International food trade poses food safety risks through the collateral transport of contaminants that are harmful to human health. Persistent organic pollutants, such as the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congener PCB-153, are consumed via fish intake traded globally, but the estimated daily intake and risk to human health are poorly understood. Using a food trade pathway model, a global-scale atmospheric persistent organic pollutant transport model and UN Global Comtrade data, high PCB exposure was identified in Western Europe. Marine fish exported from Europe to Sub-Saharan African countries account for 84% of PCB-153 consumer exposure. In contrast, European fish consumers face reduced exposure to PCB-153 by consuming marine fish imported from countries where PCB-153 concentrations are low. People consuming aquaculture-farmed salmon fed with marine ingredients from PCB-153-contaminated seawaters face a higher PCB exposure. Our findings demonstrate that global fish trade can exacerbate PCB-153 exposure in regions where environmental PCB-153 levels are low. This approach demonstrates how the exposure to harmful food contaminants distributed through global food trade can be predicted and quantified.

国际食品贸易通过附带运输有害人体健康的污染物而构成食品安全风险。持久性有机污染物，例如多氯联苯（PCB）同类产品PCB-153，是通过全球贸易的鱼类摄入量消耗的，但人们对估计的每日摄入量和对人体健康的风险知之甚少。使用食品贸易路径模型，全球规模的大气持久性有机污染物迁移模型和联合国全球贸易数据，西欧的PCB暴露量很高。从欧洲出口到撒哈拉以南非洲国家的海鱼占PCB-153消费者暴露的84％。相比之下，欧洲鱼类消费者通过食用从PCB-153浓度低的国家进口的海鱼来减少对PCB-153的暴露。食用以PCB-153污染的海水为食的水产养殖鲑鱼的人面临着更高的PCB暴露。我们的发现表明，在环境PCB-153含量较低的地区，全球鱼类贸易会加剧PCB-153的暴露。这种方法证明了如何预测和量化通过全球食品贸易分配的有害食品污染物的暴露量。