LEVELS OF POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS, POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS AND HEAVY METALS IN COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE DRY FISH FEED OF DIFFERENT PELLET SIZE

摘要

Fish farming technology developed towards the use of diets calibrated for each species usually containing in different amounts same additives of animal origin, mostly fish oil and dried fish powders, which give the best cost/effective growth of species. However, a major concern is related to the presence of relatively high concentrations of toxic chemicals in those marine fish ingredients, which might compromise fish health and eventually be transferred to consumers. The objective of the present study was to determine the levels of major toxic chemicals occurring in commercially available fish feeds such as organochlorine (OC) pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals and the contributionto the total toxic equivalents (ZTEQs) of mono-ortho substituted PCBs and PAHs.