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of 4 % ethyl acetate in benzene. In 1978-79 Silica Gel 60 <br />(E. Merck, 70/230 mesh) was used and the pesticide frac- <br />tion eluant was changed to 25 mL of 25% diethyl ether <br />in hexane. Total volume of the PCB eluant used depended <br />on the activity of the silica gel and was calculated inde- <br />pendently for each batch. In general, 35-45 mL of 0.5% <br />benzene in hexane were used to separate the PCB's from <br />the pesticide fraction. Both eluate fractions were rotoevap- <br />orated to reduce the volume of solvent, and the resulting <br />concentrates were diluted to 5 mL with isooctane prior to <br />GLC. <br />Gas-Liquid Chromatography <br />In 1976 all samples were analyzed with a Tracor 222 gas <br />chromatograph equipped with an electron capture detector. <br />The samples were injected into a glass column (1.8 m x <br />2 mm i.d.) containing 4% SE-30 + 6% QF-1 coated on <br />80/100 mesh Gas Chrom-Q support. Operating tempera- <br />tures were as follows: column, 200° C for dieldrin, endrin, <br />and dacthal, and 180° C for the PCB and pesticide frac- <br />tions; injector, 250° C; and detector, 300° C. The carrier <br />gas was argon/methane (95:5) flowing at 30 cc/min. We <br />determined residues by the external standard calculation <br />method, using peak height measurements. <br />All 1977-79 samples were analyzed with a Varian 3700 <br />gas chromatograph equipped with an electron-capture <br />detector. The glass analytical column (1.8 m x 2 mm i.d.) <br />contained 1.5% SP-2250 + 1.95% SP-2401 on 100/120 <br />Supelcoport. We used the following operating temperatures: <br />column, 200° C for the dieldrin-containing and PCB <br />fractions and 180° C for the pesticide fraction; injector, <br />250° C; and detector, 350° C. The carrier gas was <br />argon/methane flowing at 20 cc/min. We quantitated resi- <br />dues by the external standard method, using peak area <br />calculations. In 1977, peak areas were collected on a Varian <br />CDS-111 digital integrator. In 1977-79 a Perkin-Elmer <br />Sigma 10 Laboratory Data Station was used for data col- <br />lection. <br />Confirmatory analyses were performed with a 3 % OV-1 <br />on 80/100 mesh Chromsorb-W HP column with the same <br />dimensions as those indicated above. Samples that con- <br />tained o, p'-DDE were analyzed on this column to differ- <br />entiate interference from chlordane. Further confirmations <br />or identifications of unknown compounds were performed <br />on this column by comparing results with the U.S. Food <br />and Drug Administration (FDA) chromatography data base <br />(McMahon 1968). <br />Quality Assurance <br />The accuracy and precision of residue determinations <br />depends on four factors: (a) efficient extraction and frac- <br />tionation; (b) analytical methods (e.g., solvents and <br />columns with uniform behavior and low background); <br />(c) proper instrument maintenance and calibration; and (d) <br />accurate standard solutions. <br />To evaluate these factors, we made systematic recovery <br />studies on two types of spiked reference materials: (a) "hot <br />spikes" of 14C-radiolabeled dieldrin and p,p'-DDE were <br />used to examine recovery and separation efficiencies <br />through the extraction and fractionation steps; and (b) "cold <br />spikes," fish tissue blanks to which a representative pesti- <br />cide profile had been added, were used to evaluate residue <br />recoveries at levels approximating realistic tissue concen- <br />trations. Some samples were replicated to evaluate preci- <br />sion, and 10-15% of the samples were analyzed by a second <br />laboratory to corroborate our findings. Residues in selected <br />samples were confirmed by using gas chromatography-mass <br />spectrometry as described by Ribick et al. (1981, 1982). <br />With reference to factors (c) and (d), we closely followed <br />FDA criteria (McMahon 1968) in instrument calibration <br />and maintenance, and in the preparation of standard solu- <br />tions. <br />Recovery efficiency for p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDE, <br />Aroclor 1254, dieldrin, cis-chlordane, and trans-chlordane <br />exceeded 85 % throughout the study period, based on re- <br />covery of 14C-labeled DDE and dieldrin and non-radio- <br />labeled chemicals in spiked samples. The level of detec- <br />tion was 0.1 µg/g wet weight for PCB's and toxaphene and <br />0.01 µg/g for all other residues. Concentrations were not <br />corrected for percent recovery. <br />Cross-check Analyses <br />The 1976-77 cross-check analyses were performed at a <br />commercial laboratory, here termed "Lab A," where 25-g <br />subsamples were mixed with 100 g of Na2SO4 and blended <br />with 100 mL of 6% diethyl ether in petroleum ether. The <br />mixture was filtered through a Buchner vacuum funnel. <br />The filtrate was retained and the filter cake placed in a <br />43- x 123-mm extraction thimble. The thimble was then <br />Soxhlet-extracted overnight at four extraction cycles per <br />hour with 300 mL of 6% diethyl ether in petroleum ether. <br />The extract and filtrate were combined and concentrated <br />by rotoevaporation and diluted to 25 mL with 15% dichloro- <br />methane in cyclohexane. A 5-mL aliquot was loaded into <br />an Autoprep 1001 GPC equipped with a 50-g Biobeads SX-3 <br />column in which 15 % dichloromethane in cyclohexane was <br />used as the solvent. <br />At Lab A the cleaned-up extracts were concentrated just <br />to dryness by rotoevaporation and diluted to 15 mL with <br />petroleum ether; 5 mL were then transferred to a 20-g Flori- <br />sil column. A total of 100 mL of 20% dichloromethane in <br />petroleum ether (eluant A) were used to elute PCB's, DDT <br />homologs, chlordanes, BHC's, aldrin, HCB, heptachlor, <br />and toxaphene; and 180 mL of 50% dichloromethane in <br />petroleum ether (eluant B) were used to elute heptachlor <br />epoxide, dieldrin, and endrin. The Florisil eluates were con- <br />centrated just to dryness and adjusted to a volume of 5 mL <br />with petroleum ether. A 1-mL aliquot of the A fraction was <br />placed on a 5-g silica gel column. The PCB's, HCB, aldrin, <br />heptachlor, and some p,p'-DDE were eluted with 25 mL <br />of 0.5% benzene in petroleum ether. The rest of the com-