February 2011
Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Concentrations in Shrimp from Major Import Markets
Our Challenge
- ChemRisk was interested in evaluating dietary intake of PCBs since an estimated four million tons of shrimp are consumed annually worldwide.
- As a result of the Deepwater Horizon explosion in 2010, and subsequent fishing bans in the Gulf of Mexico, shrimp imports to the U.S. increased. FDA inspects less than 2% of those imports.
Our Approach
- We assessed levels of PCBs in wild-caught and farm-raised shrimp imported into the U.S. from 13 major shrimp exporting countries in North America, South America, and Asia.
- All 209 PCB congeners were quantified, congener patters were identified, PCB dietary intakes associated with shrimp consumption were estimated, and, where possible, results were compared to those from other studies.
Our Findings
- Total PCB and dioxin-like PCB (DL-PCB) levels were not significantly different between wild-caught and farm-raised shrimp, and total PCB levels did not vary significantly among the countries of origin.
- A regional trend in concentrations of both total PCBs and DL-PCBs was observed: North America > Asia > South America.
- Estimated daily intakes of PCBs associated with shrimp consumption were approximately 2 pg/kg-d, which is below the levels thought to be associated with health risks.