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Chemical tracers in Northwest Atlantic dogfish

Published by Northwest Fisheries Science Center | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: December 20, 2025 | Last Modified: 2017-01-04T00:00:00.000+00:00
Each year, a number of seafood samples are exported from the US to Europe, including edible tissues collected from high trophic level marine fish species such as dogfish. Obtaining information on concentrations of potentially toxic environmental contaminants [e.g., polychlorinated biphenyls, mercury] in these samples is important to ensure that these export products are safe for human consumption. As part of a pilot study, edible tissues (back and belly muscle) of spiny and smooth dogfish collected during fleet study and dockside surveillance operations in the Northeast Region of the US were analyzed at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center for a suite of persistent organic pollutants including PCBs, DDTs and other chlorinated pesticides to determine the influence of biological factors (e.g., length, sex) and geographical collection region on contaminant levels. Persistent organic pollutants, stable isotopes, and lipids in smooth and spiny dogfish from the northwestern Atlantic.

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