This dataset documents field investigations regarding the release of legacy World War I and II munition explosive compounds into marine biota, focusing on munition dumping areas west of the island of Sylt, north of the island of Spiekeroog, and south of the reference area Borkum Riffgrund, North Sea. Flatfish Limanda limanda (common dab) was chosen as a sentinel species. Sampling was conducted during the HE622 cruise in June 2023 with the research vessel Heincke of the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI). Fish were caught using bottom trawls deployed close to the borders of the dumping areas marked on the sea charts. Before dissection, captured fish were transferred to seawater tanks, and only live fish were taken for analysis. Each individual was measured, weighed, and after killing of the fish livers were assessed macroscopically. In addition, biometric factors were measured to determine condition factors as indicators of general health. Tissue samples of gills, liver, and muscle, as well as blood, bile, and urine, were taken, immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen, and stored at -20°C before chemical analysis. Sample processing in the laboratory followed established protocols. In brief, all samples were homogenized and then extracted using solid phase extraction (SPE). Bile, urine, and blood samples were treated with β-glucuronidase (Helix pomatia), followed by a liquid-liquid extraction step for blood and bile samples before SPE. All samples were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) for the explosive compound 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), its metabolites 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene (2-ADNT) and 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene (4-ADNT), and the explosive by-products 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) and 1,3-dinitrobenzene (1,3-DNB). Additionally, liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to quantify the nitramine explosives hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) and octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX). The dataset includes measured compound concentrations and associated sample metadata.

NNW03L: dumping site code from the Federal and State Monitoring Programme (BLMP)