Health burden assessment of legacy organochlorine compounds in Northeast China's marine fisheries: Carcinogenic potential and multi-disease risk characterization in coastal populations

This study evaluates the multi-dimensional health threats posed by persistent organochlorine compound exposure through dietary intake of commercially harvested marine species from Northeast China's coastal fisheries. Unlike conventional single-endpoint assessments, this study adopts a comprehensive disease risk framework encompassing carcinogenic potential, endocrine disruption probability, neurodevelopmental impairment indices, and reproductive toxicity estimations across vulnerable population subgroups. Seven ecologically diverse species-including both pelagic swimmers (Scomber japonicus, Engraulis japonicus, Larimichthys polyactis) and benthic organisms (Portunus trituberculatus, Mactra veneriformis, Rapana venosa, Octopus minor)-were systematically collected from Dalian Bay and Yantai coastal zones during spring upwelling periods (April-May 2023). Advanced ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) enabled simultaneous quantification of twenty-two organochlorine analytes spanning multiple chemical families: dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane derivatives, hexachlorocyclohexane congeners, chlordane-related metabolites, and aldrin-dieldrin transformation products. Tissue concentrations exhibited substantial interspecies variability (8.47-389.24 ng/g wet weight), with benthic filter-feeders demonstrating bioconcentration factors exceeding pelagic species by 3.2-4.8 fold. Probabilistic Monte Carlo modeling incorporating age-stratified consumption patterns, gender-specific metabolic rates, and regional dietary variations revealed that lifetime excess cancer risk exceeded regulatory thresholds (>1 ×10⁻⁴) in 38 % of high-consumption scenarios, particularly affecting reproductive-age females and elderly populations. Beyond oncogenic endpoints, integrated hazard indices for non-cancer outcomes-including thyroid dysfunction (Hazard Index: 0.87-2.34), neurocognitive deficits (Developmental Neurotoxicity Quotient: 0.62-1.89), and reproductive dysfunction (Reproductive Toxicity Index: 0.71-2.12)-frequently approached or surpassed unity in susceptible demographics. Spatial contamination mapping revealed significant pollution gradients correlated with proximity to industrial estuaries (R² = 0.76, p < 0.001) and legacy agricultural watersheds. Molecular diagnostic ratios indicated dual contamination sources: weathered historical residues (α-HCH/γ-HCH > 4.5) coexisting with episodic fresh inputs (o,p'-DDT/p,p'-DDT ratios 0.18-0.42) likely attributable to unauthorized pest control applications. These findings necessitate immediate policy interventions including: (1) establishment of species-specific consumption advisories prioritizing high-risk demographics, (2) mandatory pre-market screening protocols for commercially harvested shellfish from contaminated zones, (3) remediation initiatives targeting sediment hotspots identified through geospatial analysis, and (4) longitudinal biomonitoring programs tracking temporal trends in human tissue burdens within coastal communities. This multi-disease risk paradigm provides actionable intelligence for protecting public health while supporting sustainable utilization of marine fishery resources in industrialized coastal China.