Distribution of Chlorinated Hydrocarbon Pesticides and PCBs in the ...

e) Biota Samples
Analytical precision for biological samples containing low
concentrations of organochlorines was determined by triplicate
analysis of a homogenised Ice Island plankton sample. Also,
several replicates of seal blubber and Arctic char liver
homogenates were analysed as part of an interlab calibration with
two government labs to determine accuracy and precision at
higher concentrations. A larger plankton sample ( 73pm net
haul, c500pm size class, sample i.d. 1-Jar-86-119), collected in
May 1986 was homogenised and triplicate samples (0.47-0.54g, dry
weight) taken for organochlorine residue analysis. The results
are given in Table 3.11. The mean relative standard deviation for
the 18 quantifiable compounds in this homogenate was 17%.
Arctic Labs has recently partipated in an interlab
calibration with Canadian Wildlife Service (C.W.S.), Hull, Quebec
(Henry Won and Richard Turle) and Department of Fisheries and
Oceans (D.F.O.) at the Fresh Water Institute, Winnipeg (Bert
Grift and Denis Muir) as part of a project monitoring chlorinated
hydrocarbons in arctic biota samples (Thomas and ~amilton,l988)=
The analytical methods used for the intercalibration were the
same as for the 1987 Ice Island biota analyses and the results
are useful for Ice Island method evaluation.
Homogenates of ringed seal blubber and arctic char liver
from Iqaluit and Pangnirtung, N.W.T. were prepared and shipped to
the participating laboratories. The results for compounds
monitored in this project for triplicate samples analysed by
D.F.O. and C.W.S.and by Arctic Labs on two occasions and is
summarised in Tables 3.12.(a) and 3.12.(b). PCBS were
determined on the basis of individual congeners and consequently
concentrations of PCBs as Aroclor 1254 were not reported, The
Arctic Labs results are in good agreement with and comparable to
the other particating labs. No significant systematic error is
evident and the results appear to be of acceptable quality.