Toxicities of PCBs to Fish and Environmental Residues

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been found in fish and wildlife from many parts of the world at levels which may adversely affect aquatic organisms and interfere with pesticide residue analyses The environmental occurrence, uses, and present toxicological aspects of PCBs were recently reviewed by Peakall and Lincer (5), Gustaffson (6), and Risebrough (7). PCBs have gas chromatographic charac- teristics similar to many organochlorine insecti- cides. Jensen (8) first identified unknown gas chromatographic peaks as PCBs in extracts of pike and an eagle which were analyzed for organo- chlorine insecticides.