The New Jersey Institute of Technology's
Electronic Theses & Dissertations Project

Title:	Analysis of chemical contaminants in tissue samples from two species of fish
Author:	Reive, Michael David
View Online:	njit-etd1991-068 ([v], 57 pages ~ 1.9 MB pdf)
Department:	Department of Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Environmental Science
Degree:	Master of Science
Program:	Environmental Science
Document Type:	Thesis
Advisory Committee:	Greenberg, Arthur (Committee chair) Kebbekus, Barbara B. (Committee member) Weis, Peddrick (Committee member)
Date:	1991-01
Keywords:	Fishes -- Effect of water pollution on Polychlorinated biphenyls
Availability:	Unrestricted
Abstract:	Interaction of marine species with chemical pollutants within the marine ecosystem is extremely complex and difficult to interpret. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the effect of an exposure of treated municipal wastewater on winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) and striped bass (Morone saxatilis). Fish from two locations were exposed to different concentrations of wastewater. Half of the fish from each tank were sacrificed, and the remaining fish were given a depuration period in unpolluted water. Tissue samples were composited, soxhlet extracted and passed through a florisil cleanup column. Gas chromatography, was used to analyze for hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorobutadiene, Aroclor 1254, bis-(ethylhexyl) phthalate, and di-n-octyl phthalate. The results show widespread distribution of the contaminant chemicals in the samples, typical of bioaccumulation and bioconcentration processes within the marine ecosystem. The levels of chemicals found in the samples were comparable to other studies of similar urban estuaries through out the United States.