Boer, J., de

Leonards, P.E.G.

Traag, W.A.

English

de Boer, J.

NARCIS 

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD), dibenzofurans (PCDF) and biphenyls (PCBs) in Dutch fishery products

Name not available

Wageningen Yield 

HUMAN EXPOSURE I 
POLYCHLORINATED DIBENZO-P-DIOXINS (PCDD), 
DIBENZOFURANS (PCDF) AND BIPHENYLS (PCBs) 
IN DUTCH FISHERY PRODUCTS 
Pirn E.G. Leonards', Wim A. Traag" and Jacob de Boer' 
Netherlands Institute for Fisheries Research (RIVO), P.O. Box 68, 1970 AB IJmuiden, The 
Netherlands' 
State Institute for Quality Control of Agricultural Products (RIKILT), P.O. Box 230 
6700 AE Wageningen, The Netherlands " 
Introduction 
Currently, discussions on new residue limits of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), 
benzofiirans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are taking place at 
national levels and in the European Union. Recently, the EU has adopted a new tolerable weekly 
intake ofthe total intake of dioxins, furans and dioxin-like PCBs at a maximum of 7 pg TEQ/kg 
bw', and has proposed new maximum levels of PCDD/Fs in food items. Recent studies in The 
Netherlands on levels of PCDD/F in food and dietary intake of these compounds by the average 
Dutch consumer have shown that the consumption offish accounts for 14% ofthe total intake^. 
For regular fish consumers this value will be about twice as high. However, levels of PCDD/Fs 
and dioxin-like PCBs in fishery products based on a limited number of samples and areas. A 
proper risk assessment and risk management of these compounds in fishery products for the Dutch 
population could, therefore, not be made. Only data from 1990 and 1991 for mainly freshwater 
fish from The Netherlands and a Few data on marine fish species are available\ The main aim of 
this study was to provide baseline information on the levels of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs in 
fishery products that are eaten by the Dutch population. 
Methods and Materials 
Fishery products were collected in 1999 and 2000 from the North Sea, Celtic Sea, Channel, 
Atlantic Ocean, Wadden Sea, Dutch rivers, and Lake IJssel. Samples of herting, cod, mackerel, 
horse mackerel, dab, sole, plaice, whiting, blue whiting, sardinella, pollack, haddock, anchovy, 
turbot, gourlomtis, grey gurnard, anglerfish, wild eel, and pike-perch were taken. Also fish 
imported from France (tuna and bass), Italy (tuna and swordfish) and Sri Lanka (tuna) was 
collected. In addition, eel, trout, Norwegian and Scottish Salmon, and halibut from fish farms were 
sampled. In total 63 samples were analysed for PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs. 
Mono-ortho substituted PCBs (CBs 105, 118 and 156) were determined by drying the sample with 
sodium sulfate, and a Soxhlet extraction with dichloromethane/pentane, followed with a cleanup 
with AI2O3 and silica gel. Extracts were measured using gas chromatography (GC) with electron 
capture detection (ECD). Lipids from Bligli and Dyer extractions were removed and a number of 
cleanup and fractionation steps were performed for the PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs (CBs 77, 
126 and 169) analyses. These compounds were determined with GC and high resolution MS. 
For the conversion of concentrations to TEQs, the WHO-TEF values have been used'*. 
ORGANOHALOGEN COMPOUNDS 
Vol. 52 (2001) 161 
HUMAN EXPOSURE I 
Results and Discussion 
Marine and freshwater fish 
TEQ levels for dioxin-like PCBs in fishery products varied between 0.02 en 33 pg TEQ / g wet 
weight (ww), and between 3 en 513 pg TEQ/g on a lipid weight basis (Figure 1). For PCDD/Fs 
only, TEQ levels varied between 0.01 and 3.9 pg TEQ/g ww, and 0.7 lo 129 pg TEQ/g on lipid 
weight. For the sum of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs (STEQ) the levels ranged fi'om 0.03 tot 37 
pg TEQ/g WW, and on a lipid weight basis from 3.7 to 565 pg TEQ/g. Highest levels were reported 
for fish from locations Channel. Dutch freshwater systems (Lake IJssel and Great rivers), farmed 
fish and imported fish from Italy and France. In eel from Lake IJssel the highest concentration (37 
pg TEQ/g ww) was found, however, a width range in levels of eels within the lake was observed 
(8.7 - 37 pg TEQ/g ww). For tuna a large variation in levels between the location was observed; 
0.03 pg TEQ/g WW in tuna from Sri Lanka, 4 pg TEQ/g from France, and 10 pg TEQ/g ww from 
Italy. Herring collected at various times in 1999 and 2000 and locations (Channel and North Sea) 
showed less variation (2.4 - 5.7 pg TEQ/g ww). 
Dioxin-like PCBs contribute on average 69% to the STEQ levels in fish. Especially, the non-ortho 
substituted CB 126 has a large contribution to the ITEQ. In eel the contribution fi'om the mono-
ortho CBs is also important (38 - 52%) and equal to the contribution fi-om the non-ortho CBs. 
40.0 
36.0 
32.0 
28.0 
3 24.0 
1 
a 20.0 
a 
u 
a. 
120 
8.0 
4.0 
0.0 
Atlantic Ocean Celtic Sea Channel North Sea Wadden 
Sea/Dutch 
delta 
Imported Freshwater Farmed (ish 
Figure 1. Levels of ZTEQ (pg TEQ/g wet weight) in various fish products from the Atlantic Ocean, 
Celtic Sea, Channel, North Sea, Wadden Sea, imported fish, fi-eshwater and farmed fish. 
Farmedfish 
In fatty farmed fish (eel and salmon) relative high 2TEQ levels were observed, 3.9 to 11 pg TEQ/g 
ww, and 3.3 to 4.3 pg TEQ/g, respectively. However, the levels in farmi.'d eel were lower than in 
eel from Lake IJssel. Interesting to note was the small variation in TEQ levels between two 
ORGANOHALOGEN COMPOUNDS 
Vol. 52 (2001) 162 
HUMAN EXPOSURE I 
In fatty farmed fish (eel and salmon) relative high STEQ levels were observed, 3.9 to 11 pg TEQ/g 
WW, and 3.3 to 4.3 pg TEQ/g, respectively. However, the levels in farmed eel were lower than in 
eel from Lake IJssel. Interesting to note was the small variation in TEQ levels between two 
samples of Scottish salmon and two samples of Norwegian salmon, which indicates that these 
animals are probably consuming feed with a similar contamination. In addition, a positive 
correlation was observed between the lipid weight ofthe fish (halibut, trout, salmon, and eel) and 
the TEQ levels on wet weight basis (Figure 2). This observation, also, indicates that most of the 
farmed fish probably are fed with similar feed leading to a similar intake of contaminants. 
12.0 
10.0 
8.0 
9 6.0 
li! 
S 
4.0 
2.0 
0.0 
Farmed fish 
.eel 
/ e e l 
y ^ e l 
Scottisti salmon « X * Norwegian salmon 
Scottish salmon • j T • « « ! 
Nonwegian salmon • ^ ^ 
tiallbut 
"•trout 
50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 
lipid weight (g/kg) 
Figure 2. Levels of STEQ (pg TEQ/g ww) in farmed fish species. 
In conclusion, the highest levels of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs were found in fatty fish (eel, 
herting, mackerel), especially fi'om freshwater. A large variation in TEQ levels in tuna was 
observed with a relative high level in Italian tuna. In fatty farmed fish (eel and salmon) relative 
high TEQ levels were found. 
Acknowledgments 
The authors thank M. Lohman, M. de Wit, G. Booy, S.H. Brandsma, K. Groeneveld, M. Gouda 
and K. Brilnner for collection, preparation and analysis ofthe samples. 
ORGANOHALOGEN COMPOUNDS 
Vol. 52 (2001) 163 
HUMAT^ EXPOSURE I 
Anon. (2000) Opinion of the Scientific Committe on Food (SCF) on the risk Assesment of 
dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in food, Directorate-General Heahh and ConsumerPiotection, 
European Commission, Bmssels, Belgium. 
Freijer J.I., Hoogerbrugge R., Klaveren J.D., Traag W.A. and Liem /^K.D. (2001) Dioxins and 
dioxin-like PCBs in foodstuffs: Levels and dietary intake in The Netherlands at the end of the 
20th century. RIVM-report 639102022. 
De Boer, J., C.J.N. Stronck, W.A. Traag and J. van de Meer. (1993) Chemosphere 26, 1823. 
Van den Berg M., Birnbaum L., Bosveld A.T.C, Brunstrom B., Cook P., Feeley M., Giesy J.P, 
Hanberg A., Hasegawa R., Kennedy S.W., Kubiak T., Larsen J.C, van Leeuwen F.X.R., Liem 
A.K.D., Nolt C, Peterson R.E., Poellinger L., Safe S., Schrenk D., Tillitt D., Tysklind M., 
Younes M., Waem F, and Zacharewski T. (1998) Environ. Health Perspect., 106, 775. 
ORGANOHALOGEN COMPOUNDS 
Vol. 52 (2001) 164 


Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD), dibenzofurans (PCDF) and biphenyls (PCBs) in Dutch fishery products

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