor, and their metabolite, oxychlordane, were detected in all the samples of fish and shellfish examined, while no chlordane residues were detected in seawater samples. A total of 86 biological samples (32 shellfish, 31 fish of four marine species and 23 freshwater fish) were collected from several sampling stations in Tokyo Bay, three associated rivers, and Osaka, Ise and Suruga Bays. The concentrations of total chlordane residues ranged from 11 to 255ppb in Acanthogobius flavimanus, 10 to 95ppb in the liver and 3 to 40ppb in the muscle of Konosirus punctatus, 0.4 to 21ppb in Tapes philippinarum and 9 to 489ppb in Zacco platypus. These results suggested that chlordane pollution in the marine environment was probably due to the river water discharged into the bays.