Elevated toxaphene levels have been reported in the biota of the Arctic. The purpose of this study is to measure total toxaphene levels in food samples commonly consumed by the Canadian Inuit and study the relationship between concentrations of total toxaphene and individual congeners. A total of 127 Inuit food samples were collected for toxaphene analysis. Total toxaphene and the specific toxaphene congeners including Parlar #26, #40/41, #42, #44, #50 and #62 were detected in the food samples. Total toxaphene concentrations ranged from 13 to 2800 ng/g and various congener concentrations ranged from 0 to 610 ng/g. Concentrations of total toxaphene were strongly correlated with congener concentration in marine mammals and weaker in fish. The sum of congeners Parlar #26, #50 and #62 accounted for 0--15% of total toxaphene in fish and 0--66% in marine mammals. Regression models were used to estimate total toxaphene based on individual or combinations of congener concentrations. Dietary intake was estimated to be 1.07 and 0.78 mug/kg body weight per day in Chesterfield Inlet and Igloolik. Our results show that there is no general conversion factor that can be used to estimate total toxaphene concentrations based on congener measurements.

No description available.

The Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) is a top predator in northern lakes and accumulates persistent lipophilic contaminants. Toxaphene, a major organochlorine contaminant in Arctic charr, is known to be acutely toxic to fish but the effects of dietary exposure have not been examined. Furthermore, lake-resident Arctic charr are frequently infected with larvae of the cestode, Diphyllobothrium dendriticum. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of toxaphene exposure on Arctic charr growth, nutritional quality, physiology, and susceptibility to infections of D. dendriticum. A preliminary experiment found no effect of toxaphene on charr visceral organ and fat weights, plasma Vitamin A and E and plasma cortisol, although dominance hierarchies within groups may have masked treatment effects. For the main experiment, hatchery-reared Arctic charr were subjected to one of four treatments: (i) a single oral dose of corn oil (control); (ii) a single oral dose of 10 mug/g wet weight toxaphene dissolved in corn oil; (iii) exposure to 15 larval D. dendriticum; and (iv) a combination of both. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

No description available.