Comparative Monitoring and Analytical Methodology for 2,3,7,8-TCDD in Fish

Abstract

Most agencies involved in monitoring 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) residues in fish would now appear to have a fairly thorough understanding of the problems and pitfalls involved with this very demanding type of analysis. Unofficial results from exchange samples would indicate that laboratories monitoring Great Lakes fish can produce compatible data from split samples. There still exists, however, one major stumbling block to direct comparison of TCDD data. Due to their varying mandates and historical development, different agencies sample fish for contaminant analysis in different ways. It is the intention of this paper to examine 2,3,7,8-TCDD residue data produced in one laboratory using two of the more common sampling techniques for the same fish. The 2,3,7,8-TCDD data are evaluated for length, weight and lipid content of samples and for evaluation of data variability. A comparison of data from the two sampling methods is made.