Associations of dietary choline and betaine with all-cause mortality: a prospective study in a large Swedish cohort.

PURPOSE: Investigate the association between choline and betaine intake and all-cause mortality in a large Swedish cohort. METHODS: Women (52,246) and men (50,485) attending the Västerbotten Intervention Programme 1990-2016 were included. Cox proportional hazard regression models adjusted for energy intake, age, BMI, smoking, education, and physical activity were used to estimate mortality risk according to betaine, total choline, phosphatidylcholine, glycerophosphocholine, phosphocholine, sphingomyelin, and free choline intakes [continuous (per 50 mg increase) and in quintiles]. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 16 years, 3088 and 4214 deaths were registered in women and men, respectively. Total choline intake was not associated with all-cause mortality in women (HR 1.01; 95% CI 0.97, 1.06; P = 0.61) or men (HR 1.01; 95% CI 0.98, 1.04; P = 0.54). Betaine intake was associated with decreased risk of all-cause mortality in women (HR 0.95; 95% CI 0.91, 0.98; P < 0.01) but not in men. Intake of free choline was negatively associated with risk of all-cause mortality in women (HR 0.98; 95% CI 0.96, 1.00; P = 0.01). No other associations were found between intake of the different choline compounds and all-cause mortality. In women aged ≥ 55 years, phosphatidylcholine intake was positively associated with all-cause mortality. In men with higher folate intake, total choline intake was positively associated with all-cause mortality. CONCLUSION: Overall, our results do not support that intake of total choline is associated with all-cause mortality. However, some associations were modified by age and with higher folate intake dependent on sex. Higher intake of betaine was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality in women.

Toward a More Climate-Sustainable Diet: Possible Deleterious Impacts on Health When Diet Quality Is Ignored.

BACKGROUND: Nutritional quality, and health and climate impacts are important considerations in the design of sustainable diets. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between diets varying in nutrient density and climate impact and MI and stroke HRs. METHODS: Dietary data of 41,194 women and 39,141 men (35-65 y) who participated in a Swedish population-based cohort study were employed. Nutrient density was calculated using the Sweden-adapted Nutrient Rich Foods 11.3 index. Dietary climate impact was calculated with data from life cycle assessments, including greenhouse gas emissions from primary production to industry gate. HRs and 95% CIs for MI and stroke were assessed with multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression, comparing a least-desirable diet scenario reference group (lower nutrient density, higher climate impact) with three diet groups that varied with respect to higher/lower nutrient density and higher/lower climate impact. RESULTS: Median follow-up time from the baseline study visit to MI or stroke diagnosis was 15.7 y for women and 12.8 y for men. The MI hazard was significantly higher for the men with diets of lower nutrient density and lower climate impact (HR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.33; P = 0.004), compared with the reference group. No significant association with MI was observed for any of the diet groups of women. No significant association with stroke was observed among any of the diet groups of women or men. CONCLUSIONS: The results among men suggest some adverse health effects for men when diet quality is not considered in the pursuit of more climate-sustainable diets. For women, no significant associations were detected. The mechanism underlying this association for men needs further investigation.

Adherence to the Swedish dietary guidelines and the impact on mortality and climate in a population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the associations between adherence to the Swedish dietary guidelines and all-cause mortality (i.e. assessing the index' ability to predict health outcomes), as well as levels of dietary greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs). DESIGN: A longitudinal study 1990-2016 within the population-based cohort Västerbotten Intervention Programme. Dietary data were based on FFQs. Diet quality was assessed by the Swedish Healthy Eating Index for Adults 2015 (SHEIA15), based on the 2015 Swedish dietary guidelines. Dietary GHGEs were estimated from life cycle assessment data including emissions from farm to industry gate. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI of all-cause mortality were evaluated with Cox proportional hazards regression, and differences in median GHGEs were tested between quintiles of SHEIA15 score using the Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA test. SETTING: Northern Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 49 124 women and 47 651 men, aged 35-65 years. RESULTS: Median follow-up times were 16·0 years for women and 14·7 years for men, during which time 3074 women and 4212 men died. A consistent trend of lower all-cause mortality HR for both sexes with higher SHEIA15 scores was demonstrated. For women, the all-cause mortality HR was 0·81 ((95 % CI 0·71, 0·92); P = 0·001) and for men 0·90 ((95 % CI 0·81, 0·996); P = 0·041) between the quintile with the highest SHEIA15 score compared with the quintile with the lowest SHEIA15 score. A consistent trend of lower estimated dietary GHGEs among both sexes with higher SHEIA15 scores was also found. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to Swedish dietary guidelines, estimated by SHEIA15, seems to promote longevity and reduce dietary climate impact.

Climate impact from diet in relation to background and sociodemographic characteristics in the Västerbotten Intervention Programme.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine climate impact from diet across background and sociodemographic characteristics in a population-based cohort in northern Sweden. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study within the Västerbotten Intervention Programme. Dietary data from a 64-item food frequency questionnaire collected during 1996-2016 were used. Energy-adjusted greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) for all participants, expressed as kg carbon dioxide equivalents/day and 4184 kJ (1000 kcal), were estimated using data from life cycle analyses. Differences in background and sociodemographic characteristics were examined between participants with low and high GHGE from diet, respectively. The variables evaluated were age, BMI, physical activity, marital status, level of education, smoking, and residence. SETTING: Västerbotten county in northern Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 46 893 women and 45 766 men aged 29-65 years. RESULTS: Differences in GHGE from diet were found across the majority of examined variables. The strongest associations were found between GHGE from diet and age, BMI, education, and residence (all P < 0·001), with the highest GHGE from diet found among women and men who were younger, had a higher BMI, higher educational level, and lived in urban areas. CONCLUSIONS: This study is one of the first to examine climate impact from diet across background and sociodemographic characteristics. The results show that climate impact from diet is associated with age, BMI, residence and educational level amongst men and women in Västerbotten, Sweden. These results define potential target populations where public health interventions addressing a move towards more climate-friendly food choices and reduced climate impact from diet could be most effective.

Dietary Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Diet Quality in a Cross-Sectional Study of Swedish Adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Interventions to improve dietary intake and reduce dietary greenhouse gas emissions (dGHGE) are urgently needed. Adolescence presents a unique time in life to promote sustainable diets. Detailed dietary data are needed to inform public health strategies aiming at improving adolescents' diet quality and reducing dGHGE. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe dGHGE in Swedish adolescents' diets by socio-demographic characteristics, evaluate how food groups contribute to dGHGE, and examine dGHGE in relation to diet quality. METHODS: Data come from the national, school-based, cross-sectional dietary survey Riksmaten Adolescents 2016-17 of 3099 females and males attending school grades 5 (11-12 y old), 8 (14-15 y old) and 11 (17-18 y old). Participants completed 2 web-based 24-h recalls and questionnaires on lifestyle factors. dGHGE was estimated based on life cycle assessment data. Diet quality was estimated using NRF11.3 (Nutrient Rich Food Index) and SHEIA15 (Swedish Healthy Eating Index for Adolescents 2015). RESULTS: dGHGE were higher in males than females (medians 4.2 versus 3.8 kg CO2e/10 MJ, P < 0.001). In females, dGHGE were highest in grade 5 (4.0 kg CO2e/10MJ), whereas in males, emissions were highest in grade 11 (4.4 kg CO2e/10MJ), P < 0.001 for the sex/grade interaction. Overweight/obesity was positively associated with CO2e/10MJ, but parental education, birthplace, and degree of urbanization were not. In females, the proportion of dGHGE from animal-based foods was lowest in grade 11, whereas the proportions from plant-based foods and sweet foods/beverages were highest. In males, these proportions were similar across grades. NRF11.3 was not associated with CO2e/10MJ, whereas healthier eating, according to SHEIA15, was inversely associated with CO2e/10MJ. CONCLUSIONS: Food choices and dGHGE per calorie differ by sex in adolescents. Thus, intervention strategies to improve dietary sustainability need to be tailored differently to females and males. Diet quality should also be considered when promoting reduced GHGE diets.

Diets benefiting health and climate relate to longevity in northern Sweden.

BACKGROUND: Diets combining adequate nutritional quality and low climate impact are highly needed for human and planet health. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to 1) evaluate nutrient density indexes' ability to predict mortality, and 2) assess the effects of diets varying in nutrient density and climate impact on total mortality. METHODS: Dietary data from 49,124 women and 47,651 men aged 35-65 y in the population-based prospective study Västerbotten Intervention Programme (Sweden) were used. Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) were estimated using data from life cycle assessments. Fifteen variants of nutrient density indexes were evaluated and the index that best predicted mortality was used to estimate participants' nutrient density. GHGEs and nutrient density were adjusted for energy intakes. Total mortality risk was estimated by Cox proportional hazards models for 4 groups of women and men, respectively, i.e., higher nutrient density, lower climate impact (HNutr/LClim); higher nutrient density, higher climate impact (HNutr/HClim); lower nutrient density, lower climate impact (LNutr/LClim); and lower nutrient density, higher climate impact (LNutr/HClim-reference group). RESULTS: NRF11.3, a Sweden-adapted variant of the Nutrient Rich Foods index, was identified to have the best ability to predict mortality in the study population. Median follow-up times for women and men were 16.0 and 14.7 y, respectively. For women a significantly lower mortality risk was found for HNutr/LClim (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.79, 0.96; P = 0.008) and HNutr/HClim (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.78, 0.97; P = 0.011) than for LNutr/HClim. Among men LNutr/LClim had a significantly higher mortality risk (HR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.21; P = 0.033) than LNutr/HClim. CONCLUSIONS: Diets beneficial for both health and climate are feasible and associated with lower mortality risk in women. Further studies are needed to understand how men may transition into diets that are more sustainable from a combined health and climate perspective.

Changes in dietary carbon footprint over ten years relative to individual characteristics and food intake in the Västerbotten Intervention Programme.

The objective was to examine 10-year changes in dietary carbon footprint relative to individual characteristics and food intake in the unique longitudinal Västerbotten Intervention Programme, Sweden. Here, 14 591 women and 13 347 men had been followed over time. Food intake was assessed via multiple two study visits 1996-2016, using a 64-item food frequency questionnaire. Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) related to food intake, expressed as kg carbon dioxide equivalents/1000 kcal and day, were estimated. Participants were classified into GHGE quintiles within sex and 10-year age group strata at both visits. Women and men changing from lowest to highest GHGE quintile exhibited highest body mass index within their quintiles at first visit, and the largest increase in intake of meat, minced meat, chicken, fish and butter and the largest decrease in intake of potatoes, rice and pasta. Women and men changing from highest to lowest GHGE quintile exhibited basically lowest rates of university degree and marriage and highest rates of smoking within their quintiles at first visit. Among these, both sexes reported the largest decrease in intake of meat, minced meat and milk, and the largest increase in intake of snacks and, for women, sweets. More research is needed on how to motivate dietary modifications to reduce climate impact and support public health.

Dioxins and PCBs in Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) from the North-East Atlantic.

The Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) is a high-trophic fish species present in Arctic waters. The present study aimed to determine concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDDs/Fs), dioxin-like (DL) PCBs and six non-dioxin-like (NDL) PCBs in muscle and liver from 10 female Greenland sharks collected between 2001 and 2003 from Icelandic waters. The mean total concentrations of PCDDs/Fs were 13 and 530pg/g fat for muscle and liver, respectively, and show enrichment in the liver. Concentrations of DL-non-ortho PCBs were also higher in liver compared to muscle with mean concentrations of 7.8 and 0.36ng/g fat, respectively. No enrichment in the liver was found for DL-mono-ortho- and NDL-PCBs. No correlation was found between the size range studied and total concentrations of the compounds analyzed. Total WHO-TEQs (PCDDs/Fs and DL-PCBs) ranged between 7.1-70 and 54-1500pg/g fat in muscle and liver, respectively.

Chlorinated paraffins leaking from hand blenders can lead to significant human exposures.

BACKGROUND: Chlorinated paraffins (CPs, polychlorinated n-alkanes) are versatile, high-production-volume chemicals. A previous study indicated that hand blenders leak CPs into prepared food. OBJECTIVES: (1) to estimate exposure to CPs from hand blender use compared to background CP exposure from diet; (2) to assess the risk from human dietary exposure to CPs from hand blender use; (3) to investigate how hand blenders leak out CPs. METHODS: CPs were analyzed in food market baskets, in cooking oil/water samples (1g oil/100mL water) mixed using 16 different hand blenders, and in dismantled components of the hand blenders. RESULTS: Dietary intake of CPs from food market baskets was calculated to be 4.6µg/day per capita for Swedish adults. Total CP amounts in oil/water leakage samples ranged from <0.09 to 120µg using the hand blenders once. CP leakage showed no decreasing levels after 20 times of hand blender usage. CP profiles in the leakage samples matched those of self-lubricating bearings and/or polymer components disassembled from the hand blenders. CONCLUSIONS: Usage of 75% of the hand blenders tested will lead to increased human exposure to CPs. The intake of CPs for Swedish adults by using hand blenders once a day can raise their daily dietary intake by a factor of up to 26. The 95th percentile intake of CPs via using the hand blenders once a day exceeded the TDI for Swedish infants with a body weight <7.2kg. CP leakage came from blender components which contain CPs. The leakage may last several hundred times of hand blender use.

Spatial distribution and bioaccumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in snails (Bellamya aeruginosa) and sediments from Taihu Lake area, China.

Taihu Lake area is one of the densest metropolitan areas in the world including diverse industrial activity. In the present study, the snail (Bellamya aeruginosa) and sediment were collected from the Taihu Lake area to investigate the contamination status, congener pattern, spatial distribution, and bioaccumulation effect of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The samples underwent liquid extraction, lipid removal by sulfuric acid, and acidic silica gel column, and subsequently analyzed by gas chromatography-electron capture detector (GC-ECD) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Concentration of ∑22PCBs ranged between 90 and 680 ng g-1 lipid weight in the snails and between 0.018 and 0.82 ng g-1 dry weight in the sediments. Concentration of ∑24PBDEs varied from 25 to 200 ng g-1 lipid weight in the snails and from 0.62 to 67 ng g-1 dry weight in the sediments. The levels of PCBs and PBDEs observed were in the medium to low range compared with other studies in the world. CB-153 was the predominant PCB congener in both snails and sediments whereas BDE-209 showed a low bioavailability in the snails, even if it contributed up to 70% of ∑24PBDEs in the sediments. The spatial distribution showed that the highest concentration of PCBs and PBDEs were detected in samples from Zhushan Lake. East Taihu Lake and Dianshan Lake showed lower concentration of PCBs and PBDEs than the other sampling sites. Biota-sediment accumulation was found between snails and sediments of most of PCB and PBDE congeners except for the highly brominated BDEs (i.e., BDE-209). Therefore, sediment is suggested to be an appropriate matrix to monitor BDE-209 while aquatic species such as the snail could be good for monitoring of PCBs and lower brominated BDE congeners. No significant correlation (Spearman correlation test, two-tailed) of CB-153 (r = 0.54, p = 0.27) or BDE-47 (r = 0.60, p = 0.21) was found between snails and sediments.

A retrospective study of PBDEs and PCBs in human milk from the Faroe Islands.

BACKGROUND: Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in wildlife and humans remain a cause of global concern, both in regard to traditional POPs, such as the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and emerging POPs, such as the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). To determine the time related concentrations, we analyzed human milk for these substances at three time points between 1987 and 1999. Polychlorobiphenylols (OH-PCBs), the dominating class of PCB metabolites, some of which are known to be strongly retained in human blood, were also included in the assessment. METHODS: We obtained milk from the Faroe Islands, where the population is exposed to POPs from their traditional diet (which may include pilot whale blubber). In addition to three pools, nine individual samples from the last time point were also analyzed. After cleanup, partitioning of neutral and acidic compounds, and separation of chemical classes, the analyses were carried out by gas chromatography and/or gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Compared to other European populations, the human milk had high PCB concentrations, with pool concentrations of 2300 ng/g fat 1987, 1600 ng/g fat in 1994, and 1800 ng/g fat in 1999 (based on the sum of eleven major PCB congeners). The nine individual samples showed great variation in PCB concentrations. The OH-PCBs were present in trace amounts only, at levels of approximately 1% of the PCB concentrations. The PBDE concentrations showed a clear increase over time, and their concentrations in human milk from 1999 are among the highest reported so far from Europe, with results of individual samples ranging from 4.7 to 13 ng/g fat CONCLUSION: Although remote from pollution sources, the Faroe Islands show high concentrations of POPs in human milk, particularly PCBs, but also PBDEs. The PBDEs show increasing concentrations over time. The OH-PCB metabolites are poorly transferred to human milk, which likely is related to their acidic character.

Effects of benthos, temperature, and dose on the fate of hexabromocyclododecane in experimental coastal ecosystems.

The authors studied the fate of the brominated flame retardant hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) added in a particulate suspension to experimental ecosystems assembled from brackish (Baltic Sea) coastal bays. Two experiments examined how benthic macrofauna (over 21 d) and increased temperature (14 d) affected HBCDD concentrations and fractionation of α, ß, and γ diastereomers in the water, sediment, and biota. A third experiment run over 3 seasons (231 d), studied the effect of HBCDD dose on the same endpoints. In all treatments of the 3 experiments, HBCDD partitioned mainly to the sediment, and this proportion increased with time. Presence of macrofauna tended to increase the HBCDD concentration in the sediment and decreased its concentration in the water. Increased temperature (+ 5°C) decreased the amount of HBCDD in sediment and water but not in the filter- and deposit-feeding infaunal bivalves (Macoma balthica). The partitioning between water, sediment, and biota was not concentration dependent. In all treatments, sediment became enriched in γ-HBCDD, M. balthica in α-HBCDD, and water in α- and ß-HBCDD. Bioaccumulation of HBCDD in M. balthica was high in all experiments (log biota-sediment accumulation factor [BSAF] > 1.25), the α diastereomer contributing the most (log BSAF 2.1-5.2). There is a risk of trophic transfer of HBCDD from benthic to pelagic food webs, as well as secondary poisoning of marine consumers.

Hydroxyl metabolite of PCB 180 induces DNA damage signaling and enhances the DNA damaging effect of benzo[a]pyrene.

Non-dioxin-like (NDL) polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and their hydroxyl metabolites (OH-PCBs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants in human tissues and blood. The toxicological impact of these metabolites is poorly understood. In this study rats were exposed to ultrapure PCB180 (10-1000mg/kgbw) for 28days and induction of genotoxic stress in liver was investigated. DNA damage signaling proteins (pChk1Ser317 and γH2AXSer319) were increased dose dependently in female rats. This increase was paralleled by increasing levels of the metabolite 3'-OH-PCB180. pChk1 was the most sensitive marker. In in vitro studies HepG2 cells were exposed to 1µM of PCB180 and 3'-OH-PCB180 or the positive control benzo[a]pyrene (BaP, 5µM). 3'-OH-PCB180, but not PCB180, induced CYP1A1 mRNA and γH2AX. CYP1A1 mRNA induction was seen at 1h, and γH2AX at 3h. The anti-oxidant N-Acetyl-l-Cysteine (NAC) completely prevented, and 17ß-estradiol amplified the γH2AX induction by 3'-OH-PCB180. As 3'-OH-PCB180 induced CYP1A1, a major BaP-metabolizing and activating enzyme, interactions between 3'-OH-PCB180 and BaP was also studied. The metabolite amplified the DNA damage signaling response to BaP. In conclusion, metabolism of PCB180 to its hydroxyl metabolite and the subsequent induction of CYP1A1 seem important for DNA damage induced by PCB180 in vivo. Amplification of the response with estradiol may explain why DNA damage was only seen in female rats.

Brominated flame retardant exposure of aircraft personnel.

The use of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in aircraft is the result of high fire safety demands. Personnel working in or with aircraft might therefore be exposed to several BFRs. Previous studies have reported PBDE exposure in flight attendants and in passengers. One other group that may be subjected to significant BFR exposure via inhalation, are the aircraft maintenance workers. Personnel exposure both during flights and maintenance of aircraft, are investigated in the present study. Several BFRs were present in air and dust sampled during both the exposure scenarios; PBDEs, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD), decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) and 1,2-bis (2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane. PBDEs were also analyzed in serum from pilots/cabin crew, maintenance workers and from a control group of individuals without any occupational aircraft exposure. Significantly higher concentrations of PBDEs were found in maintenance workers compared to pilots/cabin crew and control subjects with median total PBDE concentrations of 19, 6.8 and 6.6 pmol g(-1) lipids, respectively. Pilots and cabin crew had similar concentrations of most PBDEs as the control group, except for BDE-153 and BDE-154 which were significantly higher. Results indicate higher concentrations among some of the pilots compared to the cabin crew. It is however, evident that the cabin personnel have lower BFR exposures compared to maintenance workers that are exposed to such a degree that their blood levels are significantly different from the control group.

Brominated and chlorinated flame retardants in liver of Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus).

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are known brominated flame retardants that have now been banned or phased out in many parts of the world. As a consequence, interest in the environmental occurrence of non-PBDE flame retardants has increased. In the present study several potential PBDE replacement products together with short chained chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) were assessed in Greenland sharks accidentally caught in waters around Iceland between 2001 and 2003. Non-PBDE flame retardants detected were pentabromoethylbenzene (PBEB), 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane (BTBPE) and 2,3,5,6-tetrabromo-p-xylene (TBX). The concentrations were lower than levels of BDE-47 but similar to other PBDE congeners previously reported in Greenland shark. The median concentrations of SCCPs was 430 ng g(-1) fat, similar to individual PCB congeners previously reported. This is the first report of SCCPs, BTBPE, PBEB and TBX in any shark species globally and confirms the usefulness of the Greenland shark as a screening species for environmental contamination in the Arctic and sub-Arctic environment.

Chlorinated and brominated organic contaminants in fish from Shanghai markets: a case study of human exposure.

In the present study were two favorite edible fish species for local residents, i.e., mandarin fish and crawfish, collected from the Shanghai market and analyzed for selected organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and methoxylated PBDEs (MeO-PBDEs). Efforts were also made to identify the potential sources of these contaminants. Comparable concentrations of hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) and HBCDD were found in muscle tissue of mandarin fish from Guangdong (GDF), the Pearl River Delta and from Taihu Lake (TLF), the Yangtze River Delta. Levels of chlordanes, PCBs and PBDEs were about one magnitude lower in TLF compared to GDF. The concentrations of OCPs in the butter-like gland of the crawfish (CFB) were 2-5 times of those in the crawfish muscle (CFM) while concentrations of PCBs, PBDEs and MeO-PBDEs were comparable. The different patterns and levels of chlorinated and brominated organohalogen contaminants seen in mandarin fish from GDF and TLF indicates that different types of chemicals might be used in the two delta regions. The present study also shows a good correlation between the concentrations of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and pentachloroanisol (PCA) in fish for the first time. Fish consumption limits based on chemical contaminants with non-carcinogenic effects were calculated. The estimated maximum daily consumption limit for GDF, TLF, CFM and CFB were 1.5, 2.6, 3.7 and 0.08 kg, respectively, indicating no significant risk regarding the persistent organic pollutants measured in the present study.

Neutral and phenolic brominated organic compounds of natural and anthropogenic origin in northeast Atlantic Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus).

In the present study, muscle and liver tissue from 10 female Greenland sharks (Somniosus microcephalus) collected in Icelandic waters were analyzed for neutral and phenolic brominated organic compounds, including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and the structurally related methoxylated (MeO) and hydroxylated (OH) PBDEs. Hydroxylated PBDEs exist both as natural products and as metabolites of the anthropogenic PBDEs, whereas MeO-PBDEs appear to exclusively be of natural origin. Other compounds examined were 2',6-dimethoxy-2,3',4,5'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (2',6-diMeO-BDE68), 2,2'-dimethoxy-3,3',5,5'-tetrabromobiphenyl (2,2'-diMeO-BB80), 2,4,6-tribromoanisol (2,4,6-TBA) and 2,4,6-tribromophenol, all of natural origin, although 2,4,6-TBA and its phenolic counterpart may also be of anthropogenic origin. The major brominated organic compound was 6-MeO-BDE47, and ΣMeO-PBDE ranged from 49 to 210 ng/g fat in muscle and from 55 to 200 ng/g fat in liver tissue. Total concentrations of PBDEs were lower than ΣMeO-PBDE, in all but one sample, ranging between 7.3 to 190 and 9.9 to 200 ng/g fat in muscle and liver, respectively, and major congeners were BDE-47, BDE-99, and BDE-100. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers were analyzed using both high- and low-resolution mass spectrometry (MS) as a quality assurance, and the results from this comparison were acceptable. In accordance with previous work on Greenland sharks, no size/age-related accumulation was observed. Differences seen in concentrations were instead assumed to be a reflection of different feeding habits among the individuals. Phenolic compounds were only formed/retained in trace amounts in the Greenland shark. Among the phenolic compounds studied were 6-OH-BDE47, 2'-OH-BDE68, and 2,4,6-tribromophenol, all detected in liver and the latter two in muscle.