DISTRIBUTION OF PCDDs/PCDFs IN SETO INLAND SEA, IN RELATION TO PAPER PULP MILL EFFLUENTS

Abstract

Samples from the vicinity of paper and pulp mills were analyzed to determine PCDDs and PCDFs. The samples include water effluent, suspended substances of the effluent, sediments, and biota (lobworms, mussels, oysters, crabs and fishes) from Kinsei estuary.
In almost samples, the isomer composition pattern observed could be attributed to paper and pulp mill effluent characteristic (e.g. 1278-TeCDF and 2378-TeCDF).
We confirmed that the source of 2378-TeCDF pollution in fishes and molluscs in the sea of Hiuch-nada has resulted from paper and pulp mill effluents. We evaluated the predominant occurence of 2378-TeCDF in fishes by comparing the bioconcentration factor and their 2378-/1278-TeCDF ratio for each sample.
The bioconcentration factor of 2378-TeCDF was estimated to be between forty and fifty thousands in the same order as those of PCB, DDE and DDT.