Balancing the risk of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and the benefit of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n-3 variety for French fish consumers in western coastal areas.
A study of 401 fish-eating adults living in a coastal region of France was undertaken to establish exposure to dioxins/polychlorinated biphenyls and the intake of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n-3 variety. Fish consumption was estimated using food frequency diaries and the dioxin/polychlorinated biphenyl data collected by the French control authorities was used to calculate dietary exposure. The results showed that for a group of adult subjects selected because of their consumption of fish, 60% achieved the nutritional recommendation for long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and 79% were exposed to total dioxins below the toxicological threshold of 14 pg kg(-1) body weight week(-1). Nevertheless, only 41% of these subjects had an optimal balance between the risk and benefit of eating fish, because 19% were meeting the nutritional recommendation but exceeding the toxicological threshold, whereas 38% were exposed below the toxicological threshold but failed to reach the recommended intake of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Similar results were found regarding the balance between long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and polychlorinated biphenyls even if a toxicological threshold was not established for these compounds. The results show that meeting the nutritional requirements of 0.5 mg day(-1) of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is compatible with respect to toxicological thresholds, while an intake higher than 1.5 g day(-1) is likely to lead to a dietary exposure above the provisional tolerable weekly intake for dioxins.
Verger
P
P
INRA-Met@risk. verger@agroparistech.fr
Khalfi
N
N
Roy
C
C
Blanchemanche
S
S
Marette
S
S
Roosen
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000032:analysis*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D017747:Seafood / Q000032:analysis
D004147:Dioxins; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls