Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in aquatic products of Guangzhou city, South China: Accumulation, distribution and health risk

Studies have shown that consuming aquatic products is the primary pathway for human uptake of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). This study collected seven types of aquatic products eaten in Guangzhou City. Gas chromatography‒mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to investigate eight PBDE congeners to analyze their concentration, distribution, and potential risk. The concentration of PBDEs in aquatic products ranged from 1.92 to 91.11 ng/g lw, with BDE–209, BDE–99, and BDE–154 as the predominant PBDE congeners. Moreover, the concentrations and congener profiles of these contaminants vary in aquatic products. The highest accumulation level was found in shrimp and clams, primarily attributed to dietary habits, metabolic capacity, and accumulation of xenobiotics. According to the dietary questionnaire, the total consumption of aquatic animals was 82.64 g/day, with a significant non-carcinogenic risk to consumers in Guangzhou at higher levels of consumption (HI ≥ 1). Therefore, the maximum allowable daily consumption of grass carp, crucian carp, tilapia, Japanese seaperch, shrimp, clam and crab is 33.33, 55.00, 67.50, 44.44, 41.67, and 51.67 g/day, corresponding to daily intake frequencies of 5, 8, 10, 6, 6, 7, and 5 times/month, respectively. Our results could provide reasonable dietary advice for humans.