Abstract
Representative cases of oil tainted fish found in Japan were described. A survey of oil flavoredfish found all over Japan indicated that those fish were contaminated by wastewater from oilrefineries and by oil spilled at sea.
In order to identify the compounds responsible for oily taint in fish caused by the ingestion ofoil wastewater, grey mallets were caught in the sea located near the oil refinery. As a result, itis indicated that toluene was present in the grey mallet.
An investigation was made of the compounds present in the oil tainted fish. Toluene and benzenewere found in fish tainted by wastewater from oil refineries, olefinic and monoaromatichydrocarbons in fish contaminated by spilled heavy oil A and alkylbenzothiophenes in fish contaminatedby spilled heavy oil C.
Organic sulfur compounds including dibenzothiophene and alkyldibenzothiophenes were found inthe sea sediment and mussels in the port polluted by the petroleum leaked from ships.
In conclusion, toluene and organic sulfur compounds are available as indices of oil pollution in the sea.
