Omega-3 fatty acids and total polychlorinated biphenyls in 26 dietary supplements

A limited sampling and analysis of commercial supplements found 51% to 124% eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 61% to 153% docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) as provided on product labels. Daffy intakes of EPA plus DHA from label recommendations would provide 123% to 1087% of the adequate intake (AI) for pregnant and lactating women (that is, 0.13 to 0.14 g/day) and up to 43% of the daily reference dose (RfD) for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) for a 60-kg person. However, if a smaller dose of the supplements were taken to meet the AI, only 0.9% to 11.5% of the RfD for PCB would be obtained. Algal oil supplements did not have detectable PCB residues, but those products only provided DHA and not EPA.