Abstract: This study analyzed and evaluated seven residual polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in three commercial fish species in Ningbo, including large yellow croaker, ribbon fish and Scomberomorus commerson. We examined the characteristics of PCBs contaminants in different tissues of fish and conducted risk assessment for human health. The results showed that the residual concentrations of PCBs in three fish species were in the decreasing order of large yellow croaker (3.82 ± 1.20) μg/kg > ribbon fish (2.00 ± 1.32) μg/kg > S. commerson (1.36 ± 0.40) μg/kg. Among all the PCBs tested, the concentration of PCB52 in ribbon fish was the highest, which was (0.78 ± 0.07) μg/kg, while for large yellow croaker and Scomberomorus commerson, the most dominant PBC contaminants were PCB153, at levels of (0.33 ± 0.09) and (1.59 ± 0.10) μg/kg, respectively. For all three fish species, the average concentration of residual PCBs tested in different tissues followed the decreasing order of skin (3.87 μg/kg) > sexual gland (2.57 μg/kg) > liver (2.53 μg/kg) > gill (1.95 μg/kg) > muscle (1.57 μg/kg). However, according to the National Food Safety Standard GB 2762-2012, the residue levels of PCBs in three fish were all within an acceptable range.

Key words: fish, polychlorinated biphenyls, residue, risk assessment