Distribution patterns of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) tissues: statistical analysis.

Tissue samples from five harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) have been analyzed for coplanar and other polychlorinated biphenyl (CB) congeners, in order to measure variations in levels and patterns of the CBs. Blubber samples contained the highest levels of CBs in all animals; kidney and liver were relatively high-level tissues. CB-153 and CB-138 were the most abundant CB congeners in all samples analyzed. Variations in the patterns of CB congeners in tissues were studied by principal component analyses and multivariate analysis of variance. The CB congener patterns in seals from different geographical regions had distinctly different patterns, whereas the patterns appeared quite similar in tissues within each seal. Based on multivariate analysis of variance, it was, however, possible to detect some systematic variation of the principal components with individual seals and with tissue type within the seals. The assessment of differences in CB congener patterns was possible by comparison to results obtained by repeated analyses of a quality control sample. The calculated dioxin toxic equivalents of the CB congeners followed the levels of the CB congeners, with the highest levels being found in the blubber samples.