Cancer-Causin PCBs Found in Fat-Rich Fish

PCBs can still be found in fatty fish despite years of this agent being banned. Scientists have taken a closer look at PCB-153 and have found that it's positively associated to the risk of suffering from cancer in males and that it can still be found in fat-rich food.

In this latest study, the researchers analyzed whether the exposure to certain chemical pollutants could be related to the risk of cancer. Scientists analyzed the accumulated levels of certain pollutants in the body fat of 368 adult men and women living in the province of Granada over a period of nine years.

"Towards the end of this period we found that among men the accumulated exposure to a pollutant called PCB-153 was positively associated to the risk of suffering from cancer," said Juan Pedro Arrebola, one of the researchers, in a news release. "PCB-153 belongs in a group of chemical components called Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), which were profusely used in several types of industrial equipment, such as electric transformers, industrial condensers, hydraulic systems, sealing agents in construction, pesticides and even as components in plastic materials."

In spite of the fact that the use of PCBs was banned in Spain during the 1980s, these agents are still present in the environment and in most people, give its high resistance to degradation and also due to the use of obsolete equipment.

"We believe that fat food is the main source of exposure to PCBs among the general population, and consequently high levels of PCBs could be, in part, the result of a fat-rich diet," said Arrebola.

The findings reveal a bit more about how PCBs can impact individuals. More specifically, it shows that these contaminants are still in the environment and can influence people today.

The findings are published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.

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