Chemosensory deprivation in juvenile coho salmon exposed to dissolved copper under varying water chemistry conditions

Dissolved copper is an important nonpoint source pollutant in aquatic ecosystems worldwide. Copper is neurotoxic to fish and is specifically known to interfere with the normal function of the peripheral olfactory nervous system. However,the influence of water chemistry on the bioavailability and toxicity of copper to olfactory sensory neurons is not well understood. Here we used electrophysiological recordings from the olfactory epithelium of juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) to investigate the impacts of copper in freshwaters with different chemical properties. In low ionic strength artificial fresh water, a short-term (30 min) exposure to 20 microg/L dissolved copper reduced the olfactory response to a natural odorant (10(-5) M L-serine) by 82%. Increasing water hardness (0.2-1.6 mM Ca) or alkalinity (0.2-3.2 mM HCO3-) only slightly diminished the inhibitory effects of copper. Moreover, the loss of olfactory function was not affected by a change in pH from 8.6 to 7.6. By contrast, olfactory capacity was partially restored by increasing dissolved organic carbon (DOC; 0.1-6.0 mg/L). Given the range of natural water quality conditions in the western United States, water hardness and alkalinity are unlikelyto protect threatened or endangered salmon from the sensory neurotoxicity of copper. However, the olfactory toxicity of copper may be partially reduced in surface waters that have a high DOC content.     

Flesh quality of market-size farmed and wild British Columbia salmon

This study compared the flesh quality of farmed and wild sources of British Columbia (BC) salmon with respect to concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyl compounds, polychlorinated dibenzodioxins/dibenzofurans and their associated toxic equivalents, total mercury (THg), methylmercury (MeHg), and selected fatty acids of known importance for human health viz., omega-3 (n-3) highly unsaturated fatty acids (n-3 HUFAs) and (n-6) fatty acids. Skinned fillets from known sources of farmed Atlantic, coho, and chinook salmon (n = 110) and wild coho, chinook, chum, sockeye, and pink salmon (n = 91) were examined. Atlantic salmon contained higher PCB concentrations (means, 28-38 ng/g) than farmed coho or chinook salmon, and levels in these latter species were similar to those in wild counterparts (means, 2.8-13.7 ng/g). PCB levels in Atlantic salmon flesh were, nevertheless, 53-71-fold less than the level of concern for human consumption of fish, i.e., 2000 ng/g as established by Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (US-FDA). Similarly, THg and MeHg levels in all samples were well below the Health Canada guideline (0.5 microg/g) and the US-FDA action level (1.0 microg/g). On average, THg in farmed salmon (0.021 microg/g) was similar to or lower than wild salmon (0.013-0.077 microg/g). Atlantic salmon were a richer source (mean, 2.34 g/100 g fillet) of n-3 HUFAs than the other farmed and wild sources of salmon examined (means, 0.39-1.17 g/100 g). The present findings support the recommended weekly consumption guidelines for oily fish species (includes all BC salmon sources) for cardio-protective benefits as made by the American Heart Association and the UK Food Standards Agency.     

A sensory system at the interface between urban stormwater runoff and salmon survival

Motor vehicles are a major source of toxic contaminants such as copper, a metal that originates from vehicle exhaust and brake pad wear. Copper and other pollutants are deposited on roads and other impervious surfaces and then transported to aquatic habitats via stormwater runoff. In the western United States, exposure to non-point source pollutants such as copper is an emerging concern for many populations of threatened and endangered Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) that spawn and rear in coastal watersheds and estuaries. To address this concern, we used conventional neurophysiological recordings to investigate the impact of ecologically relevant copper exposures (0-20 microg/L for 3 h) on the olfactory system of juvenile coho salmon (O. kisutch). These recordings were combined with computer-assisted video analyses of behavior to evaluate the sensitivity and responsiveness of copper-exposed coho to a chemical predation cue (conspecific alarm pheromone). The sensory physiology and predator avoidance behaviors of juvenile coho were both significantly impaired by copper at concentrations as low as 2 microg/L. Therefore, copper-containing stormwater runoff from urban landscapes has the potential to cause chemosensory deprivation and increased predation mortality in exposed salmon.     

Tetrodotoxin poisoning due to smooth-backed blowfish Lagocephalus inermis and toxicity of L. inermis caught off the Kyushu coast, Japan

Food poisoning due to ingestion of a puffer fish occurred in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, in October 2008, causing neurotoxic symptoms similar to those of tetrodotoxin (TTX) poisoning. In the present study, we identified the species, toxicity, and toxins using the remaining samples of the causative puffer fish. The puffer fish was identified as smooth-backed blowfish Lagocephalus inermis by nucleotide sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA and cytochrome b gene fragments of muscle mitochondrial DNA. The residual liver sample showed toxicity as high as 1,230 mouse unit (MU)/g by bioassay and TTX was detected by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis. We therefore concluded that the food poisoning was due to TTX caused by consumption of the toxic liver of L. inermis. This is the first report that the liver of L. inermis caught in Japanese waters is strongly toxic, with levels exceeding 1,000 MU/g. In this context, we re-examined the toxicity of L. inermis collected off the coast of Japan. Of 13 specimens assayed, 12 were toxic, although the toxicity varied markedly among individuals and tissues. Because the intestine and ovary of L. inermis have been considered non-toxic, it is particularly noteworthy that these organs were determined to be toxic, with a maximum toxicity of 43.6 MU/g and 10.0 MU/g, respectively. Furthermore, kidney, gallbladder, and spleen, whose toxicity has been unknown, were frequently found to be weakly toxic with levels ranging from 10 to 99 MU/g. Therefore, further study is needed to re-examine the toxicity of smooth-backed blowfish L. inermis in the coastal waters of Japan.     

No evidence for enhanced parvalbumin concentration in light muscle of transgenic coho salmon (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oncorhynchus kisutch</Emphasis>)

The expression of parvalbumin, a major allergenic protein of fish muscle, was determined in rapidly growing transgenic coho salmon (Oncorhynchus mykiss) containing the growth hormone (GH) gene construct OnMTGH1. Three different methods for parvalbumin analysis were used: (1) measurement of the mRNA concentration by real-time RT-PCR; (2) isoelectric focusing of sarcoplasmic proteins; (3) assessment of amount of heat-stable, Ca²⁺-binding sarcoplasmic proteins by measuring absorbance spectra of “stains-all”–protein complexes. Compared to non-transgenic coho salmon, no indication for enhanced expression of parvalbumin in transgenic fish was found either at the mRNA or at the protein level.     

磺胺甲噁唑和磺胺嘧啶在青石斑鱼组织中的分布及代谢规律

通过一次性投喂各含有200 mg/kg磺胺甲噁唑（sulfamethoxazole,SMZ）和磺胺嘧啶（sulfadiazine,SDZ）的饲料,研究两种药物在青石斑鱼中各组织分布与消除规律。采用超高效液相色谱-串联质谱检测青石斑鱼各组织中SMZ和SDZ的含量,并用内标法定量。结果表明,SMZ在青石斑鱼各组织中的最大含量：肝脏、背肌、血浆、肾脏和鳃依次为827.97μg/kg、776.70μg/kg、610.29μg/L、432.14μg/kg和345.18μg/kg。SDZ在青石斑鱼各组织中的最大含量：肝脏、背肌、鳃、血浆和肾脏依次为895.30μg/kg、660.55μg/kg、431.88μg/kg、419.56μg/L和310.67μg/kg。SMZ在青石斑鱼各组织中的半衰期：肾脏、鳃、背肌、血浆和肝脏半衰期依次为26.65、21.00、20.38、18.73h和16.90h。SDZ在青石斑鱼各组织中的半衰期：肾脏、血浆、鳃、背肌和肝脏依次为31.50、27.72、24.75、21.66h和18.24h。SMZ和SDZ在青石斑鱼肝脏中半衰期最短,代谢速度最快;在肾脏中半衰期最长,代谢速度最慢。在水温（25±2）℃条件下,SMZ和SDZ各200mg/kg的剂量同时单次投喂青石斑鱼,建议休药期不低于3d。SMZ和SDZ代谢规律研究为磺胺类药物在水产品中的合理使用提供了参考。     

Evaluation of the nutritional aspects and cholesterol oxidation products of pork liver and fish patés

A comparison of traditional pork liver and fish patés (salmon, anchovy and cod) was carried out. Nutritional value and cholesterol oxidation products (COP) were evaluated. Salmon paté showed similar fat content (24–28%) and energy value (300 kcal/100 g) to pork liver patés, whereas patés made with anchovy and cod showed less fat (13–16%) and calories (200–236 kcal/100 g). PUFA/SFA ratios were much higher in all fish patés (1.55–4.95) than in liver pork patés (0.36–0.44). No great differences were found in ω-6/ω-3 ratio between salmon and pork liver patés (11.3–18.4), this ratio being even higher in anchovy (32.3) and cod patés (62.8). EPA and DHA supply was around 0.63 for salmon, 0.21 for anchovy and 0.07 for cod patés. Cholesterol concentrations were lower in fish patés (31–37 mg/100 g) than in pork liver patés (77–102 mg/100 g). Total COP ranged from 0.38 to 2.83 ppm, without clear differences between pork liver and fish patés.     

PCB congeners in Lake Michigan coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) salmon

We determined PCB congener concentrations in coho and chinook salmon collected in two Lake Michigan tributaries during the fall of 1996. Chinook salmon were larger than coho salmon and contained higher concentrations of the 78 PCB congeners we detected. There were no differences between male and female chinook or coho salmon in size or their PCB concentrations. Among individual fish, we found little evidence for a relationship between congener concentrations and percent lipid; however, congener concentrations did show a generally positive relationship with salmon size. Fish and macroinvertebrate congener concentrations are clearly related, and PCB congeners biomagnify approximately 20-30-fold as they flow from macroinvertebrates, two trophic levels below salmon, to the salmon. Slopes of regressions of salmonid congener concentrations on macroinvertebrate congener concentrations within homologs indicated that the degree of biomagnification generally increased with the degree of congener chlorination, although this pattern was much stronger for Mysis than for Diporeia. Log Kow and categorical variables for coplanar and "toxic" PCBs were not significant additional model terms, indicating that bioaccumulation of PCB congeners was not statistically related to these physicochemical attributes of the PCBs. The distribution of homologue PCBs shifts from a distinct predominance of hexachlorobiphenyls in macroinvertebrates to pentachlorobiphenyls and hexachlorobiphenyls in the salmon.     

Antilisterial activity of a Carnobacterium piscicola isolated from Brazilian smoked fish (surubim [Pseudoplatystoma sp.]) and its activity against a persistent strain of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from surubim

Data on the prevalence and growth of Listeria monocytogenes in lightly preserved fish products from subtropical and tropical regions are very scarce. Our research describes L. monocytogenes that was detected in 5% of the packages of cold-smoked surubim, a native Brazilian freshwater fish that we analyzed, and shows that the strains isolated were of the same random amplified polymorphic DNA subtype as the strains that were isolated from the same factory 4 years earlier. A bacteriocinogenic strain of Carnobacterium piscicola (strain C2), isolated from vacuum-packed cold-smoked surubim, and two C. piscicola strains, isolated from vacuum-packed, cold-smoked salmon, were capable of limiting or completely inhibiting the growth of an L. monocytogenes (strain V2) isolated from surubim in fish peptone model systems incubated at 10 degrees C. Monocultures of L. monocytogenes reached 108 CFU/ml (g), whereas the growth of L. monocytogenes was completely inhibited by C. piscicola C2. The bacteriocinogenic C. piscicola A9b+ and its nonbacteriocinogenic mutant A9b- reduced maximum Listeria levels by 2 to 3 log units. Both bacteriocinogenic C. piscicola strains prevented listerial growth in cold-smoked fish juices (surubim and salmon). Although the carnobacteria grew poorly on cold-smoked surubim at 10 degrees C, the strains were able to reduce maximum Listeria counts by 1 to 3 log units in an artificially inoculated product (surubim). We conclude that Brazilian smoked fish products harbor L. monocytogenes and should be stabilized against the growth of the organism. C. piscicola C2 has the potential for use as a bioprotective culture in surubim and other lightly preserved fish, but further studies are required to optimize its effect.     

Comparison of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Lake Michigan salmonids

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been used extensively over the past two decades as flame retardants in most types of polymers. Many measurements of PBDEs in various environmental matrices from Sweden, Holland, Japan, and elsewhere have been reported, but few measurements are available for North America. PBDEs in 21 coho and chinook salmon taken from Lake Michigan tributaries in 1996 were measured for this study. The salmon samples were extracted and initially analyzed for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners. It was demonstrated for these samples that the same extract fraction contains PBDEs. Six PBDE congeners were observed in all 21 samples, and the rank order of concentration of these congeners was similar to that in commercial mixtures of PBDEs. The average concentration across all samples of the sum of PBDE congeners was 80.1 ng/g of wet weight or 2,440 ng/g of lipid. This is much less than the average sum PCB concentration (1,450 ng/g of wet weight; 43,100 ng/g of lipid). However, the average concentration of the most abundant PBDE congener (IUPAC BDE-49: 52.1 ng/g wet, 1,590 ng/g of lipid) was about one-third of the average concentration of the most abundant PCB congener (IUPAC CB-153: 149 ng/g wet, 4,550 ng/g of lipid). On the basis of an extensive literature survey, the concentrations of PBDEs reported here are among the highest in the world for salmon in open waters. The concentrations of PBDEs and PCBs are both correlated with fish length and mass, but not with lipid content. The concentrations of PBDEs and PCBs are highly correlated in individual fish, implying that PBDEs are as prevalent as PCBs in Lake Michigan.     

Reducing levels of Listeria monocytogenes contamination on raw salmon with acidified sodium chlorite

The antimicrobial activity of acidified sodium chlorite (ASC) against Listeria monocytogenes in salmon was studied. Raw salmon (whole fish and fillets) inoculated with L. monocytogenes (10(3) CFU/cm2 or 10(4) CFU/g) were washed with ASC solution (50 ppm) for 1 min and stored at -18 degrees C for 1 month (whole salmon) or in ice for 7 days (fillets). L. monocytogenes populations were determined for whole salmon after frozen storage and for fillets on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 of storage. A wash with ASC solution followed by ASC glazing did not reduce L. monocytogenes on the skin of whole salmon during frozen storage. However, the wash resulted in an L. monocytogenes reduction of 0.5 log CFU/g for salmon fillets. The populations of L. monocytogenes in fillets increased slowly during ice storage, but the growth of these populations was retarded by ASC ice. By day 7, the populations were 0.25 log units smaller in fillets stored in ASC ice and 0.62 log units smaller in fillets that had been washed with ASC solution and stored in ASC ice than in control fillets. Treatment with ASC also reduced total plate counts (TPCs) by 0.43 log CFU/cm2 on the skin of whole salmon and by 0.31 log CFU/g in fillets. The TPCs for skin decreased during frozen storage but increased gradually for fillets stored at 5 degrees C or in ice. However, TPCs of ASC-treated samples were lower than those for controls at any point during the study. Washing with ASC solution significantly (P < 0.05) reduced TPCs on the skin of whole salmon and in fillets, as well as L. monocytogenes in fillets. The antimicrobial activity of ASC was enhanced when salmon was washed with ASC solution and stored in ASC ice.     

基于脂质体反应器的酶纳米生物传感器在敌敌畏快速检测中的应用

采用脂质体技术制备乙酰胆碱酯酶的微反应器,并以微反应器、壳聚糖和二氧化硅为基质,构建以多层纳米酶膜修饰电极为核心的有机磷农药残留快速检测酶电化学生物传感器。结果表明,酶脂质体微反应器平均粒径为（7.26±0.75）μm;修饰电极多层酶膜的最佳层数为6 个双层;以敌敌畏作为有机磷农药模型,分别在其浓度为0.25～1.75 μmol/L和2.00～10.00 μmol/L线性范围内,传感器的峰电流值与乙酰胆碱酯酶抑制率呈现出良好的线性关系,回归方程分别为I=28.58C＋5.35和I=2.38C＋51.25;最低检出限为（0.72±0.065）μg/L（信噪比为3）;此新型酶纳米生物传感器具有良好的灵敏度、重复性和选择性。     

Marine and farmed fish in the Polish market: Comparison of the nutritional value

The proximate composition and fatty acids profiles of the muscle tissues of nine fish species that are popular on the Polish market were examined. The nine studied fish species were: Baltic fish (cod, herring, salmon), fish farmed in Poland (carp, trout), oceanic fish imported from China (walleye pollock, sole), and farmed fish imported from Vietnam and China (sutchi catfish, tilapia). The lowest lipid content (below 0.1%) was noted in the muscle tissues of Baltic cod and walleye pollock caught in the Pacific. The muscle tissue of walleye pollock also had the lowest protein content (12.2 ± 2.0%). The highest lipid content was noted in the muscle tissues of Baltic salmon (13.1 ± 2.4%). The highest percentage content of eicosapentaenoic (C20:5 n − 3 – EPA) and docosahexaenoic (C22:6 n − 3 – DHA) acids (over 40%) was noted in the fat extracted from the oceanic fish and Baltic cod. However, due to the low fat content, the concentrations of EPA + DHA in these fish species and in imported farmed fish expressed in mg/100 g of muscle tissues are the lowest and range on average from 24.8 ± 5.7 mg/100 g (sutchi catfish) to 207.4 ± 125.4 mg/100 g (sole). This is why the consumption of these fish species has no significant meaning for coronary heart disease prevention. Consumers with symptoms of cardiovascular diseases should include the following fish species, which have high concentrations of EPA + DHA: Baltic salmon (3807.2 ± 666.3 mg/100 g); Polish farmed trout (1804.0 ± 279.2 mg/100 g); and Baltic herring (940.9 ± 306.6 mg/100 g) in their diets. However, the consumption of Baltic salmon must be limited on account of the levels of persistent organic pollutants found in it.     

Identification of Toxin and Fish Species in Cooked Fish Liver Implicated in Food Poisoning

ABSTRACT: The cooked fish liver retained by the victims was assayed for toxicity and mitochondrial DNA. Meanwhile, 8 live specimens of puffer Takifugu niphobles were also assayed. The toxicity of cooked fish liver was 280 ± 20 mouse units per gram (MU/g). All specimens of T. niphobles showed high toxicity (more than 850 MU/g) in the liver. The toxin from cooked fish liver and liver of T. niphobles was identified to be tetrodotoxin. The cooked fish liver and fresh liver of T. niphobles showed the same sequence genotype and the same single restriction site for Bsa I. Therefore, the species of cooked fish liver was suggested as T. niphobles.     

Prevalence and survival of Listeria monocytogenes in Danish aquatic and fish-processing environments

Listeria monocytogenes contamination of ready-to-eat food products such as cold-smoked fish is often caused by pathogen subtypes persisting in food-processing environments. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether these L. monocytogenes subtypes can be found in the outside environment, i.e., outside food processing plants, and whether they survive better in the aquatic environment than do other strains. A total of 400 samples were collected from the outside environment, fish slaughterhouses, fish farms, and a smokehouse. L. monocytogenes was not detected in a freshwater stream, but prevalence increased with the degree of human activity: 2% in seawater fish farms, 10% in freshwater fish farms, 16% in fish slaughterhouses, and 68% in a fish smokehouse. The fish farms and slaughterhouses processed Danish rainbow trout, whereas the smokehouse was used for farm-raised Norwegian salmon. No variation with season was observed. Inside the processing plants, the pattern of randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) types was homogeneous, but greater diversity existed among isolates from the outside environments. The RAPD type dominating the inside of the fish smokehouse was found only sporadically in outside environments. To examine survival in different environments, L. monocytogenes or Listeria innocua strains were inoculated into freshwater and saltwater microcosms. Pathogen counts decreased over time in Instant Ocean and remained constant in phosphate-buffered saline. In contrast, counts decreased rapidly in natural seawater and fresh water. The count reduction was much slower when the natural waters were autoclaved or filtered (0.2-microm pore size), indicating that the pathogen reduction in natural waters was attributable to a biological mechanism, e.g., protozoan grazing. A low prevalence of L. monocytogenes was found in the outside environment, and the bacteria did not survive well in natural environments. Therefore, L. monocytogenes in the outer environment associated with Danish fish processing is probably of minor importance to the environment inside a fish production plant.     

Protein Hydrolysis in Coho and Sockeye Salmon During Partially Frozen Storage

Coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and sockeye salmon (O. nerka) were held at O°, ?1°, ?2°, ?3°, and ?20°C for up to 25 days. Hydrolysis of individual soluble proteins was analyzed by SDS-PAGE. The highest rates of Hydrolysis were in fish held at ?2° and ?3°C. Several proteins were present in nearly constant ratios. Significant changes were observed in nine other protein bands. A 35,000 dalton protein was present only in coho salmon. This protein appeared with a half-time of five days and then disappeared. Major changes were observed in 34,000 and 36,000 dalton proteins; half of which were hydrolysed in 7 to 20 days. A 32,000 dalton protein was half-hydrolyzed in 14–23 days in sockeye but very slowly in coho salmon.     

Bromophenol Distribution in Salmon and Selected Seafoods of Fresh- and Saltwater Origin

Analysis of saltwater Pacific salmon (Onchorynchus sp.) showed that sufficient concentrations of bromophenols were present in saltwater salmon to provide sea-, brine-, or iodine- like flavor notes, but the compounds were virtually absent in spawning run ocean and prime condition Great Lakes freshwater salmon. Octanol/water partition coefficients revealed that bromophenols would be readily absorbed by fish from the diet. Analysis of marine fish, crustaceans, and molluscs also revealed notable concentrations of bromophenols in all samples. Only sporadic, low concentrations of bromophenols were found in freshwater fish. The data support the hypothesis that simple bromophenols are widely distributed in marine species via the food chain.     

Growth of Listeria monocytogenes in vacuum-packed, smoked salmon, during storage at 4 degrees C.

Samples of smoked salmon of different hygienic quality were inoculated with low (6 cfu/g) and high (600 cfu/g) levels of a mixture of three strains of Listeria monocytogenes, after which they were vacuum-packed and stored at 4 degrees C for up to 5 weeks. L. monocytogenes grew well during storage in all the inoculated sample groups. Growth was, however, slightly faster in the fish with the better hygienic quality. The smoked salmon was still sensorically acceptable after 4 weeks. All three strains were found after 4 weeks in the fish with the better quality, while only two strains were recovered after the same time from the poorer quality salmon.     

云南省淡水湖泊鱼虾中多氯联苯食用安全性评估

目的对云南省5个淡水湖泊中鱼虾体内的多氯联苯(polychorinated biphenyl,PCBs)污染水平进行调查研究。方法采用气相色谱-质谱联用仪进行检测分析,根据检测结果对云南省淡水湖泊中的鱼虾体内多氯联苯的含量进行食用安全性评估。结果云南省淡水湖泊中鱼虾体内的多氯联苯检出率为90%,多氯联苯的含量范围为ND～1.16μg/kg,平均含量为0.27μg/kg,低于国家标准限量。云南省淡水湖泊中鱼虾体内的多氯联苯按照世界卫生组织(World Health Organization,WHO)规定的多氯联苯毒性当量(toxic equivalent quantity,TEQ)分布于ND～6.51×10~(-5)μg/kg,平均值为1.21×10~(-5)μg/kg,低于欧盟的行动标准限量。结论云南省居民从云南省淡水湖泊鱼虾体内摄入持久性有机污染物多氯联苯的剂量较低,引起的健康风险较低。     

Toxicokinetics and carry-over model of α-hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) from feed to consumption-sized Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

A two-compartmental model for the kinetics of carry-over of the brominated flame retardant α-hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) from feed to the fillet of farmed harvest-sized Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) was developed. The model is based on a fat compartment for storage of the lipophilic α-HBCD and a central compartment comprising all other tissues. Specific for this model is that the salmon has a continuous growth and that fillet contaminant levels are explained by both the fat and the central compartments. The uptake and elimination kinetics are obtained from experimental data where consumer sized (start weight approximately 1 kg) Atlantic salmon was fed α-HBCD spiked feed (280 ± 11 μg kg(-1)) for 2 months followed by a depuration period of 3 months. The model was used to simulate the HBCD feed-to-fillet transfer in Atlantic salmon under realistic farming conditions such as the seasonal fluctuations in feed intake, growth and fillet fat deposition. The model predictions gave fillet concentrations of 0.2-1.8 μg kg(-1) depending on the level of fish oil inclusion in the salmon diets when using fish oil with high POP background levels. Model simulations show that currently farmed Atlantic salmon can contribute to a maximum of 6% of the estimated provisional food reference dose for HBCD.