Flesh residue concentrations of organochlorine pesticides in farmed and wild salmon from British Columbia, Canada

The present study reports measured levels of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in commercial salmon feed (n = 8) and farmed Atlantic, coho, and chinook salmon (n = 110), as well as wild coho, chinook, chum, sockeye, and pink salmon (n = 91). Flesh residue concentrations (ng/g wet weight) of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), chlordanes, chlorobenzenes (CBz) and cyclodiene pesticides (e.g., dieldrin, mirex) were 2 to 11 times higher (p 105). Surprisingly, less hydrophobic pesticides such as hexachlorocyclohexanes and endosulfans (KOWs 5). This is contrary to previous laboratory and field observations demonstrating fish BMFs less than 1 for low KOW chemicals, because of efficient respiratory elimination of those compounds via gills. The results suggest that ambient seawater concentrations and bioconcentration‐driven accumulation may play a key role in the bioaccumulation of these relatively more water‐soluble contaminants in farmed salmon. Finally, OCP exposure through consumption of British Columbian salmon is found to be low relative to United States national average per capita total exposure levels and provisional tolerable daily intakes. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2011;30:2456–2464. © 2011 SETAC