title: Flesh quality of market-size farmed and wild British Columbia salmon.
abstract: This study compared the flesh quality of farmed and wild sources of British Columbia (BC) salmon with respect to concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyl compounds, polychlorinated dibenzodioxins/dibenzofurans and their associated toxic equivalents, total mercury (THg), methylmercury (MeHg), and selected fatty acids of known importance for human health viz., omega-3 (n-3) highly unsaturated fatty acids (n-3 HUFAs) and (n-6) fatty acids. Skinned fillets from known sources of farmed Atlantic, coho, and chinook salmon (n = 110) and wild coho, chinook, chum, sockeye, and pink salmon (n = 91) were examined. Atlantic salmon contained higher PCB concentrations (means, 28-38 ng/g) than farmed coho or chinook salmon, and levels in these latter species were similar to those in wild counterparts (means, 2.8-13.7 ng/g). PCB levels in Atlantic salmon flesh were, nevertheless, 53-71-fold less than the level of concern for human consumption of fish, i.e., 2000 ng/g as established by Health Canada and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (US-FDA). Similarly, THg and MeHg levels in all samples were well below the Health Canada guideline (0.5 microg/g) and the US-FDA action level (1.0 microg/g). On average, THg in farmed salmon (0.021 microg/g) was similar to or lower than wild salmon (0.013-0.077 microg/g). Atlantic salmon were a richer source (mean, 2.34 g/100 g fillet) of n-3 HUFAs than the other farmed and wild sources of salmon examined (means, 0.39-1.17 g/100 g). The present findings support the recommended weekly consumption guidelines for oily fish species (includes all BC salmon sources) for cardio-protective benefits as made by the American Heart Association and the UK Food Standards Agency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), Institute of Ocean Sciences, Sidney, BC, Canada. IkonomouM@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ikonomou
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Higgs
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gibbs
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oakes
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Skura
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McKinley
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Balfry
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Withler
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dubetz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000032:analysis*; D001955:British Columbia; D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D017669:Mercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D012474:Salmon / Q000378:metabolism*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D004147:Dioxins; D005227:Fatty Acids; D017669:Mercury Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls