PCDD/Fs and PCBs in Baltic fish - Recent data, risk for consumers

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Food Safety
• Toxicology

Background:

• Persistent organic pollutants, including PCDD/Fs and PCBs, accumulate in fish.
• Baltic fish are a significant dietary source of these contaminants.
• A new Tolerable Weekly Intake (TWI) dose for PCDD/F/DL-PCBs has been established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine PCDD/F and PCB levels in Baltic fish from ICES areas 24, 25, and 26.
• To assess the health risks for fish consumers based on the new TWI.
• To evaluate if current contamination levels in Baltic fish are safe for frequent consumers.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of total toxic equivalents (TEQ) of PCDD/F/DL-PCBs in fish muscle tissue.
• Sampling conducted in ICES areas 24, 25, and 26.
• Calculation of consumer intake based on fish consumption (200g portions) and TWI.

Main Results:

• Total PCDD/F/DL-PCBs TEQ in fish muscle ranged from 0.12 to 10.34 pg WHO-TEQ/g wet weight.
• Salmon muscle exhibited the highest average concentration; cod had the lowest (<0.5 pg WHO-TEQ/g).
• Average intake represented 91-2420% of the TWI for children and 30-799% for adults.

Conclusions:

• Despite reduced contamination, Baltic fish pose a significant health risk due to PCDD/F and PCB levels.
• Current levels exceed the newly established TWI, indicating insufficient reduction for safe frequent consumption.
• Consumers, especially children, are at risk from ingesting PCDD/F/DL-PCBs through Baltic fish.