Assessment of the risk of fish consumers being exposed to pollutions’ harmful effect

The most typical pollutants which occur in fish:

• Organochlorine pesticides
• Polychlorinated biphenyls – PCB
• Toxic metals – Cd, Pb, Hg
• Dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls – dl-PCB
• Histamine
• PAH in fish products

Dioxins +dl-PCB – organic pollutants most characteristic of fish.

In what situations can we be exposed to dioxins:

• By breathing polluted air – dioxins get into the blood circulation system through lungs
• With food (up to 90%) intake – dioxins get into the blood circulation system through intestines
• Through skin contact with material polluted with dioxins

Later, they mainly accumulate in fat.

Dioxins are removed from the body mainly with faeces or, in a much smaller amounts, with urine and milk in lactating mothers.

The toxicity of dioxins depends on:

• the amount of intake and time of exposure to dioxins,
• the sort of contact with dioxins (through skin form the soil, through respiratory system, from food),
• interactions with other pollutants,
• age, sex, lifestyle,
• health condition.

The indicator of consumer’s exposure to pollutants – PTWI – permitted tolerable weekly intake  – a toxic element or compound from any source without adverse effects on health.

The amount of chosen fish species and fish products we can consume per week, not to exceed the mercury and dioxins PTWI.