Temporal trends of PCDD, PCDF and PCB levels in muscle meat of herring from different fishing grounds of the Baltic Sea and actual data of different fish species from the Western Baltic Sea.

To study the time trend of PCDD, PCDF and dl-PCB levels in the muscle of herring from the Western Baltic Sea, samples were collected in 2006 at the same fishing locations as in 1999. The results demonstrated no obvious change in contamination levels based on content in fat during the last 7 years. The site-dependent increase in WHO-PCDD/F-PCB-TEQ concentrations already found in 1999 in fishing grounds between the Skagerrak and the east of Bornholm could be confirmed by this study. In addition, an overview is given in this study on the actual WHO-TEQ concentrations in cod, eel, herring, sprat and some salmon landed at various fishing ports along the coast of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania/Germany. All herring samples were found to be below the maximum levels and the concentrations in cod were below 1 ng WHO-TEQ kg(-1) wet weight (ww). The contaminant levels of 28 pooled eel samples varied considerably between 1.35 and 16.75 ng WHO-TEQ kg(-1) ww. The results are discussed in relation to the fat content and to the weight of the eels.