title: Bioaccumulation of dioxin-like substances and selected brominated flame retardant congeners in the fat and livers of black pigs farmed within the Nebrodi Regional Park of Sicily.
abstract: An observational study was designed to assess the bioaccumulation of polychlorodibenzodioxins (PCDD) and polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDF), dioxin-like polychlorobiphenyls (DL-PCB), and 13 selected polybromodiphenylethers (PBDE) in autochthonous pigs reared in the Nebrodi Park of Sicily (Italy). Perirenal fat and liver samples were drawn from animals representative of three different outdoor farming systems and from wild pigs and then analyzed for the chemicals mentioned previously. The highest concentrations of PCDD + PCDF and DL-PCB were detected in the fat (0.45 and 0.35 pg World Health Organization toxicity equivalents [WHO-TE] per g of fat base [FB], respectively) and livers (12.7 and 3.28 pg WHO-TE per g FB) of the wild group, whereas the free-ranging group showed the lowest levels (0.05 and 0.03 pg WHO-TE per g FB in fat and 0.78 and 0.27 pg WHO-TE per g FB in livers). The sum of PBDE congeners was highest in wild pigs (0.52 ng/g FB in fat and 5.64 ng/g FB in livers) and lowest in the farmed group (0.14 ng/g FB in fat and 0.28 ng/g FB in livers). The contamination levels in fat and livers of outdoor pigs had mean concentration values lower than those levels reported for intensively indoor-farmed animals. In wild pigs, bioaccumulation was associated with their free grazing in areas characterized by bush fires. The results of this study aid to emphasize the quality of the environment as a factor to guarantee food safety in typical processed pig meat products, specifically from outdoor and extensive Nebrodi farming systems.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma, Italy. gianfranco.brambilla@iss.it
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brambilla
authors.forename: Stefania Paola
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: De Filippis
authors.forename: Anna Laura
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Iamiceli
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iacovella
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Abate
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Aronica
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Di Marco
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: di Domenico
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D000835:Animals, Wild; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005411:Flame Retardants / Q000032:analysis*; D020387:Food Chain; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012802:Sicily; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D004147:Dioxins; D005411:Flame Retardants