Persistent Organic Pollutants in Some Indonesian Commercial Fish and Health Risks to Local Population

This study assesses the accumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs)—specifically hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers, DDT metabolites, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)—in four commercial fish species from Indonesia’s Siak River and evaluates associated human health risks. Samples were collected from upper, middle, and lower river reaches, reflecting varying anthropogenic pressures. HCH isomers were the predominant contaminants, followed by DDT metabolites and PCBs, with the highest concentrations found in predatory species Wallagonia leerii and Notopterus notopterus, indicating biomagnification. While concentrations in fish muscle generally complied with Indonesian food safety standards, risk assessment revealed a potential carcinogenic threat. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) for α-HCH exceeded the acceptable threshold of 1 × 10−5 for consumers of W. leerii and N. notopterus (1.4–1.6 × 10−5), despite hazard quotients (HQ) for non-cancer effects being well below concern. The findings highlight that even when regulatory limits for total POPs are met, specific, highly persistent compounds like α-HCH can pose significant long-term cancer risks, necessitating targeted monitoring and public health advisories for high-risk fish species in contaminated river systems.