Levels of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Three Organochlorine Pesticides in Fish from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska

Abstract

BackgroundPersistent organic pollutants (POPs), including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and chlorinated pesticides, have been shown to have many adverse human health effects. These contaminants therefore may pose a risk to Alaska Natives that follow a traditional diet high in marine mammals and fish, in which POPs bioaccumulate.Methods and FindingsThis study examined the levels of PCBs and three pesticides [p, p′-DDE, mirex, and hexachlorobenzene (HCB)] in muscle tissue from nine fish species from several locations around the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. The highest median PCB level was found in rock sole (Lepidopsetta bilineata, 285 ppb, wet weight), while the lowest level was found in rock greenling (Hexagrammos lagocephalus, 104 ppb, wet weight). Lipid adjusted PCB values were also calculated and significant interspecies differences were found. Again, rock sole had the highest level (68,536 ppb, lipid weight). Concerning the PCB congener patterns, the more highly chlorinated congeners were most common as would be expected due to their greater persistence. Among the pesticides, p, p′-DDE generally dominated, and the highest level was found in sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka, 6.9 ppb, wet weight). The methodology developed by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) was used to calculate risk-based consumption limits for the analyzed fish species. For cancer health endpoints for PCBs, all species would trigger strict advisories of between two and six meals per year, depending upon species. For noncancer effects by PCBs, advisories of between seven and twenty-two meals per year were triggered. None of the pesticides triggered consumption limits.ConclusionThe fish analyzed, mainly from Adak, contain significant concentrations of POPs, in particular PCBs, which raises the question whether these fish are safe to eat, particularly for sensitive populations. However when assessing any risk of the traditional diet, one must also consider the many health and cultural benefits from eating fish.

Kelp-Fed Beef, Swimming Caribou, Feral Reindeer, and Their Hunters: Island Mammals in a Marine Economy

“…The few cases of land mammals in the Aleutians currently targeted by federal managers for removal are a subset of conditions in a broader region that contends with subsistence access issues, environmental risk to foods, and high shipping and travel costs to obtain food [4][5][6][7] but generally enjoys a variety of abundant wild foods [8] for those with time, skills, equipment, health status, and income sufficient to support a hunting and fishing lifestyle. Introduced land mammals are significant components of the abundance and diversity available.…”

The Kuril Islands as a Potential Region for Aquaculture: Organochlorine Pesticides in Pink and Chum Salmon

“…The maximum concentration was recorded from pink (215 ng/g lipids) that is higher than the value for pink from the other Pacific coast (Figure 2). In salmon, the same as in other species collected off North America, the DDE metabolite always dominates [18,19]. As we showed earlier, the total concentration of HCHs in marine organisms from the the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea, as a rule, is higher than the DDT content [5,9,10,[20][21][22][23].…”

“…Thus, HCH concentrations in bottom sediments of Lake Baikal were 3 times as high as the DDT level [28]. In salmon, high concentrations of pesticides including DDE are recorded more frequently as compared to those in other fishes of the North Pacific such as cod, flounder, greenling, and some others [18]. This difference is explained mostly by the wide range of salmon's feeding migrations, by presence of fish predominantly in the upper pelagic zone where atmospheric precipitations concentrate, as well as by high fattiness of salmon.…”

Production of Persistent Organic Pollutants from Cement Plants

“…When in contact with water they also will be transported to planktonic organisms, entering the food chain. POPs were found as contaminants in birds (Chen and Hale, 2010;Vorkamp et al, 2009), penguins (Corsoloni et al, 20060, fish (Ondarza et al, 2011;Hardell et al, 2010), sea lions (Alava et al, 2011), among others.…”