Fish as a risk source for human health: OCPs and PCBs in Pacific salmon

Abstract The genus Oncorhynchus includes such Pacific salmon species as the chum (O. keta), pink (O. gorbuscha), sockeye (O. nerka), Chinook (O. tshawytscha), coho (O. kisutch), and masu salmon (O. masou). Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are a hazardous group of persistent xenobiotic substances that concentrate in live organisms. In our previous works, we showed Pacific salmon to be suitable indicators for monitoring POPs in the world's oceans. The present work aimed to assess the safe intake of organs of commercially valuable Pacific salmon species caught from 2012 to 2018 using risk values for hazard quotient (HQ) and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR). The DDT and HCH concentrations in the Pacific salmon caught in 2012–2014 exceeded the standards of Russia, Canada, China, the EU, and WHO. The safe intake of salmon organs for this period varied from 2.9 to 201.6 kg/yr per capita. However, the POP levels significantly decreased by 2018, whereas the safe intake increased to 153–10,038 kg/yr. Most of the values are too high for real consumption, which indicates a minimal risk to human health from POPs in Pacific salmon. However, even if the results show no probability of poisoning or cancer development during lifetime, the chance of adverse consequences for human health should not be neglected completely. It is necessary to continue monitoring of these pollutants in commercially valuable fish and to assess their safe intake in accordance with the world's best practices.