Organotin intake through fish consumption in Finland

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Food Safety
• Toxicology

Background:

• Organotin compounds (OTCs) are synthetic chemicals with potential adverse health effects.
• Human exposure to OTCs primarily occurs through fish consumption.
• Regulatory restrictions on OTC use exist in many countries due to health concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify organotin compound (OTC) exposure via fish consumption in Finland.
• To evaluate the potential health risks associated with OTC intake from fish.
• To assess the contribution of different fish types to overall OTC exposure.

Main Methods:

• Extensive sampling of Finnish domestic and imported seafood (2005-2008).
• Chemical analysis for dibutyltin (DBT), tributyltin (TBT), triphenyltin (TPhT), and dioctyltin (DOT) (SigmaOTCs).
• Calculation of average daily SigmaOTC intake based on measured concentrations and consumption rates.

Main Results:

• Average daily intake of SigmaOTCs was 3.2 ng/kg body weight/day, 1.3% of the TDI.
• Domestic wild fish contributed 61% to SigmaOTC intake; imported fish contributed 35%.
• Perch, imported salmon, and rainbow trout were key sources of OTCs.

Conclusions:

• Finnish consumers are unlikely to exceed adverse health effect thresholds for OTCs from fish consumption.
• Dietary intake of organotins through fish in Finland is within safe limits.
• The study provides crucial data for risk assessment of OTCs in the Finnish diet.