Balancing the risk of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and the benefit of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n-3 variety for French fish consumers in western coastal areas |
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Authors: | P. Verger N. Khalfi C. Roy S. Blanchemanche S. Marette J. Roosen |
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Affiliation: | 1. INRA–Met@risk verger@agroparistech.fr;3. INRA–Met@risk;4. INRA–UMR d’Economie Publique, AgroParisTech, Paris, France;5. INRA–Met@risk;6. Department of Food Economics and Consumption Studies , University of Kiel , Kiel, Germany |
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Abstract: | A study of 401 fish-eating adults living in a coastal region of France was undertaken to establish exposure to dioxins/polychlorinated biphenyls and the intake of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n-3 variety. Fish consumption was estimated using food frequency diaries and the dioxin/polychlorinated biphenyl data collected by the French control authorities was used to calculate dietary exposure. The results showed that for a group of adult subjects selected because of their consumption of fish, 60% achieved the nutritional recommendation for long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and 79% were exposed to total dioxins below the toxicological threshold of 14 pg kg?1 body weight week?1. Nevertheless, only 41% of these subjects had an optimal balance between the risk and benefit of eating fish, because 19% were meeting the nutritional recommendation but exceeding the toxicological threshold, whereas 38% were exposed below the toxicological threshold but failed to reach the recommended intake of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Similar results were found regarding the balance between long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and polychlorinated biphenyls even if a toxicological threshold was not established for these compounds. The results show that meeting the nutritional requirements of 0.5 mg day?1 of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is compatible with respect to toxicological thresholds, while an intake higher than 1.5 g day?1 is likely to lead to a dietary exposure above the provisional tolerable weekly intake for dioxins. |
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Keywords: | dioxin polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) fatty acids fish risk–benefit |
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