title: Human exposure to dioxins through the diet in Catalonia, Spain: carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk.
abstract: The main objectives of this study were to estimate the dietary intake of dioxins by the population of Catalonia, Spain, to determine which food groups showed the greatest contribution to this intake, and to assess the health risks potentially associated with the dietary dioxin intake. From June to August 2000, food samples were randomly acquired in seven cities of Catalonia. Dioxin concentrations were determined in 108 samples belonging to the following groups: vegetables, fruits, pulses, cereals, fish and shellfish, meats and meat products, eggs, milk and dairy products, and oils and fats. Estimates of average daily food consumption were obtained from recent studies. Total dietary intake of dioxins for the general population of Catalonia was estimated to be 95.4 pg WHO-TEQ/day (78.4 pg I-TEQ/day), with fish and shellfish (31%), diary products (25%), cereals (14%) and meat (13%) showing the greatest percentages of contribution to dioxin intake. The contribution of all the rest of food groups to the total dietary intake was under 20%. The non-carcinogenic risk index of dioxin intake through the diet was in the range 0.34-1.36, while the carcinogenic risk level was 1,360 excess cancer over a lifetime of 70 years. Our results corroborate the decreasing tendency in dietary intake of dioxins found in recent studies (2000-2001) from various countries.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, Rovira i Virgili University, San Lorenzo 21, 43201 Reus, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Llobet
authors.forename: Jose L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Domingo
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bocio
authors.forename: Conrad
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Casas
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Teixidó
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental / Q000032:analysis*; D004032:Diet; D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis*; D005504:Food Analysis; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D012306:Risk; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental; D004147:Dioxins