A human health risk assessment for ingestion of contaminated fish from the Siberian Arctic.

摘要

Consumption of chemically contaminated fish is a primary health concern for people in remote areas of the Siberian Arctic who depend on fish caught locally as a major source of food. In this study, edible tissue samples from several different species of fish were collected in six separate areas of the Siberian Arctic. Tissue samples were analyzed for chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), trace metals, and radionuclides. Concentrations of pesticides, PCBs, and PAHs were elevated in selected tissue samples in all areas sampled. The highest contaminant levels were detected in fish samples collected from the Yenisey River Area. Elevated levels of total DDTS (0.1514 mg/kg), chlordane (0.01447 ms/ks), hexachlorobenzene (0.00971 mg/kg), heptachlor epoxide (0.0021 mg/kg), aldrin (0.00213 mg/kg), dieldrin (0.00318 mg/kg), and benzo(a) pyrene (0.00938 mg/kg) contributed the highest estimated carcinogenic risk to the Yenisey River Area. "Worst case" exposure assumptions for all of the areas where fish were collected yielded estimated cumulative lifetime cancer risks (LCRs) ranging from 8.61E-05 (86.1 excess cancers/1 million people) for Area 3 to 6.57E-04 (657 excess cancers/1 million people) for Area 6. In all areas studied, the estimated LCR associated with the ingestion of contaminated fish exceeded 1.0E-06. On average, chlorinated pesticides accounted for 89.6% of the total estimated risk, while PAHs contributed an average of 10.4% of the total risk estimated in the areas studied. Trace metals, radionuclides, and PCBs did not appear to contribute significantly to the carcinogenic risk in any of the areas studied. This research identifies areas of the Siberian Arctic that merit further study to determine possible risk to local populations due to the consumption of contaminated fish.