TISSUE CHEMISTRY METADATA
October 15, 1996


PROGRAM:  Southern California Bight Pilot Project (SCBPP)


SOURCE:  Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP)


CONTACT:  Mary Bergen


PHONE:  (714) 894-2222, -9699 (FAX)


NUMBER OF STATIONS REPORTED:  51 Total; 37 for Pacific sanddab, 27 for Longfin sanddab, 16 for Dover sole


SAMPLING PERIOD:  2 July 1994 -- 22 August 1994


NUMBER OF VARIABLES MEASURED:  31 Total - Lipid and Moisture content, 17 Chlorinated Pesticides (including DDT isomers and metabolites) and Polychlorinated Biphenyls (12 PCB Congeners).


SAMPLING EQUIPMENT USED:  The survey used a 7.6m semi-balloon headrope otter trawl to capture fish.  Fish were frozen after collection and then partially thawed and dissected for liver tissue back in the laboratory.


ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES:  Fish were dissected following 301(h) guidelines (Tetra Tech 1987) and extracted using methanol and chloroform (Bligh and Dyer 1959) by Pace Laboratories, Inc.  Gravimetric lipid analysis and lyophilization for moisture analysis were performed by Pace Laboratories, Inc.  Extracts were transferred to SCCWRP and cleaned-up using alumina-silica gel packed columns.  After concentration by roto-evaporation, extracts were run on a Hewlett-Packard 5890 II Gas Chromatograph using a DB-5 column and electron capture detector (GC-ECD).  A selected subset of split samples were later run on a Hewlett-Packard Gas Chromatograph with Mass Selective Detector (GC-MS) for confirmation of chromatographic peaks.


DATA SET VERIFICATION:  Data set verified by laboratory chemists at SCCWRP. 


GENERAL COMMENTS:  This data set includes liver tissue analysis for three different species of flatfish.  Each record has the following fields (variables): Log Number, Test Material, Composite, Parameter Code, QA batch, Lab Rep, Qualifier, Result (wet weight basis), Units, True Value, MDL, Analysis Date, QA Code, Lab Code, Comments.


The Log Number is a 10 digit code in the following form:

     Digit
     ______
     1     -  P for SCBPP sample
              Q for Quality Assurance sample
     2 to 3-  Agency collecting the sample
     4 to 5-  Species;  DS=Dover sole,
                        LS=Longfin sanddab,
                        PS=Pacific sanddab
     6 to 9-  Station number 
              0000 if instrument blank
     10    -  Sampling Replicate number (0 or 1)
              Cumulative batch number if QA Sample.


Test Material represents type of tissue (02=Liver).


Composite represents the number of individual fish livers composited in each sample.


Parameter code represents the analyte of interest.  See Table 1 for a list of analyte codes


Lab rep is a two digit code with the following key:
     S1  -  Original sample analysis
     S2  -  Duplicate sample analysis
     B1  -  Instrument blank analysis
     Bx  -  Replicate blank analyses, x = replicate number
     R1  -  Recovery surrogate analysis


QA Batch is an alphanumeric code which links SCBPP samples to QA samples.


Qualifier is a one digit code with the following key;
     [blank]-  not qualified
     nd     -  not detected


Result is the quantified value for the sample (blank if nd).


Units for each parameter (all results on a wet-weight basis).


True Value is only applicable for spiked samples.  Otherwise, this field is blank.

 
MDL is the method detection limit.


Analysis date (dd-mmm-yy).


QA Code is a one character data qualifier with the following key:
     [blank] - not qualified,
     Q - questionable data (See QA/QC Section of meta-data)


Lab code identifies laboratory doing the analysis (SC=SCCWRP).


Comments is a field used for any unique notations.


     Station locations can be found in the Trawl Master Sample File.  Species abundance and length/weight data can be found in the Trawl Fish Abundance File.  Complete raw data and specifics regarding sampling, analysis and QA/QC are available from SCCWRP upon request.


FIELD AND LABORATORY TECHNIQUES:  Eight species were collected for tissue analysis.  After the trawl survey, the three most commonly occurring of these target species were dissected.  These three species were Pacific sanddab (Citharichthys sordidus), Longfin sanddab (Citharichthys xanthostigma), and Dover sole (Microstomus pacificus), in that order.  Minimum catch parameters for these species included either: 1) a total of 15 individual sanddab specimens greater than 8 cm standard length, or 2) a total of 10 individual sole specimens greater than 12 cm standard length.


QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL EVALUATION: The data are acceptable with some noted deviations and qualifications.  The largest deviation was lack of matrix spiking and lack of a certified reference material.  Two recovery surrogate compounds were spiked and have been used in lieu of matrix spikes and reference materials for evaluating analytical precision.  The largest data qualification is for lipid and moisture analysis.  No QA/QC samples (i.e. Certified Reference Material) exist for evaluation of accuracy of these parameters.  However, no apparent sample corruption was evident.  Therefore, caution is expressed for those who wish to convert to a dry weight basis.

The SCBPP Quality Assurance Project Plan lists minimum ongoing QA/QC requirements for tissue chemistry analysis.  Included in this data set are QA/QC documentation for:
 
     Laboratory blanks - minimum 1 per batch, < 3 x MDL
     Recovery Surrogate - minimum 1 per sample, 30-150%

DATA USE AND COMPARABILITY:  The data are applicable for analysis of fish tissue concentrations (10-200 meters depth) in the Southern California Bight.  These data represent the general summer condition for 1994 and are appropriate for use with other data collected during the SCBPP.

The sample design is based on the random grid sampling design used in EPA's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program.  The data were collected to estimate the amount of area within a particular characteristic (e.g., Total DDT < 270 ng/wet g).  However, target species were not collected at all stations.  Therefore, sample size is insufficient for estimating percent of total SCB area with precision and should be restricted to percent of area where fish were captured.  Since the grid design affects the calculation of variance, care should be taken in making statistical comparisons between this data and data collected in fixed-station or stratified random sampling.  See the SCBPP overview file for more information.




TABLE 1.  CHEMICAL PARAMETER CODE

Code			Analyte

LIPID		Lipid
MOISTURE		Moisture
6CL-CHX-G		Lindane
6CLBNZ		Hexachlorobenzene
ALDRIN		Aldrin
CHLORDAN-A	alpha-Chlordane
DIELDRIN		Dieldrin
ENDOSULFAN I	Endosulfan-I
ENDOSULFAN II	Endosulfan-II
ENDRIN		Endrin
HEPCL EPOX	Heptachlor Epoxide
HEPTACHLOR	Heptachlor
MIREX		Mirex
OP DDD		2,4'-DDD
OP DDE		2,4'-DDE
OP DDT		2,4'-DDT
PP DDD		4,4'-DDD
PP DDE		4,4'-DDE
PP DDT		4,4'-DDT
PCB52		2,2',5,5'-Tetrachlorobiphenyl
PCB66		2,3',4,4'-Tetrachlorobiphenyl
PCB87		2,2',3,4,5'-Pentachlorobiphenyl
PCB101		2,2',4,5,5'-Pentachlorobiphenyl
PCB105		2,3,3',4,4'-Pentachlorobiphenyl
PCB118		2,3',4,4',5-Pentachlorobiphenyl
PCB128		2,2',3,3',4,4'-Hexachlorobiphenyl
PCB138		2,2',3,4,4',5'-Hexachlorobiphenyl
PCB153		2,2',4,4',5,5'-Hexachlorobiphenyl
PCB170		2,2',3,3',4,4',5-Heptachlorobiphenyl
PCB180		2,2',3,4,4',5,5'-Heptachlorobiphenyl
PCB187		2,2',3,4',5,5',6-Heptachlorobiphenyl
PCB209		2,2',3,3',4,4',5,5',6,6'-Decachlorobiphenyl
TCMX			Tetrachloro-m-xylene
T-NONACHLR	trans-Nonachlor

