OCCURRENCE AND POTENTIAL HEALTH RISKS OF INDICATOR POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS (PCBs) IN SELECTED MARINE FISH SPECIES, RASTRELLIGER KANAGUTRA AND SIGANUS SUTOR. A CASE OF DAR ES SALAAM

Abstract

The occurrence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in marine fish and their potential health risks was assessed in Dar es Salaam region. Six indicator PCBs were assessed in selected marine fish species, Rastrelliger kanagutra and Siganus sutor collected from the Kivukoni-Feri, the major fish market and fishermen landing site in Dar es Salaam. Fish samples were extracted using the QuEChERS method and quantified by GC-MS/MS. The concentration of detected PCBs congeners in the analysed fish species was relatively low, ranging from <LOD to 3.71 ng/gw/w in R. kanagutra and from <LOD to 0.58 ng/g w/w in S. sutor species. However, the sum of mean PCBs concentration levels was below the maximum residue limit (MRL) of 75 ngg-1w/w set by the European Commission (EC) in the muscle of fish and fishery products. Estimated lifetime cancer risks were categorised as very low in both children and adults, with indices values ranging from 1.24E-08 to 6.14E-07 for children and 5.14E-09 to 2.55E-07 for adults, while non-carcinogenic risks were insignificant as the estimated hazard indices were less than 0.1 for both children and adults.