Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin, dibenzofuran and biophenyl content in selected groups of Baltic herring and sprat from Estonian coastal waters in 2006

The concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCB) were determined in samples of Baltic herring (Clupea harengus membras) and sprat (Sprattus sprattus balticus) in 2006 from commercial catches in Estonian coastal waters, Baltic Sea. The dioxin content of the fish sampled in 2006 did not exceed the European Union’s maximum permissible level for PCDD/Fs (4.0 pg WHO -TEQ/g fresh weight) and for the sum of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs (8.0 pg WHO -TEQ/g fresh weight). PCDD/Fs and the sum of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs content in herring were 2.12 and 3.84 pg WHO-TEQ/g of fresh weight respectively; the corresponding figures for sprat were 1.94 and 3.82 pg WHO-TEQ/g of fresh weight. Comparable with our earlier data on the content of dioxins in three to four year old herring and two to three year old sprat, these data show that two servings of fish per week are not at all harmful to the health of the Estonian people; indeed, the opposite is more likely to be the case

Concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans in soil in the vicinity of a landfill.

Estonia still has no waste incineration facilities, which would act as substantial sources of dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) pollution. As landfill fires may serve as sources of dioxins, we focused on the concentrations of PCDD and PCDF in soil samples taken in the vicinity of the landfill located at south-east Estonia in the course of our inventory. Concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) were studied in five soil samples taken in the vicinity of the Laguja landfill in south-east Estonia. The four soil samples were taken in southern, eastern, western and northern parts not further than 300 m from the landfill, and one sample was taken at the distance of 3 km from the landfill. The PCDD/F concentrations in all soil samples were at background level (0.64–2.33 pg I-TEQ WHO/g dry weight). To maintain this situation, the administrator of the landfill must avoid landfill fires, which are one of the reasons for the generation of dioxins and furans

Profiles of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in aquatic biota

The profiles (concentrations scaled to a sum of 100) of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in aquatic fauna differ from those of the commercial PBDE formulations, particularly by a much higher proportion of the congener 47. At the same time, the profiles reported by different authors vary a great deal and no patterns related to species, localities, etc. are obvious. It seems that there are systematic differences among the reporting laboratories, and measurement errors within the same laboratory may also play a role. However, the profiles of PBDEs in fish from the Baltic are very similar and form a tight “cluster”. PBDE profiles in crustaceans appear different from those in fish.Sastav polibromiranih difenil-etera u vodenoj fauni razlikuje se od onih u komercijalnim formulacijama, ponajviše po mnogo većem udjelu kongenera 47. Osim toga različiti autori opisuju bitno različite značajke, a da pritom nisu vidljivi nikakvi obrasci vezani uz vrstu, lokaciju i sl. Izgleda da tomu pridonose sustavne razlike među laboratorijima i pogreške u mjerenju unutar samih laboratorija. Međutim, sastav polibromiranih difenil-etera u baltičkoj ribi vrlo je sličan i čini blisko povezanu skupinu. Polibromirani difenil-eteri u rakova različiti su od onih u riba