The Occurrence and Risk Assessment of the Pesticide Toxaphene in Fish from Irish Waters

Abstract

The European Union project “Investigation into the monitoring, analysis and toxicity of toxaphene” (MATT), involving participants from The Netherlands, Ireland, Norway and Germany, began in 1997. Analytical methodology, concentration information and statistical interpretation of results for three indicator congeners, CHB’s 26, 50 and 62, are presented. Data from 55 samples, covering 18 different fish species, from Irish waters are documented. Concentrations were lowest in shellfish and in fish species having low lipid content and were highest in medium/high lipid species. Males from a number of fish species were shown to contain significantly higher concentrations than observed in female fish. Overall no samples were shown to exceed existing German MRL or Canadian TDI recommendations.