Inter-tissue distribution and evaluation of potential toxicity of PCBs in Baltic cod (Gadus morhua L.)

PCBs measured in the muscle, liver, and gonads of cod collected from two locations in the southern Baltic were evaluated as total (summation operator PCBs), indicator (summation operator PCB(7)), and dioxin-like (summation operator DL-PCBs) concentrations. Gender, tissue lipid content, and collection site were important determinants of PCB levels. Irrespective of collection site, lipid-normalized summation operator PCBs, summation operator PCB(7), and summation operator DL-PCBs in females were the lowest in the muscle, and of similar levels in liver and gonads. In males the concentrations had a decreasing order of liver >muscle >gonads. Despite the gender differences in tissue levels, the profiles were fairly similar in both genders and sites. Significant relationships were found for both summation operator DL-PCBs and summation operator TEQ(DL-PCB) and concentrations of summation operator PCBs and summation operator PCB(7). The levels of summation operator TEQ(DL-PCB) in the livers of both genders and in female gonads, in addition to the total PCBs load in these organs, raise concern and suggest that the species can suffer from PCBs toxic effects.