Residues of Toxaphene in Finfish and Shellfish from Terry and Dupree Creeks, Georgia, U. S. A

To better characterize human health risks associated with potentially contaminated seafood, 56 composite samples of edible tissue of several finfish and shellfish species were analyzed for residues of toxaphene using gas chromatography with electron capture and negative ion mass spectrometric detection (GC-ECD and GC-ECNI-MS). Toxaphene in these samples, collected in 1997 near a former toxaphene plant in Brunswick, Georgia, were previously reported as non-detectable using non-selective techniques. Estimated total toxaphene concentrations (ΣTOX) ranged from less than 0.01 to 26 μ g g-1 on a wet tissue basis. Smaller, bottom dwelling finfish such as croaker, mullet, and spot exhibited the highest ΣTOX (0.76-26 μ g g-1), larger predatory fish including seatrout contained intermediate levels (0.08-4.4 μ g g-1), and shellfish (blue crab and shrimp) contained the lowest levels ($