Table 1.
PBEs, PBDEs, and current and legacy pesticide levels (ppb) in unfertilized striped bass eggs
| Compound | Hatchery (1999) | River (1999) | River (2001) |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCBs | |||
| Congeners 8–209 | 93.9 ± 7.5 | 601.8 ± 107.2* | 426.1 ± 54.4* |
| Aroclors 1248, 1254, and 1260 | 178.7 ± 15.2 | 945.2 ± 158.0* | 678.3 ± 85.5* |
| PBDEs | 12.9 ± 0.3 | 138.0 ± 22.0* | 134.5 ± 29.3* |
| Pesticides | |||
| Chlordane, cis- | 4.9 ± 0.4 | 15.8 ± 2.4* | 15.8 ± 2.5* |
| Chlordane, trans- | 3.0 ± 0.1 | 6.1 ± 1.0 | 5.0 ± 0.6 |
| Chlorpyrifos | ND | 4.5 ± 1.7 | 0.4 ± NA |
| DDD, o,p′- | ND | 6.3 ± 1.5 | 12.2 ± 4.1* |
| DDD, p,p′- | 13.4 ± 1.3 | 68.9 ± 12.1* | 87.3 ± 21.5* |
| DDE, o,p′- | ND | 0.4 ± NA | 5.4 ± 3.1 |
| DDE, p,p′- | 41.2 ± 4.8 | 389.0 ± 60.6* | 566.8 ± 195.8* |
| DDMU, p,p′- | ND | 16.5 ± 4.3 | 16.2 ± 6.9 |
| DDT, o,p′- | ND | ND | 4.3 ± 3.2 |
| DDT, p,p′- | 4.6 ± 0.3 | 21.6 ± 2.8* | 35.8 ± 18.6* |
| Dieldrin | 10.3 ± 0.5 | 19.9 ± 2.9 | 24.7 ± 6.8* |
| Heptachlor epoxide | 1.9 ± 0.1 | 2.5 ± 0.3 | 2.3 ± 0.2 |
| Nonachlor, cis- | 1.9 ± 0.2 | 11.7 ± 1.9* | 10.4 ± 1.7* |
| Nonachlor, trans- | 4.0 ± 0.5 | 24.9 ± 3.6* | 23.5 ± 4.4* |
| Oxychlordane | ND | 2.5 ± 0.4* | 1.8 ± 0.6 |
| Toxaphene | ND | 36.4 ± 27.2 | 91.8 ± 55.4 |
A total of 51 PCBs (congeners 8–209, aroclors 1248, 1254, and 1260) and 12 PBDEs (BDEs 17–190) were analyzed. Duplicate samples of eggs (5–10 g per sample) were collected from hatchery control fish (Hatchery 1999, n = 3) and river-collected females (River 1999, n = 11), and from river-collected females in 2001 (River 2001, n = 10) for chemical analysis. Shown are mean contaminant concentrations in parts per billion (ppb) ± standard error. Concentrations below detection limits are indicated with ND. Standard error is not applicable (NA) when only a single sample showed contaminant concentrations above the detection limit. Significant changes (P ≤ 0.05) in comparison with hatchery control are shown with an asterisk.