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Center for Nonlinear Studies |
Salmon from farms in northern Europe, North America, and Chile are widely available year-round at relatively low prices. We examined the competing human health risks and benefits of farmed salmon consumption. This study analyzed over two metric tons of farmed and wild salmon from around the world for PCBs, toxaphene, dieldrin, PBDEs, dioxins, and lipids. We showed that concentrations of these contaminants are significantly higher in farmed salmon than in wild. European-raised salmon had significantly greater contaminant loads than those raised in North and South America, indicating the need for further investigation into the sources of contamination. A benefit-risk analysis was conducted to compare quantitatively the cancer and noncancer risks of exposure to organic contaminants in salmon with the fatty acid-associated health benefits of salmon consumption. Consumption of farmed salmon at relatively low frequencies results in elevated exposures to contaminants, with commensurate elevation in estimates of health risk. The risk is of particular concern for young children, women of child-bearing age, pregnant women, and nursing mothers not at significant risk for sudden cardiac death but concerned with health impairments such as reduction in IQ and other cognitive and behavioral effects. Contaminant exposure can be minimized by choosing the least contaminated wild salmon or by selecting other sources of fatty acids. References: Global Assessment of Organic Contaminants in Farmed Salmon. Science, 2004 January 9, 303(5655):226-229. R.A. Hites, J.A. Foran, D.O. Carpenter, M.C. Hamilton, B.A. Knuth, and S.J. Schwager. Quantitative Analysis of the Benefits and Risks of Consuming Farmed and Wild Salmon. Journal of Nutrition, 2005, 135(11):2639-2643. J.A. Foran, D.H. Good, D.O. Carpenter, M.C. Hamilton, B.A. Knuth, and S.J. Schwager.
Host: Gerardo Chowell-Puente