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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
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