Chlorinated hydrocarbons in the blubber of a seal (Phoca caspica) from the Caspian Sea

Residues of DDT and its metabolites, hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), chlordane, toxaphene, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were determined by GC/ECD and GC/MS in the blubber of a seal (Phoca caspica) from the coast of Iran on the Caspian Sea. The organochlorine pattern was dominated by DDT and its metabolites while PCBs (65 PCB congeners including non-ortho PCBs were quantified) only played a minor role. The high content of β-HCH determined by GC/ECD and confirmed by GC/MS was interpreted to be caused by local sources. On the other hand, residues of chlordane compounds were correlated to atmospheric long-range transport.