title: PCB and organochlorine pesticide concentrations in eel increase after frying.
abstract: In several countries such as the Netherlands, consumption of eel from polluted waters is not allowed because the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) exceed official tolerance limits. Few experiments have been carried out to assess if pre-treatment, such as cooking and frying would alter the PCB concentrations and maybe bring them under the tolerance limits. We have carried out a frying and cooking experiment, which has shown that the concentrations of PCBs and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) increase in eel after frying. The effect of boiling is negligible. This shows that preparation methods for eel as food product do not help in bringing PCB and OCP concentrations down to safe values.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Studies, VU University, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands. jacob.de.boer@vu.nl
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Boer
authors.forename: Nienke
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lammertse
authors.forename: Jacco
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koekkoek
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van Hattum
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003296:Cooking; D004524:Eels / Q000378:metabolism*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D009426:Netherlands; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010575:Pesticides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls