PCBs and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in edible fish and shellfish from China

Chemosphere. 2006 May;63(8):1342-52. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2005.09.029. Epub 2005 Nov 14.

Abstract

A wide variety of fish and shellfish were collected from local supermarkets of Dalian, Tianjin and Shanghai in China and analyzed for the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) such as hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), chlordane compounds (CHLs, including trans-chlordane, cis-chlordane, trans-nonachlor and cis-nonachlor) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites (DDTs, including o,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDE, o,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDD, o,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDT). Concentrations of PCBs in samples collected from Dalian, Tianjin and Shanghai ranged from 1.11 to 8.04 ng/g, 1.26 to 5.60 ng/g and 0.83 to 11.4 ng/g on wet weight basis, respectively. The concentrations were lower compared to those in developed countries such as Japan and Italy. Average concentrations of HCB, HCHs, CHLs and DDTs were 0.38, 0.92, 0.47 and 28.9 ng/g on wet weight basis, respectively. The daily intake of PCBs and organochlorine pesticides ingested by people living in these cities in China through fish and shellfish was estimated and compared with those observed in other areas.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • China
  • Environmental Monitoring
  • Fishes
  • Food Contamination*
  • Humans
  • Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / analysis*
  • Risk Assessment
  • Seafood*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / analysis*

Substances

  • Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical