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viously heated to 500° C) was mixed with the sample. The <br />dried mixture was ground to a fine powder with a stainless <br />steel rod and packed into a chromatographic column, 20 mm <br />in inside diameter (i.d.), fitted with a 200-mL reservoir <br />open on top. For the 1978-79 analyses each 10-g sample <br />aliquot was thawed and mixed with 40 g of Na2SO4 and <br />packed into a similar 20-mm chromatographic column <br />fitted with a 200-mL reservoir on top, but with a removable <br />Teflon stopcock at the bottom. The 1976 samples were <br />extracted with 200 mL of 5 % diethyl ether in petroleum <br />ether and the 1977-79 samples with 200 mL of <br />dichloromethane. The solvent was allowed to percolate <br />through the sample at 3-5 mL/min; the flow rate was <br />adjusted by tamping the mixture with an aluminum rod <br />(15 mm in diameter) in 1976-77, or by adjusting the <br />stopcock opening in 1978-79. The extracts were collected <br />in a 250-mL round-bottomed flask fitted with a 10-mL <br />reservoir at the bottom (May and Stalling 1979) and <br />evaporated to 5 mL by rotoevaporation. <br />Lipid and Moisture Determination <br />The concentrated extracts were diluted to 10 mL with <br />gel permeation chromatography (GPC) solvent, and 1 mL <br />was transferred to a pre-weighed 7.8-g (2-dram) vial. The <br />solvent in this aliquot was evaporated to dryness overnight <br />before the percent lipid was determined gravimetrically. <br />The rest of the diluted extracts were cleaned up by GPC. <br />Percent moisture content in separate aliquots of each <br />homogenized whole-body composite was determined with <br />a C. W. Brabender Moisture and Volatiles Tester. Moisture <br />determinations were initiated at the start of the 1977 sample <br />year. <br />Gel Permeation Chromatography <br />Automated GPC was used to separate organochlorines <br />from fish oils in the extracts. In 1976 a 35-g bed of SX-3 <br />Biobeads gel resin (Bio Rad, Richmond, California) was <br />used with a solvent system composed of 25 % toluene in <br />ethyl acetate in a 40-cm x 2.5-cm (i.d.) glass column with <br />two adjustable end plungers (Glenco Scientific, Inc., <br />Houston, Texas). The column was placed on an automated <br />low-pressure GPC Autoprep 1001 chromatography unit <br />(ABC Labs, Inc., Columbia, Missouri) capable of handling <br />up to 23 samples. The sample extracts were diluted 1:1 with <br />GPC solvent, and 5 mL (but not more than 1 g lipid) were <br />placed on the GPC column. The first 80 mL were directed <br />to a waste container, and the next 80 mL were collected <br />in a 125-mL flask fitted with a calibrated 5-mL reservoir <br />on the bottom (May and Stalling 1979). <br />The GPC procedure was modified, starting in 1977. A <br />60-g bed of SX-3 Biobeads in a 60-cm x 2.5-cm (i.d.) glass <br />column was used with a solvent system of 1:1 dichlorometh- <br />ane in cyclohexane. The first 155 mL were discarded; the <br />second 100 mL were collected in a 250-mL double reservoir <br />flask (May and Stalling 1979). The GPC eluates were roto- <br />evaporated and prepared for Florisil chromatography. <br />Florisil Adsorption Chromatography <br />We used Florisil adsorption chromatography to further <br />clean up fatty extracts and to initially fractionate organo- <br />chlorine compounds before determining rfrultiple residues <br />by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC), Most chlorinated <br />pesticides and PCB's were eluted from a Florisil column <br />with a 6 % (by volume) eluent of diethyl ether in petroleum <br />ether, followed by elution of more polar Compounds with <br />ether mixtures ranging from 20 to 40 %. <br />In 1976 the GPC concentrate was diluted to 5 mL with <br />petroleum ether before it was placed on a 5-g Florisil <br />column (80/100 mesh, Fisher Scientific). Florisil columns <br />were prepared by placing a 1-em layerof anhydrous Na2SO4 <br />on a pledget of glass wool in a chromatography column <br />(30 cm x 1 cm i.d.) fitted with a 7' 5°mL reservoir open <br />on top (Ace Glass, Vineland, New Jorsey). 'VVe'then added <br />5 g Florisil (activated at 130° C) to the:column and topped <br />it with another 1-cm layer of NagSO4. Each prepared <br />column was next washed with 20 mL.of petroleum ether. <br />When the top of the wash solvent reached the top of the <br />upper Na2SO4 layer, half of the GPC concentrate was <br />transferred to the column and allowed to ;drain onto the <br />bed of Florisil. The column walls were washed with 5 mL <br />of the first elution solvent (40 mL of,,?T =diethyl ether in <br />petroleum ether). When the wash solvent reached the top <br />of the Florisil, the remaining elution s91-Yent was added, <br />and the eluate was collected for further separation of <br />pesticides from PCB's. The second elgfion.solvent (40 mL <br />of 20% diethyl ether in petroleum ether.)'was then added; <br />this eluate was collected for GLC analysis of strongly polar <br />pesticides (e.g., dieldrin, endrin, and-daethal). <br />Silica Gel Adsorption Chromatography <br />We separated PCB's from most of the;pesticides with silica <br />gel chromatographic techniques modified-ftarn Kadoum <br />(1967). Silica gel columns were prepared :by lightly plug- <br />ging a chromatography column (30 s x 1,crn i.d.) with <br />glass wool, adding a 1-cm layer of Na?SO4 and 5 g of silica <br />gel (activated at 130° C), and toppingwith an additional <br />1-cm layer of Na2SO4. The prepared,wlunuis were pre- <br />washed with 20 mL hexane. When the -.bexane wash <br />reached the top of the Na2SO41 the ,sample was added to <br />the column and rinsed with 5 mL pf tbc=first.eluant and <br />allowed to sink into the bed. The rest,of the first cluant <br />was added and allowed to drip into a 12-rnl double reser- <br />voir flask (May and Stalling 1979).'The;first eluate (PCB <br />fraction) contained the PCB's, HC,13, ;heptachlor, aldrin, <br />mirex, and most of the p,p'-DDE. The second duate (pesti- <br />cide fraction) contained the rest of tbe,DDE,. the BHC iso- <br />mers, toxaphene, DDT and its homolpgs, clllardane (in- <br />cluding the nonachlor isomers), oxydhlordane,.heptaeblor <br />epoxide, and methoxychlor. <br />In 1976-77, Silicar GC-7 silica gel (Mallinckrodt, 70/230 <br />mesh) was used. The PCB fraction was eluted with 0.5% <br />benzene in hexane, and the pesticide fraction with 15 mL