Survey of persistent organochlorine contaminants (PCDD, PCDF, dl-PCB) in Baltic fish and fish

The concentration and congener-specific profile of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCB), were determined in edible marine fish tissues of salmon, herring, and in sprat and fishmeals collected between 2006 and 2008. Average concentrations of the sum of the compounds ranged from 4.05 ±5.46 to 9.23 ±2.64 pg WHO-TEQ/g f.w. for the tested fish species. The highest concentration was found in salmon - up to 11.39 pg WHO-TEQ/g f.w. of the sum of PCDD, PCDF, and dl-PCB. Only seven out of 55 fish meals exceeded the maximum permitted level for PCDD/PCDF (over 1.25 ng WHO-TEQ/kg) and 4 pg/p for total TEQ. Dioxin-like PCB make up about 50% of the concentration. The PCDD, PCDF, and dl-PCB accumulation pattern found in the analysed samples showed typical distribution reported for marine samples. The following congeners dominated: 2,3,7,8-PCDF, 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF, 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDF, and PCB 105,118, and 156.