Dietary exposure of the Belgian adult population to non-dioxin-like PCBs

Quantitative characterization of resident' exposure to typical semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) around a non-ferrous metal smelting plant

To comprehensively characterize residents' exposure to major semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), samples of indoor floor wipes, size-segregated airborne particles, gaseous air, food, and paired skin wipes were simultaneously collected from residential areas around a large non-ferrous metal smelting plant as compared with the control areas, and three typical SVOCs (including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and halogenated PAHs (HPAHs)) were determined. Comparison and correlation analysis among matrices indicated PAHs were the major contaminants emitted from metal smelting activities compared to HPAHs and PCBs, with naphthalene verified as the most important characteristic compound, and their accumulation on skin may be a comprehensive consequence of contact with floor dust and air. While patterns of human exposure pathways for the SVOCs were found to be clearly correlated to their vapor pressure, dermal absorption was the major contributor (51.1-76.3%) to total carcinogenic risk (TCR) of PAHs and HPAHs for surrounding residents, especially for low molecular weight PAHs, but dietary ingestion (98.6%) was the dominant exposure pathway to PCBs. The TCR of PAHs exceeded the acceptable level (1 × 10-4), implying smelting activities obviously elevated the health risk. This study will serve developing pertinent exposure and health risk prevention measures.

A scoping review of dietary assessment questionnaires potentially suitable for assessing habitual dietary intake in the National Health and Nutrition Survey, Japan

This scoping review aimed to identify questionnaire-based dietary assessment methods for use in the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHNS) in Japan. The search was conducted in three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Ichushi) to identify questionnaire such as food frequency questionnaire and dietary history questionnaire validated against dietary recalls or food records for the intakes of both food groups and nutrients among Japanese adults. Study quality was assessed based on previously developed criteria. We extracted the questionnaire characteristics and the design and results of the validation studies. We identified 11 questionnaires, with the number of food items ranging from 40 to 196, from 32 articles of good quality. In the validation studies, participants were aged 30-76 years and 90% of the articles used ≥3 d dietary records as reference. The number of nutrients and food groups with a group-level intake difference within 20% against the reference method ranged from 1 to 30 and 1 to 11, respectively. The range of mean correlation coefficients between questionnaire and reference methods were 0.35-0.57 for nutrients and 0.28-0.52 for food groups. When selecting a survey instrument in the NHNS from the 11 existing questionnaires identified in this study, it is important to select one with high group-level comparison and correlation coefficient values on the intended assessment items after scrutinizing the design and results of the validation study. This review may serve as a reference for future studies that explore dietary assessment tools used for assessing dietary intake in specific representative populations.

Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in raw bovine milk from various dairy farms in Beja, Tunisia: contamination status, dietary intake, and health risk assessment for the consumers

We determined organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in raw bovine milk taken directly from the milking equipment for different animals and various farms in Béja region, which is one of the largest milk producing areas in Tunisia. All milk samples were contaminated with one or more pesticides and exhibited measurable concentrations of some PCB congeners. The residue levels are generally marked by the predominance of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) (median: 17.60 ng g^-1 fat), followed by hexachlorobenzene (HCB) (median: 14.31 ng g^-1 fat), PCBs (median: 4.71 ng g^-1 fat), and hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) (median: 0.77 ng g^-1 fat). DDT/DDE ratios across the samples vary between 0.09 to 32.24 and exhibit the hypothesis of sustaining illegal use of the banned pesticide. The historical or recent use of OCPs and possible emission sources of PCBs identified near studied farms may lead to increased levels of these contaminants in produced milk. The estimated daily intake (EDI) values were several orders of magnitude below the tolerable daily intake (TDI) fixed by FAO/WHO, though recorded concentration in some samples exceeded the maximum residue limits (MRLs) fixed by the EU, especially for OCPs. According to health risk assessments, consumption of raw milk did not pose an obvious cancer risk or other health problems for local inhabitants.

Update of Indicator PCB Levels in Food in Southern Italy: Assessment of the Dietary Exposure for Adult and Elderly Population

The levels of non-dioxin-like PCB indicators (iPCBs 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, and 180) were determined in food samples (seafood, meat and processed meat, milk and dairy products, hen eggs, olive oil, and other fats) to evaluate the exposure of adult and elderly population. iPCB levels in samples were in the following order: fishery products > meat and processed meat > milk and dairy products > olive oil and other fats. None of the samples had concentrations above the maximum permissible limits for human consumption established by the European Union legislation, except for salami samples. The dietary intake for the total population was 12.33 ng·kg−1 bw·d−1, while depending on the sex/age groups, exposure was estimated between 9.60 and 12.11 ng·kg−1 bw·d−1, with seafood being the major contributor. The exposure scenario indicates that further efforts must still be carried out to protect the consumer from these harmful chemicals.

Brominated and chlorinated contaminants in food (PCDD/Fs, PCBs, PBDD/Fs PBDEs): Simultaneous determination and occurrence in Italian produce

Validated methodology for the simultaneous determination of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PBDD/Fs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in foods of animal origin is presented. Method performance indicators were equivalent or better than those required for the control of EU regulated (EU, 2017/644) PCDD/F and PCB congeners in these foods, and for risk assessment through dietary intake. The method uses a high (>90%) proportion of ¹³Carbon-labelled surrogates for internal standardisation combined with high resolution mass spectrometry that allow accurate quantitation, and this was confirmed by multiple successful participations in proficiency testing for PCDD/Fs, PCBs and PBDEs in food. The same validation and method performance requirements as used for PCDD/Fs were followed for PBDD/Fs. The analysis of a range of food samples (eggs, milk, fish, shellfish, pork, beef and poultry), showed the occurrence of all four classes of contaminants at varying concentration ranges. In general, PCBs were the most prominent contaminant, both, in terms of dioxin-like toxicity, as well as in the occurrence of non-dioxin-like congeners, an observation that concurs with those made in other studies on Italian foods. The levels of PCDD/F and PCB occurrence are consistent with a gradual decline in contamination as reported by some other similar studies. Although all the determined contaminants were detected in the sampled foods, there was poor correlation between the occurrences of the brominated and chlorinated contaminants, and between PBDEs and PBDD/Fs, but better associations were observed between the occurrences of the chlorinated contaminants.

Systematic Analysis of Breed, Methodological, and Geographical Impact on Equine Sperm Progressive Motility

Simple Summary

Semen quality is an important indicator of reproductive health and fertility. With adverse temporal trends in human semen quality over the past 50 years paralleled in male animals, there is increasing concern for the causes and implications of perturbed male reproductive health. The evaluation of equine progressive motility (PM), a parameter closely associated with fertility, provides information on the fertilising capacity of equine ejaculate and current reproductive health of the equine stallion. Using systematic analysis, recent trends in equine PM were determined from 696 estimates from 280 individual studies. Temporal trends indicate equine PM has not significantly changed between the years 1990 and 2018. Significant breed, methodological, and geographical variations observed in equine PM may considerably influence actual and reported stallion fertility potential. Information on stallion PM meaningfully contributes to the wider literature on semen quality and provides avenues for future stallion fertility research. This systematic analysis presents the wider challenges associated with semen quality assessment, particularly within the equine sector, and provides recommendations to promote consistency across industry and research.

Abstract

Over the past five decades, there has been increasing evidence to indicate global declines in human semen quality. Parallel adverse trends measured in male animals indicate a potential environmental aetiology. This study evaluated the progressive motility (PM) of stallion ejaculate through a systematic review and meta-analysis. A total of 696 estimates of equine PM from 280 studies, which collected semen samples between the years 1990 and 2018, were collated for meta-analysis. The method of motility analysis, breed, season of collection, and geographical location were extracted. Simple linear regression determined temporal trends in stallion PM. Studies using microscopy estimated PM to be significantly greater compared to computer-automated methods (p ≤ 0.001). For Arabian breeds, PM was consistently higher than other breeds. Over time, there was a significant decline in PM for studies from Europe (n = 267) but a significant increase for studies from North America (n = 259). Temporal trends indicate the fertilising capacity of equine ejaculate has remained consistently high in the last three decades. That being so, variations observed suggest methodological, geographical, and individual stallion differences may significantly influence actual and reported stallion fertility potential.

Fish consumption is an indicator of exposure to non-dioxin like polychlorinated biphenyls in cumulative risk assessments based on a probabilistic and sensitive approach

The health effects of non-dioxin like polychlorinated biphenyls (NDL-PCBs) include liver, immune, neurodevelopmental, and neurobehavioral effects in addition to hormone alteration. Among 209 PCB congeners, six indicator PCBs (ICES-6) account for about half of NDL-PCBs present in feed and food. The objectives of the current study were first to examine the levels of total PCBs, NDL-PCBs, and ICES-6 PCBs in 200 foods commonly consumed in Taiwan and, second, to estimate the cumulative health risks of NDL-PCB consumption. We suggest a risk management strategy that identifies foodstuffs with particularly high NDL-PCB content. In 200 food samples, which were grouped into 12 categories and 64 food types, 51 PCB congeners were detected. The concentrations of ICES-6 PCBs in all samples were lower than the maximum levels for NDL-PCBs in foodstuffs set by the European Union. PCB-153, PCB-138, and PCB-180 were the major congeners in all food, indicating that the food was contaminated in the past. ICES-6 PCBs contributed 42.2%-52.9% of total NDL-PCBs in all tested foodstuffs. The average estimated daily intake (EDI) of PCBs ranged from 1.22 ng/kg bw/day to 2.89 ng/kg bw/day in different age groups (95th quantile [P95]: 4.12-10.28 ng/kg bw/day). The P95 EDI in 3-6-year-olds was higher than 10 ng/kg/day. A qualitative sensitivity analysis in ICES-6 PCBs exposure showed that for the 3- to 6-year-old group, the highest sensitivity was how much fish they ate (37.6%) and its concentration (32.5%). The consumption of pork, eggs, fish, and other seafood accounts for over 90% of ICES-6 PCBs intake, and these foods should be highlighted in guidelines regarding NDL-PCB intake.

Levels of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in donkey milk: Correlation with the infection level by intestinal strongyles

AIM

The study aimed at evaluating the concentration levels of organochlorine pollutants in donkey milk and their modulation on the intestinal strongyle infection. Risk evaluation for consumer health was also investigated.

METHODS

We analyzed milk of grazing donkeys living in areas of Southern of Italy affected by organochlorine compounds environmental pollution and parasite infection. The presence of pollutants was assessed through summary statistics; regression analysis of intestinal strongyle on pollutant concentration was performed to investigate the relationship between the two variables.

RESULTS

PCB concentrations (mainly non-dioxin-like (ndl)-PCBs) were higher than OCP ones. Mean values of ndl-PCBs across areas ranged from 93.13 to 263.64 ng g^-1. In all sample units we detected the six indicator PCBs with the prevalence of the PCB 153, followed by the PCB 28 and the PCB 101. Among the dioxin-like (dl)-PCBs, non-ortho PCB 169, 77 and 126 were assessed in some milk samples; in all areas we detected the mono-ortho PCB 118 and PCB 105. Positive correlation between infection level and six indicator PCBs as well as between the former and HCB, on WW and LW, were observed (at least statistically significant at 5 percent). In some cases, Dl-PCB concentrations emerged as dangerous given the EU maximum residue limit for PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs.

CONCLUSION

Evidence supports the hypothesis of an immunosuppressive role of organochlorine pollutants; risk evaluation reveals the potential health impact of dl-PCB intake, particularly for major donkey milk consumers such as infants, children with cow milk and multiple food intolerance, and elders.

The influence of sex, genotype, and dose on serum and hippocampal cytokine levels in juvenile mice developmentally exposed to a human-relevant mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are pervasive environmental contaminants implicated as risk factors for neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Immune dysregulation is another NDD risk factor, and developmental PCB exposures are associated with early life immune dysregulation. Studies of the immunomodulatory effects of PCBs have focused on the higher-chlorinated congeners found in legacy commercial mixtures. Comparatively little is known about the immune effects of contemporary, lower-chlorinated PCBs. This is a critical data gap given recent reports that lower-chlorinated congeners comprise >70% of the total PCB burden in serum of pregnant women enrolled in the MARBLES study who are at increased risk for having a child with an NDD. To examine the influence of PCBs, sex, and genotype on cytokine levels, mice were exposed throughout gestation and lactation to a PCB mixture in the maternal diet, which was based on the 12 most abundant PCBs in sera from MARBLES subjects. Using multiplex array, cytokines were quantified in the serum and hippocampus of weanling mice expressing either a human gain-of-function mutation in ryanodine receptor 1 (T4826I mice), a human CGG premutation repeat expansion in the fragile X mental retardation gene 1 (CGG mice), or both mutations (DM mice). Congenic wildtype (WT) mice were used as controls. There were dose-dependent effects of PCB exposure on cytokine concentrations in the serum but not hippocampus. Differential effects of genotype were observed in the serum and hippocampus. Hippocampal cytokines were consistently elevated in T4826I mice and also in WT animals for some cytokines compared to CGG and DM mice, while serum cytokines were usually elevated in the mutant genotypes compared to the WT group. Males had elevated levels of 19 cytokines in the serum and 4 in the hippocampus compared to females, but there were also interactions between sex and genotype for 7 hippocampal cytokines. Only the chemokine CCL5 in the serum showed an interaction between PCB dose, genotype, and sex. Collectively, these findings indicate differential influences of PCB exposure and genotype on cytokine levels in serum and hippocampal tissue of weanling mice. These results suggest that developmental PCB exposure has chronic effects on baseline serum, but not hippocampal, cytokine levels in juvenile mice.

Health risks and source identification of dietary exposure to indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Lanzhou, China

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are widely present in multiple environmental media even long after the phaseout, posing a health risk to the general population. Dietary intake is the major exposure route of PCBs; however, information is limited regarding PCBs in food that people directly consume. This study aims to measure personal exposure to indicator PCBs, evaluate the health risks, and identify their sources in a typical metropolitan city in China. Multi-day food samples were collected from 21 subjects in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, in two seasons using the duplicate plate method. Samples were extracted and analyzed for seven indicator PCBs using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Average daily doses (ADDs) of ∑7PCBs were estimated using Monte Carlo analysis with food intake information. Results show that PCB-118 and PCB-180 were the major congeners in food samples with average concentrations of 1.42 and 1.11 ng/g, respectively. The average (± SD) ADD of ∑7PCBs was 26.47 ± 22.10 ng/kg day among adults aged 18-69 years and displayed small variation across age groups. Comparing with the chronic RfD of 7 ng/kg day, 67% of people had their ADDs exceeding this threshold. The median cancer risk was 5.52 × 10^-5, and 51% of residents had risks exceeding the action level of 10^-4. The principal component analysis identified waste incineration, gasoline engine production, and leakage of #1 PCBs as the major PCBs sources. In conclusion, a large portion of Lanzhou residents has high non-cancer and cancer risks from dietary exposure to PCBs, which warrants control actions targeting these major sources.

Developmental exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the maternal diet causes host-microbe defects in weanling offspring mice

The gut microbiota is important for maintaining homeostasis of the host. Gut microbes represent the initial site for toxicant processing following dietary exposures to environmental contaminants. The diet is the primary route of exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are absorbed via the gut, and subsequently interfere with neurodevelopment and behavior. Developmental exposures to PCBs have been linked to increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which are also associated with a high prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) distress and intestinal dysbiosis. We hypothesized that developmental PCB exposure impacts colonization of the gut microbiota, resulting in GI pathophysiology, in a genetically susceptible host. Mouse dams expressing two heritable human mutations (double mutants [DM]) that result in abnormal Ca2+ dynamics and produce behavioral deficits (gain of function mutation in the ryanodine receptor 1 [T4826I-RYR1] and a human CGG repeat expansion [170-200 CGG repeats] in the fragile X mental retardation gene 1 [FMR1 premutation]). DM and congenic wild type (WT) controls were exposed to PCBs (0-6 mg/kg/d) in the diet starting 2 weeks before gestation and continuing through postnatal day 21 (P21). Intestinal physiology (Ussing chambers), inflammation (qPCR) and gut microbiome (16S sequencing) studies were performed in offspring mice (P28-P30). Developmental exposure to PCBs in the maternal diet caused significant mucosal barrier defects in ileum and colon (increased secretory state and tight junction permeability) of juvenile DM mice. Furthermore, PCB exposure increased the intestinal inflammatory profile (Il6, Il1β, and Il22), and resulted in dysbiosis of the gut microbiota, including altered β-diversity, in juvenile DM mice developmentally exposed to 1 mg/kg/d PCBs when compared to WT controls. Collectively, these findings demonstrate a novel interaction between PCB exposure and the gut microbiota in a genetically susceptible host that provide novel insight into environmental risk factors for neurodevelopmental disorders.

Development of a screening analytical method for the determination of non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in chicken eggs by gaschromatography and electron capture detection

A sensitive and reproducible screening analytical method is here proposed for the determination of six non dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (NDL-PCBs, congener 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, 180) in chicken eggs based on accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) procedure for the fat extraction and determination, a solid phase extraction (SPE) sample clean-up process, and a gas chromatography - electron capture detection (GC-ECD) analysis. The optimized chromatographic separation, in less than 25 min, returned good responses for the six NDL-PCBs in the range of 2.5-60.0 µg L^-1, with correlation coefficients always higher than 0.9995. Instrumental limits of detection were between 0.08-0.35 µg L^-1, corresponding to 0.05 and 0.23 ng g^-1 fat in the matrix, while method detection limits, calculated on spiked egg samples, ranged from 1.6 to 3.5 ng g^-1 fat. The method has been extensively validated in terms of selectivity, sensitivity, recovery, precision, ruggedness and measurement uncertainty, following the European Directives.

Indicator PCBs in farmed and wild fish in Greece - Risk assessment for the Greek population

Health benefits of fish consumption could be counterbalanced by the intake of contaminants after long term fish consumption, burdened even in trace levels. The presence of the indicator PCBs (NDL-PCBs and PCB 118) in farmed and wild seabream and seabass was evaluated. For the determination of PCB, a GC-MS method was developed and evaluated. The association of PCB accumulation in fish with seasonality, locality, production mode and species was also investigated. A new approach for the risk characterisation after exposure to NDL-PCB through fish consumption in Greece was developed, based on the real exposure and the permitted maximum levels of both aggregated dietary exposure and exposure through fish consumption. PCB levels determined in fish were below established permitted limits (6.24 ng/g 95th percentile), while PCB levels and congener distribution varied significantly between farmed and wild fish (p = 0.001). Seasonality was highlighted as an important factor affecting NDL-PCBs accumulation, with high levels coinciding with the reproduction period of each species. Differences were also depicted for sampling sites, with PCB 118 presenting significantly higher values in open seas while NDL-PCB congeners in closed seas. Risk assessment of NDL-PCB intake through fish consumption corrected for the aggregated exposure revealed no risk for the consumers.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in commonly consumed seafood from the coastal area of Bangladesh: occurrence, distribution, and human health implications

Dietary intake is the most important route of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) exposure and seafood is the major dietary component for the coastal populations. It is, therefore, an urgent need to assess the levels of PCBs in seafood. A comprehensive congener-specific evaluation of PCBs was carried out for the first time in Bangladesh. All 209 congeners of PCBs in 48 seafood samples (5 finfish and 2 shellfish species) collected in winter and summer of 2015 were measured by GC-MS/MS. Regardless of season and site, the ∑PCBs (ng/g wet weight) in finfish and shellfish were in the range of 6.4-86.2 and 3.8-37.7, respectively. The results were comparable to or higher than those observed in other studies worldwide, particularly from Spain, China, Korea, Thailand, and Hong Kong. No significant seasonal variation was observed in the levels of ∑PCBs in the examined seafood (p > 0.05); however, interspecies differences were significant (p < 0.05). Nonetheless, spatial distribution revealed seafood collected from the areas with recent urbanization and industrialization (Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, and Sundarbans) were more contaminated with PCBs than the area unaffected by industries (Meghna Estuary). Moderately chlorinated (4-6 Cl) homologs dominated the PCB profiles. The congener profile and homolog composition revealed that the source origin of PCBs in the Bangladeshi seafood was related to mixtures of technical PCBs formulations. The dietary exposure assessment revealed that the coastal residents are sufficiently exposed to the dietary PCBs through seafood consumption which may cause severe health risk including dioxin-like toxic effects.

3,3'-Dichlorobiphenyl (PCB 11) promotes dendritic arborization in primary rat cortical neurons via a CREB-dependent mechanism

PCB 11 (3,3'-dichlorobiphenyl), a contemporary congener produced as a byproduct of current pigment production processes, has recently emerged as a prevalent worldwide pollutant. We recently demonstrated that exposure to PCB 11 increases dendritic arborization in vitro, but the mechanism(s) mediating this effect remain unknown. To address this data gap, primary cortical neuron-glia co-cultures derived from neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed for 48 h to either vehicle (0.1% DMSO) or PCB 11 at concentrations ranging from 1 fM to 1 nM in the absence or presence of pharmacologic antagonists of established molecular targets of higher chlorinated PCBs. Reporter cell lines were used to test activity of PCB 11 at the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and thyroid hormone receptor (THR). PCB 11 lacked activity at the AhR and THR, and antagonism of these receptors had no effect on the dendrite-promoting activity of PCB 11. Pharmacologic antagonism of various calcium channels or treatment with antioxidants also did not alter PCB 11-induced dendritic arborization. In contrast, pharmacologic blockade or shRNA knockdown of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) significantly decreased dendritic growth in PCB 11-exposed cultures, suggesting PCB 11 promotes dendritic growth via CREB-mediated mechanisms. Since CREB signaling is crucial for normal neurodevelopment, and perturbations of CREB signaling have been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, our findings suggest that this contemporary pollutant poses a threat to the developing brain, particularly in individuals with heritable mutations that promote CREB signaling.

PCBs and PCDD/Fs in Bluefin Tuna: Occurrence and Dietary Intake

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-furans (PCDD/Fs) were measured in Mediterranean bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) to verify the compliance with the EU regulations for food commercialization. The estimated intakes were also evaluated. The analyses were performed by gas chromatography-ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS-MS). The PCBs were dominant (1132.0 ng g^&minus;1 l.w.), followed by PCDFs (23.2 pg g^&minus;1 l.w.) and PCDDs (8.5 pg g^&minus;1 l.w.). The pollutant levels (dl-PCBs: 0.7 pg TEQ/g w.w.; PCDD/Fs: 1.9 pg TEQ/g w.w.) and their sum expressed as TEQ values (2.6 pg TEQ/g w.w.) remained below the limits for human consumption proposed by the European Union. On the contrary, the sum of the six indicator non-dioxin-like PCBs (84.2 ng g^&minus;1 w.w.) was slightly above the maximum level fixed by the in-force legislation. The estimated dietary intakes for PCDD/Fs plus dl-PCBs were below the toxicological reference values (TRVs) set by various international bodies, while non-cancer and cancer risk assessment revealed a safety concern. Additionally, the estimated intake of ndl-PCBs exceeded the maximum levels set by different European countries. These findings suggest caution in tuna consumption together with an active and frequent surveillance of the chemical quality of its flesh.

Food contamination by PCBs and waste disposal crisis: Evidence from goat milk in Campania (Italy)

AIM

The study aims at investigating whether, and if so, to what extent the strong presence of urban and industrial waste in a territory may cause PCB contamination in goat milk produced therein.

METHODS

We compared PCB concentrations in goat milk from three different locations in the Campania region (Italy). One of the three locations, together with its surrounding area, has long suffered from illegal waste disposal and burning mainly by the so-called Ecomafia. The other locations, not involved in these illegal activities, allowed us to create a control group of goats with characteristics very similar to those of main interest.

RESULTS

In milk from the waste contaminated area we identified high PCB concentrations (six indicator PCBs amounted to 170 ng g^-1 on lipid weight, on average), whereas there was an almost total absence of such pollutants in milk from the control group. Concentrations of the six indicator PCBs were above the current European maximum residue limit fixed by the EU. At the same time, we found a lower average value of lipid content and a negative relationship between lipid content and PCB concentrations.

CONCLUSION

Evidence indicates the potential health risk for consumers living in areas involved in illegal dumping of waste.

Polychlorinated biphenyl and polybrominated diphenyl ether profiles in serum from cattle, sheep, and goats across California

It has been previously been shown by our lab and others that persistent organic pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), are contaminants in milk produced for human consumption. To further this research we determined the concentration of 21 PCB and 14 PBDE congeners in livestock serum, mainly bovine, across California. Congeners were extracted from serum using solid phase extraction (SPE), cleaned up by silica cartridge and quantified using gas chromatography-triple quadruple mass spectrometry. We detected significant differences among species and the production class of cattle (beef or dairy). The sum of all 21 PCB congeners (ΣPCBs) in caprine and ovine sera had a mean value of 9.26 and 9.13 ng/mL, respectively, compared to 3.98 ng/mL in bovine sera. The mean value for the sum of all 14 PBDE congeners (ΣPBDEs) in caprine and ovine sera was 2.82 and 2.39 ng/mL, respectively, compared to 0.91 ng/mL in bovine sera. Mean ΣPCBs in dairy cattle was 5.92 ng/mL compared to 2.70 ng/mL in beef cattle. Mean ΣPBDEs in dairy cattle was 1.33 ng/mL compared to 0.70 ng/mL in beef cattle. There were no regional differences in the ΣPCBs or ΣPBDEs in cattle distributed across California. These results highlight the fact that livestock are still being exposed to these pollutants yet little is known about where this exposure may be coming from.

Concentrations of environmental organic contaminants in meat and meat products and human dietary exposure: A review

Meat and meat products is one of the most relevant food groups in an important number of human diets. Recently, the IARC, based on results of a number of epidemiological studies, classified the consumptions of red meat and processed meat as "probably carcinogenic to humans" and as "carcinogenic to humans", respectively. It was suggested that the substances responsible of the potential carcinogenicity would be mainly generated during meat processing, such as curing and smoking, or when meat is heated at high temperatures. However, the exposure to environmental pollutants through meat consumption was not discussed. The purpose of the present paper was to review recent studies reporting the concentrations of PCDD/Fs, DL-PCBs and PAHs in meat and meat products, as well as the human exposure to these pollutants through the diet. It is concluded that the health risks derived from exposure to carcinogenic environmental contaminants must be considered in the context of each specific diet, which besides meat and meat products, includes other foodstuffs containing also chemical pollutants, some of them with carcinogenic potential. Anyhow, meat and meat products are not the main food group responsible of the dietary exposure to carcinogenic (or probably carcinogenic) environmental organic pollutants.

Dietary exposure to non-dioxin-like PCBs of different population groups in Austria

The dietary exposure to the sum of the six indicator PCBs (Σ6 PCBs; PCB 28, 52, 101, 138, 153, and 180) across different Austrian population groups was assessed in this study by combining data on occurrence from food of the Austrian market (n=157) analysed during 2006-2011 with national food consumption data. The most contaminated food group was meat, poultry, game and offal with average levels of ndl-PCBs of 5.20 ng g(-1) fat. In fish and fish products and eggs, mean concentrations of 3.89 ng g(-1) fresh weight (fw) and 4.00 ng g(-1) fat, respectively, were found. In milk and dairy products average concentrations ranged from 3.07 to 4.44 ng g(-1) fat. The mean dietary intake of Σ6 PCBs was estimated to be 3.37 ng kg(-1) bw d(-1) for children (6-15 years old), 3.19 ng kg(-1) bw d(-1) for women (19-65 years) and 2.64 ng kg(-1) bw d(-1) for men (19-65 years). In all three population groups, milk and dairy products was the major contributing food group to the total dietary intake (50-55%) followed by fish and fish products (23-27%). The exposure of all Austrian population groups is well below the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 10 ng kg(-1) bw d(-1) proposed by WHO, accounting for 34% in children, 32% in women and 26% in men.

Distribution of polychlorinated biphenyl residues in sediments and blue mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from Port Elizabeth Harbour, South Africa

Sediment and Mytilus galloprovincialis samples collected from the Port Elizabeth Harbour were analysed for six indicator PCB congeners to assess their contamination status. The concentrations of total PCBs in sediments and M. galloprovincialis ranged from 0.56 to 2.35 ng/g dry weight and 14.48 to 21.37 ng/g wet weight, respectively. Congeners 138 and 153 were dominant and accounted for an average of 29% and 24% of total PCBs in M. galloprovincialis; 32% and 30% in sediments, respectively. Sediments are home to a wide variety of aquatic life. None of the sediments analysed exceeded the PCB limits recommended the Canadian interim sediment quality guideline and the South African recommended sediment guidelines (21.6 ng/g). Both humans and aquatic life are sensitive to the toxic effects of PCBs.

Risk ranking priority of carcinogenic and/or genotoxic environmental contaminants in food in Belgium

This paper focuses on the risks of environmental carcinogenic and/or genotoxic contaminants in food. It describes, for each contaminant studied, the carcinogenicity and genotoxicity, the toxicological reference values, the exposure and the risk characterisation. The compounds studied were classified into 3 categories based on a risk assessment. Effects others than carcinogenicity and/or genotoxicity (e.g. endocrine disruption activity) were also taken into account for the classification. Given the low margin of exposure values for arsenic and lead, these two compounds are classified as priority 1 (high concern) for food safety and as a first priority to take actions to reduce exposure. Cadmium, methylmercury, dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), non-dioxin-like PCB and toxaphene are classified as priority 2 (medium concern). Polybrominated biphenyls, chlordane, heptachlor, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and metabolites, hexachlorobenzene, hexachlorocyclohexane (lindane included), polychlorophenols and their salts are classified as priority 3 (low concern).