Risk-based consumption advice for farmed Atlantic and wild Pacific salmon contaminated with dioxins and dioxin-like compounds.
We reported recently that several organic contaminants occurred at elevated concentrations in farmed Atlantic salmon compared with concentrations of the same contaminants in wild Pacific salmon [Hites et al. Science 303: 226-229 (2004)]. We also found that polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), toxaphene, dieldrin, dioxins, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers occurred at higher concentrations in European farm-raised salmon than in farmed salmon from North and South America. Health risks (based on a quantitative cancer risk assessment) associated with consumption of farmed salmon contaminated with PCBs, toxaphene, and dieldrin were higher than risks associated with exposure to the same contaminants in wild salmon. Here we present information on cancer and noncancer health risks of exposure to dioxins in farmed and wild salmon. The analysis is based on a tolerable intake level for dioxin-like compounds established by the World Health Organization and on risk estimates for human exposure to dioxins developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Consumption of farmed salmon at relatively low frequencies results in elevated exposure to dioxins and dioxin-like compounds with commensurate elevation in estimates of health risk.
Foran
Jeffery A
JA
Midwest Center for Environmental Science and Public Policy, 1845 N. Farwell Avenue, Suite 100, Milwaukee, WI 53202, USA. jforan@mcespp.org
Carpenter
David O
DO
Hamilton
M Coreen
MC
Knuth
Barbara A
BA
Schwager
Steven J
SJ
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D017756:Aquaculture; D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D004032:Diet; D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D010140:Pacific Ocean; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D011634:Public Health; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012474:Salmon
D004147:Dioxins; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls