Residues of polychlorinated biphenyls in edible fish of the Adriatic Sea: assessment of human exposure

ABSTRACT:  Food consumption is an important route of human exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). To assess the potential health risks associated with these contaminants due to fish consumption, the muscle tissue of edible species of fish was analyzed. Contamination levels among the different species varied from 134 to 1210 ng/g lipid weight. Isomer-specific analysis revealed a profile dominated by hexa- (57.9% to 82.9%) and pentachlorobiphenyls (10.3% to 23.9%), followed by hepta- (9.0% to 19.2%) and tetrachlorobiphenyls (0.7% to 17.5%). Other congeners, including those with less than 4 or more than 9 chlorine atoms, were below the instrumental limit of detection in all samples. Risk evaluation for human health was carried out by comparing the experimental data with the new European Commission legal level and a new approach proposed by the U.S. EPA to protect population-segments who repeatedly consume fish. The dietary intake of PCBs, as WHO-TEQ per kg body weight (b.w.), was below 8 pg TEQ/kg body weight/week, while the new EPA approach suggested that the chronic effects do not represent any type of danger for human health, while the possible rise in the carcinogenic risk connected with consumption of some type of fish is more worrisome.