Levels and congener profiles of PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PBDEs in seafood from China

A nationwide investigation into polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in market seafood was conducted for the first time in this study. Total PCDD/F concentrations in fatty fish ranged from 0.13 to 8.64 pg g−1 wet weight (mean 2.05 pg g−1 wet weight), total PCB concentrations ranged from 38.9 to 3514 pg g−1 wet weight (mean 1133 pg g−1 wet weight), and total PBDE concentrations ranged from 42.8 to 913 pg g−1 wet weight (mean 322 pg g−1 wet weight). Corresponding mean toxicity equivalent (TEQ) values for total PCDD/F and dioxin-like PCB were 0.25 pg g−1 wet weight (WHO 98-TEQ) and 0.32 pg g−1 wet weight (WHO 98-TEQ), respectively. OCDD, PCB-138 and PBDE-47 were the dominant compounds according to their respective congeners. WHO 98-TEQ PCDD/PCDF/PCB for fatty fish and shell fish were 0.60 and 0.070 pg g−1 wet weight, respectively, lower than the standard set by the European Commission. The contamination levels and profiles were compared with those documented in previous publications.