Abstract
Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were measured in 23 seafood species widely consumed by the Korean population in the periods of 2005-2007, 2010-2011, and 2015-2017. The Σ82PCB (sum of 82 PCB congeners) and Σ19PBDE (sum of 19 PBDE congeners) concentrations in the seafood samples of 2015-2017 were 0.06-6.69ng/g wet weight and 0.01-1.60ng/g wet weight, respectively. The Σ82PCB and Σ19PBDE concentrations in the samples were significantly correlated. Elevated PCB and PBDE concentrations were found in fatty fish, such as herring, mackerel, and tuna. The current human intakes of PCBs and PBDEs were much lower than the tolerable daily intake or lowest observed adverse effect level. The levels and human dietary intakes of PCBs and PBDEs in the 2015-2017 survey showed decreases of 17-73% and 57-86%, respectively, compared with those in 2005-2007 and 2010-2011 surveys. This indicates that global bans on PCBs and PBDEs have been effective, and their levels and human exposure to them have been gradually declining.
Highlights
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that accumulate in organisms and are biomagnified through food chains with elevated levels in top predators (Moon et al 2010)
Use of POPs has been banned globally according to Stockholm convention on POPs, and PCBs and PBDEs were classified as POPs in 2005 and 2009, respectively (Convention 2008)
The concentrations of Σ82PCB were 0.06–6.69 ng/g wet, and CB-153 was present in the highest proportion (14 ± 2.9%) among PCB congeners, followed by CB-138 (7.2 ± 1.8%), CB-118 (5.6 ± 1.6%), and CB-101 (5.0 ± 1.7%)
Summary
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that accumulate in organisms and are biomagnified through food chains with elevated levels in top predators (Moon et al 2010). These contaminants can cause adverse health effects such as dermal toxicity, immunotoxicity, reproductive deficits, teratogenicity and endocrine interferences (Ankarberg et al 2007). As PBDEs are not bonded into materials but blended with the polymers, they are likely to be released into the environment and entering biological tissues through food chains These contaminants are still found in seafood as well as coastal environments, and are considered to pose a substantial risk for human health (Leng et al 2014). The recent concern now is to check the effectiveness of the global bans and efforts in terms of how fast the POPs such as PCBs and PBDEs in environmental levels and risks decline in the world
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