Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin, polychlorinated dibenzofurans and polychlorinated biphenyls in farmed fish, water, sediment, and feed

Abstract

This investigation was undertaken to determine the levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dizenzofurans (PCDFs), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in farmed grouper tissues and environmental medium samples, including sediment, water, and feed. The water concentrations of DL-PCBs were low at 4.33–7.63 pg/L, and those of PCDD/Fs were 0.399–0.794 pg/L. The concentrations of PCDD/Fs in sediment samples were 21.4–35.3 pg/g, and those of PCBs were 54.7–100 pg/g. To identify changes in PCDD/Fs and PCBs levels in fish throughout growth, the tissue samples from hatchlings, 2-month, 15-month, 24-month, and 36-month-old orange spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) were analyzed. In grouper tissue samples, the total toxicity equivalent (TEQ) of the total PCBs were 0.129–0.745 pg World Health Organization- toxicity equivalent (WHO-TEQ/g) wet weight (w.w.), while total PCDD/Fs TEQ were 0.022–0.073 pg WHO-TEQ/g w.ẅ The DL-PCBs were contributed more to the TEQ than PCDD/Fs in all fish tissue samples. Both PCDD/F and DL-PCB concentrations increase as grouper age increased. Results of this study demonstrate that PCDD/Fs and PCBs accumulate in fish tissues, and diet is the main source of PCDD/Fs and PCBs accumulations.

Keywords:

• Fish
• sediment
• water
• dioxins
• PCBs

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Ted Knoy for his editorial assistance.