Dioxins and PCBs in Meat – Still a Matter of Concern? (original) (raw)
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The Belgian PCB/dioxin incident: analysis of the food chain contamination and health risk evaluation
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The Belgian PCB incident occurred at the end of January 1999 when a mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contaminated with dioxins was accidentally added to a stock of recycled fat used in the production of animal feeds. Although signs of poultry poisoning were noticed by February, 1999, the source and the extent of the contamination were discovered only in May 1999, when it appeared that more than 2500 farms could have been supplied with contaminated feeds. This resulted in a major food crisis, which rapidly extended to the whole country and could be resolved only by the implementation of a large PCB/dioxin food monitoring program. Screening for PCB contamination was based on the determination of the seven PCB markers. When PCB concentrations exceeded the tolerance levels of 0.1 (milk), 0.2 (poultry, bovine, and pig meat), or 1 (animal feed) microg/g fat, dioxins (17 PCDD/Fs congeners) were also determined. At the end of December 1999, the database contained the results of m...
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 2009
Levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) were determined in samples of bovine and ovine milk collected in farms located in the province of Grosseto, Tuscany, in the vicinity of two incineration plants as well as in farms located in areas with presumable background levels of contamination. Samples of feedstuffs of local origin used in the investigated farms were also collected and analysed. The cumulative levels of PCDDs, PCDFs, and dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs) in feedstuffs ranged from 0.25 to 0.61 pg WHO-TE/g fresh weight (fw) in the farms under impact from incinerator emissions and from 0.21 to 0.34 pg WHO-TE/g fw in the control area farms. The sums of the six non–dioxin-like indicator PCB (NDL-PCB) congeners were 0.13 to 9.3 ng/g fw and 1.2 to 1.9 ng/g fw, respectively. In milk samples, the levels detected were 0.71 to 2.9 pg WHO-TE/g fat and 0.52 to 0.59 pg WHO-TE/g fat in farms under impact from the incinerators and in the control area farms, respectively. The corresponding sums of the six indicator PCB congeners were 1.4 to 8.2 ng/g fat and 0.90 to 1.6 ng/g fat. In all samples, contamination levels were below the limits set by the European Community (EC; Commission Directive 2006/13/EC and Commission Regulation 1881/2006/EC.) No relevant differences were found between samples collected in potentially exposed areas and control areas for total toxic equivalents and cumulative analytic levels of PCDDs, PCDFs, DL-PCBs, and NDL-PCBs (p > 0.05, Mann-Whitney U test). Observed levels were in agreement with those found in other countries in areas with background levels of exposure. Congener levels and profiles of PCDDs, PCDFs, and PCBs in feedstuffs and milk samples that were compared describe congener-specific transfer behavior.