Residues of polychlorinated styrenes have been quantified
in fish from different regions of the North Atlantic and
in fish oils. One penta-, three hexa-, and six heptachlorostyrenes were identified together with octachlorostyrene. HRGC-EIMS spectra of samples taken from different species
and fish oil products show considerable dissimilarities in
the peak patterns. In all fish samples except one, (E)-β,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorostyrene (7) was dominant with concentrations
up to 41 ng/g fat followed by octachlorostyrene (11) with
concentrations up to 24 ng/g fat. α,2,3,4,5,6-Hexachlorostyrene (2) was found in most fish samples, but in rather
low concentrations (0−9.2 ng/g fat), while all other
compounds were found in only part of the samples in
concentrations up to ca. 12 ng/g fat. In fish oil samples,
the ratios of the components were even more divergent with
either (E)-β,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorostyrene (7) or 2,3,4,5,6-pentachlorostyrene (1) or even octachlorostyrene (11) as
the main component. Concentrations of (E)-β,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorostyrene (7) in fish samples correlated with those
of octachlorostyrene (11), but in every other respect, no
consistent pattern of chlorostyrenes has been found in these
samples. Degradation studies indicate that the dominance
of (E)-β,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorostyrene (7) is mainly due to
direct input but not to environmental degradation.