Toxicological Review, № 4 (2015)

Within the framework of the International Project KolArctic «Food and health security in the Norwegian, Finnish and Russian border region» carried out in the Pechenga district of the Murmansk region in Autumn 2013, a selection of local foods of animal origin was performed including 9 kinds of fish from 5 lakes at different distances away from the Nickel settlement; a survey of 400 inhabitants was also carried out. Local foods (primarily fish) make a significant part of the population’s dietary. The concentration of 40 persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in foods was analyzed in a laboratory of the Scientific-Production Association «Typhoon». Levels of HCB, DDT, PCB (units mkg/kg fresh weight) in samples investigated were tenfold to hundredfold lower than corresponding MACs. Of 15 congeners investigated, five congeners #118. #99, #101, #138 and #153 prevailed in all fauna samples. For the majority of types of fish, high magnitudes of DDE/DDT ratios were found out which evidences of a longago pollution of water basins with DDT. It was noted a decrease of POPs levels in lake fishes with the increase in distance from Pechenga Nickel. The fish from the lake Kuetsyarvi into which waste water is discharged is the most polluted with POPs. Of all kinds of local fauna, salmon contains a maximum concentration of POPs and of lake fishes, it is cisco. Low levels of POPs in local foods found out in the present investigation may be considered as a small contribution to the general exposition of the Pechenga district population to harmful substances.