Organohalogen substances in muscle, egg and blood from healthy Baltic salmon (Salmo salar) and Baltic salmon that produced offspring withthe M74 syndrome

Muscle, egg and blood samples from female sea-run Baltic salmon fromDalalven were analyzed for neutral and phenol-type organohalogen substances (OHS) to determine their potential associations to the M74 syndrome of wild Baltic salmon. No differences in the concentrations ofDDT and related compounds, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), or methoxylated brominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-PBDEs) in healthy salmon compared to salmon that produced offspring with M74 were observed. A large number of phenol-type compounds (> 100), such as polyhalogenated (brominated and/or chlorinated) phenols, polychlorobiphenylols (OH-PCBs) and OH-PBDEs were identified or indicated. High blood concentrations of PCP were found in both healthy salmon and in salmon that produced offspring with M74. Both hydroxylated and methoxylated PBDEs, in concentrations similar to the PBDE congeners, were found. 2-(2',4'-dibromophenoxy)-4,6-dibromoanisol and the corresponding phenol were identified in the salmon samples. During the spawning period different concentration ratios of the OHS were indicated between muscle, egg, and blood plasma lipids depending on the individual OHS. No differences in OHS concentrations were observed between healthy salmon and salmon that produced offspring with M74. Consequently, the data do not support the theory that the M74 disease is induced by OHS. However, the relation between the disease and phenol type OHS must be further considered since the data available on levels of these compounds are still limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]