Levels and congener distributions of PCDDs, PCDFs and non-ortho PCBs in Belgian foodstuffs--assessment of dietary intake

Contamination Levels and Congener Distributions of PCDDs, PCDFs and Co-PCBs in Several Fast Foods in Japan

We determined the concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (Co-PCBs) in three types of fast foods [(1) seventeen hamburgers and two hot dogs, (2) six portions of fried potatoes and (3) three chicken products] obtained from fast food shops or convenience stores in Japan. All samples tested showed low toxic equivalent quantity (TEQ) levels of dioxins in the range of 0.001-0.083 pg-TEQ/g wet weight (0.006-0.053 pg-TEQ/g for hamburgers and hot dogs, 0.001-0.083 pg-TEQ/g for fried potatoes and 0.053-0.065 pg-TEQ/g for chicken products). The congener profile in hamburgers and hot dogs suggested that the total TEQ was mainly determined by Co-PCBs, especially by 3,3',4,4',5-PeCB (#126), which accounted for 44% of the total TEQ value. Findings for animal foods such as beef and cheese were consistent with this result. For fried potatoes, PCDD/Fs accounted for 94% of the total TEQ value, and 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF accounted for 32% of PCDD/Fs. Dioxins in the chicken products consisted of 3,3',4,4',5-PeCB (#126) and 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD, which accounted for 23% and 21% of the total TEQ, respectively. If an adult (50 kg weight) eats 150 g of hamburger, 100 g of potatoes and 150 g of chicken, the daily intake is estimated to be 0.299 pg-TEQ/kg b.w./day using the average values (0.022, 0.028 and 0.059 pg-TEQ/g, respectively) obtained in this study. This value corresponds to 7.5% of the tolerable daily intake (TDI) for PCDD/Fs and Co-PCBs in Japan.

Levels and profiles of PCDDs, PCDFs and cPCBs in Belgian breast milk. Estimation of infant intake

Congener-specific analyses of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and non-ortho (coplanar) polychlorinated biphenyls (cPCBs) were performed on 20 non-pooled breast milk samples collected in or close to an industrial area of Wallonia (Belgium). PCDD/F concentrations ranged between 16.0 and 52.1 pg TEQ/g fat, with a mean value of 29.4 pg TEQ/g fat. If coplanar PCBs (77, 126, 169) are included in TEQ calculations, levels ranged between 22.2 and 100.2 pg TEQ/g fat, with a mean value of 40.8 pg TEQ/g fat. It appears that 2,3,7,8-TCDD, 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD, 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF and PCB-126 account for more than 90% of the TEQ. Estimated PCDD/F dietary intake is 76 pg TEQ/kg body weight (bw)/day. This value is almost 20 times higher than the World Health Organization tolerable daily intake. A value of 103 pg TEQ/kg bw/day represents the intake of PCDDs, PCDFs and cPCBs (no mono-ortho PCBs included).