Persistent organic pollutants in fish oil supplements on the canadian market: polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers.
Canadians are interested in improving their diet through the consumption of fish oil food supplements, which are marketed to be rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Convenience samples of omega-3 enriched dietary supplements (n = 30) were collected in Vancouver, Canada, between 2005 and 2007. All of the omega-3 supplements were analyzed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and, although every sample was found to contain detectable residues of PBDEs, only 24 samples were found to have PCDD/F concentrations above the level of detection. PCDD/F concentrations ranged from 0.05 pg TEQ/g lipid to 45.7 pg TEQ/g lipid in salmon and shark oils, respectively. Maximum PBDE concentrations similarly were observed in shark oil (113 microg/kg lipid), however, most supplements had concentrations below 5 microg/kg lipid. Average PCDD/F and PBDE intake estimates, based on consumption of maximum supplement dose following product label recommendations, were 4.32 pg TEQ/d and 25.1 ng/d lipid, respectively.
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Food Research Div., Bureau of Chemical Safety, Health Products and Food Branch, Health Canada. Thea_Rawn@hc-sc.gc.ca
Breakell
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Verigin
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Nicolidakis
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Feeley
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Ryan
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D000818:Animals; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000032:analysis*; D002170:Canada; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000032:analysis; D004340:Drug Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis*; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D012474:Salmon; D012754:Sharks
D001572:Benzofurans; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005395:Fish Oils; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; C033266:Menhaden oil; C023614:dibenzofuran