Polychlorinated biphenyls in various fish species farmed and caught in the Adriatic Sea over ten years: A health risk assessment

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in six fish species from the Adriatic Sea over a ten-year period. The aim of the study was to evaluate the differences in PCB levels between two five-year intervals (2014 to 2018 and 2019 to 2023) and to conduct a risk assessment for the Croatian population. The concentrations of six indicator PCB congeners—28, 52, 101, 138, 153, 180, and PCB-118, along with their cumulative sum (PCB6 and ICES-7 PCBs) were determined. PCB-153 and PCB-138 were identified as the dominant congeners, contributing between 57.0 % and 67.2 % to the total sum. The mean values of the most abundant congeners were ranked as follows: PCB-153 > PCB-138 > PCB-180. PCBs above the limit of quantification were detected within a range 0.1–21.9 μg/kg wet weight. The highest mean concentration across all fish species was found for PCB-153 (0.26–5.03 μg/kg), followed by PCB-138 (0.09–1.91 μg/kg). ICES-7 PCBs values varied between 1.24 μg/kg (salmon-bass) and 11.8 μg/kg (tuna) for farmed fish, and between 0.85 μg/kg (sea bass) and 6.14 μg/kg (sardines) for wild fish. In the second period (2019–2023), significantly lower concentrations of ICES-7 PCBs were observed in both farmed and wild sea bass and gilthead seabream. Statistically significant differences between farmed and wild fish were confirmed for both species. A significant decrease in ICES-7 PCBs was observed in wild other fish during the period 2019 to 2023. The risk assessment indicated that the consumption of tuna and sardines significantly contributes to population exposure to ICES-7 PCBs. Toddlers, along with individuals from all age groups who consume substantial amounts of fish, are at the highest risk of exposure to these contaminants.