What is pcb in fish

Fish low in contaminants are an important part of a healthy diet. PCBs in fish and shellfish PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are highly toxic industrial compounds. What are PCBs and where do they come from? What are the health risks associated with consuming PCB-contaminated fish?

For example, some recent studies found that: Children of mothers who ate fish with large amounts of PCBs from the Great Lakes had smaller head size, reduced visual recognition and delayed muscle development.

A mother's exposure to PCBs and other chemicals was linked to slight effects on her child's birth weight, short-term memory, and learning. Older adults 49 to 86 years old who ate fish containing PCBs and other contaminants had lower scores on several measures of memory and learning. How can I reduce the risks of eating seafood contaminated with PCBs?

PCBs build up in fish and animal fat, and therefore proper cooking methods can help reduce your exposure: Before cooking, remove the skin, fat found along the back, sides and belly , internal organs, tomalley of lobster and the mustard of crabs, where toxins are likely to accumulate. Other research indicates that a diet rich in omega-3 fats may lower your risk for heart attack and stroke. Farm-raised salmon is one of the better sources of omega-3s.

There's no straight answer to whether farm-raised or wild salmon has more omega-3 fat—it depends on what they eat. Today about half of the salmon sold worldwide comes from fish farms.

Polychlorinated biphenyls PCBs are oily, synthetic chemicals that were used in electrical equipment and as additives to paint, plastics, and other products. Unfortunately, they're now found in today's farm-raised salmon.

The federal government ordered industry to stop making them in the s, but they still get freshly released into the environment from hazardous waste sites, leaks from old equipment, and incinerators. PCBs also stick to soil and sediment and can travel long distances through the air. They also "bioaccumulate" in fat, so concentrations tend to be higher in animals — like salmon and marine mammals like seals — that are further up the food chain.

High doses kill fish, and PCBs have been linked to reproductive and immunological problems in several species of wildlife. How great a risk they pose to human health is debated. But several studies that have looked for a PCB-cancer connection haven't found one. Research has shown that babies born to women exposed to high levels of PCBs are more likely to have neurological problems and developmental delays. Trim the fat, remove the skin, and fillet the fish before cooking.

Eat only the skinless fillet meat. Bake or grill fish in a way that lets the juices drain away. Throw away the cooking juices. Boil or steam crab and lobster, and discard the cooking liquid. Do not use the fat, skin, organs, juices, or the whole fish or shellfish, in soups and stews.

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