Determination of Dioxin and Dioxin-Like Polychlorinated Biphenyl Concentrations in Inci Kefali (Alburnus tarichi, Güldenstädt, 1814) and Their Evaluation in Terms of Public Health

In this study, a total of 30 İnci Kefali (Alburnus tarichi Güldenstädt, 1814) specimens were collected from ten different local fishers in Van Province and analyzed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs), dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs), and indicator PCBs (ICES-6: PCB28, PCB52, PCB101, PCB138, PCB153, PCB180) using APGC-MS/MS. The mean concentration of PCDD/Fs in the analyzed samples was determined as 0.056 ± 0.008 pg WHO-TEQ/g wet weight, while the total PCDD/F + dl-PCB concentration was 0.220 ± 0.019 pg WHO-TEQ/g wet weight. The total concentration of indicator PCBs (ICES-6) was measured as 0.135 ± 0.01 ng/g wet weight. When compared with the maximum permissible limits set by the European Commission (Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915) and the Turkish Food Codex, the detected PCDD/F + dl-PCB levels correspond to only 3.4% of the legal limit. Similarly, the ICES-6 concentration represents approximately 0.2% of the maximum residue limits defined in the relevant regulations. Additionally, the estimated TDI (tolerable daily intake) and TWI (tolerable weekly intake) values were calculated as 0.01486 pg TEQ/kg/day and 0.104 pg TEQ/kg/week, respectively. These values are significantly below the limits recommended by EFSA (2018), which are 0.29 pg TEQ/kg/day for TDI and 2 pg TEQ/kg/week for TWI. The findings indicate that the levels of PCDD/F and dlPCBs, as persistent organic pollutants, in Alburnus tarichi pose no significant risk to public health and remain within safe limits.