Exposure to dioxins and dibenzofurans through the consumption of fish

In some regions, including the Baltic Sea, fatty fish such as salmon and herring contain high levels of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans. We investigated human exposure to these potentially toxic substances in relation to the consumption of fish from the Baltic Sea.

Plasma levels of 10 different dibenzofurans and 7 dioxins were analyzed in three groups of Swedish men: one group with a high intake of fish (fish eaten almost daily; n = 11), one with a moderate intake of fish (about once per week; n = 9), and one with no consumption of fish (usually because of allergy; n = 9).

Plasma levels of several of the compounds we measured were higher in the men with a high intake of fish than in those who consumed moderate amounts, and the levels were higher in those who ate moderate amounts of fish than in those who ate none. The median amounts of the most toxic dioxin (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin) were 8.0 pg per gram of plasma lipid (range, 2.0 to 13) in the high-intake group, 2.6 pg per gram (range, 1.2 to 4.2) in the moderate-intake group, and 1.8 pg per gram (range, 1.0 to 2.5) in the nonconsumers (P = 0.001 and 0.02, respectively). There were consistent and statistically significant associations between the reported amount of fish eaten and the plasma levels of several of the dibenzofurans and dioxins.

Contaminated fish such as those from the Baltic Sea are an important source of exposure to polychlorinated dibenzofurans and dibenzodioxins in persons who eat fish regularly. However, the clinical consequences of such exposure remain uncertain.