Levels of polychlorinated biphenyls in fish and shellfish from the Adriatic Sea

It is estimated that 90% of human exposure to persistent organic pollutants is through food, and fish and shellfish represent an important source of contamination for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine insecticides. To evaluate the levels of seafood contamination coming from the central Adriatic Sea, Italy, a study involving several pools of shellfish, crustaceans, and fish was carried out. Several marine species were selected by their abundance, wide distribution, and common use in the Italian diet and sampled and analyzed during 2004. The concentration of total (∑) PCBs exceeded that of total dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) in all samples. Atlantic mackerel showed the highest concentrations of PCBs, ranging from 514 to 1,772 ng/g of fat weight, and DDTs, ranging from 52 to 656 ng/g of fat weight. The lowest concentrations of PCBs and DDTs were found in cephalopods and mussels. Despite this, to protect human health from these pollutants, legal limits have been established for fish and shellfish for DDTs but not PCBs. The most common representative PCB congeners, in all species, were PCB 153 and PCB 138; the most common DDT was p,p′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene.

Download Full-text

Levels of polychlorinated biphenyls in fish and shellfish from the Adriatic Sea

Food Additives and Contaminants Part B ◽

10.1080/19393210802236919 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 69-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

G. Sagratini ◽

M. Buccioni ◽

C. Ciccarelli ◽

P. Conti ◽

G. Cristalli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Polychlorinated Biphenyls ◽

Adriatic Sea ◽

Fish And Shellfish

Download Full-text

Levels of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in some edible marine organisms from the Central Adriatic Sea

Chemosphere ◽

10.1016/j.chemosphere.2004.04.034 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 57 (5) ◽

pp. 391-400 ◽

Cited By ~ 89

Author(s):

M. Perugini ◽

M. Cavaliere ◽

A. Giammarino ◽

P. Mazzone ◽

V. Olivieri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Polychlorinated Biphenyls ◽

Organochlorine Pesticides ◽

Adriatic Sea ◽

Marine Organisms

Download Full-text

Concentrations of Contaminants with Regulatory Limits in Samples of Clam (Chamelea gallina) Collected along the Abruzzi Region Coast in Central Italy

Journal of Food Protection ◽

10.4315/0362-028x.jfp-15-082 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 78 (9) ◽

pp. 1719-1728 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

PIERINA VISCIANO ◽

GIAMPIERO SCORTICHINI ◽

GIOVANNA SUZZI ◽

GIANFRANCO DILETTI ◽

MARIA SCHIRONE ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Polychlorinated Biphenyls ◽

Total Mercury ◽

Adriatic Sea ◽

Central Italy ◽

Coastal Region ◽

Principal Component ◽

Lead And Cadmium ◽

Regulatory Limits ◽

Polycyclic Aromatic ◽

Chamelea Gallina

Concentrations of pollutants with regulatory limits were determined in specimens of Chamelea gallina, a species of clam collected along the Abruzzi coastal region of the central Adriatic Sea. Nine sampling sites were selected to evaluate the distribution of contaminants in the environment and the health risk for consumers. The concentrations of all the examined compounds were lower than the maximums set by European legislation. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and total mercury were below the detection limit (0.18 μg/kg for benzo[a]anthracene, 0.30 μg/kg for chrysene, 0.12 μg/kg for benzo[b]fluoranthene, 0.08 μg/kg for benzo[a]pyrene, and 0.0050 mg/kg for total mercury) in all the analyzed samples. Mean concentrations of lead and cadmium were 0.104 and 0.110 mg/kg, respectively. Of the non–dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls, PCB-153, PCB-180, and PCB-138 were the most abundant at all sampling sites (1a to 9a) at 0.25 mi (ca. 0.4 km) and at some sampling sites (1b, 2b, 3b, 5b and 7b) at 0.35 mi (ca. 0.56 km). Principal component analysis revealed that the concentrations of dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls were similar at the majority of sampling sites, and O8CDD and 2,3,7,8-T4CDF were the predominant dioxin congeners.

Download Full-text