Human health significance of organochlorine and mercury contaminants in Japanese whale meat

The concentrations of total mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorine pesticides (SigmaDDT, dieldrin, hexachlorobenzene HCB], and SigmaHCH) were determined in 61 whale meat products (bacon, blubber, red meat, liver, intestine, and tongue) purchased from retail outlets across Japan. Mean (range) concentrations of contaminants in all samples were: total mercury 4.17 (0.01-204); SigmaPCB 1.14 (0-8.94); SigmaDDT 0.98 (0-7.46); dieldrin 0.07 (0-0.35); HCB 0.06 (0-0.22); and SigmaHCH 0.07 (0-0.19) micro g/g (wet weight). The data were used to calculate estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of contaminants at two hypothetical levels of whale meat consumption. These EDIs were compared with FAO/WHO "tolerable daily intake" (TDI) values for each chemical. EDIs calculated for higher levels of whale meat consumption were in some cases exceptionally high and for many products exceeded FAO/ WHO-TDIs for total mercury, PCBs, and dieldrin, with exceedance factor values (EDI/TDI) for total mercury, PCBs, and dieldrin reaching maxima of 175, 5.36, and 2.1, respectively. For sensitive consumers and those with high-level consumption (e.g., whaling communities), exposure to mercury and to a lesser extent PCBs from certain whale blubber and bacon and striped dolphin liver products could lead to chronic health effects. The Japanese community should therefore exercise a precautionary approach to the consumption of such foods in excess, particularly by high-risk members of the population.