title: Significant decreasing trend in human dietary exposure to PCDD/PCDFs and PCBs in Catalonia, Spain.
abstract: The concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDFs), and 18 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in samples of foodstuffs widely consumed by the population of Catalonia, Spain. The dietary intake of PCDD/PCDFs and dioxin-like (DL)-PCBs was subsequently estimated for the population of this Spanish region. These results were compared with those of a previous survey performed during 2000. For PCDD/PCDFs, the highest WHO-TEQ values corresponded to oils and fats (0.223 ng/kg), followed by fish and seafood (0.131 ng/kg) and dairy products (0.057 ng/kg), while the lowest levels were found in fruits (0.003 ng/kg), as well as in vegetables and milk (0.009 ng/kg). For DL-PCBs the highest WHO-TEQ values corresponded to the groups of fish and seafood (0.761 ng/kg) followed by oils and fats (0.169 ng/kg), and dairy products (0.039 ng/kg), while the lowest values were observed in fruits (0.004 ng/kg), and vegetables (0.005 ng/kg) and tubers (0.006 ng/kg). The current dietary intakes of PCDD/PCDFs, DL-PCBs, and PCDD/PCDFs plus DL-PCBs were estimated to be 25.7, 52.4, and 78.1 pg WHO-TEQ/day vs. 95.4, 150.1, and 245.5 pg WHO-TEQ/day found in our previous survey. It means reductions of 73%, 65%, and 68%, for PCDD/PCDFs, DL-PCBs, and PCDD/PCDFs plus DL-PCBs, respectively. The current estimated intake for an adult male, 1.12 pg WHO-TEQ/kg body weight per day, is lower than most intakes recently reported in a number of countries over the world.
authors.affiliation: GRET-CERETOX, School of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Avgda. Joan XXIII s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Llobet
authors.forename: Roser
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martí-Cid
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Castell
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Domingo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000388:Air / Q000032:analysis; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005504:Food Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008875:Middle Aged; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; C023614:dibenzofuran; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls