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).
a Staff Direction for Risk Assessment, Administration of Control Policy , Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain , Brussels , Belgium.
V
V
Vromman
G
G
Maghuin-Rogister
C
C
Vleminckx
C
C
Saegerman
L
L
Pussemier
A
A
Huyghebaert
D000328:Adult; D001151:Arsenic / Q000633:toxicity; D001530:Belgium; D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental / Q000633:toxicity*; D002648:Child; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004034:Diet Surveys; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000633:toxicity*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005062:European Union; D005506:Food Contamination; D005513:Food Inspection; D006292:Health Priorities; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000633:toxicity; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D010573:Pesticide Residues / Q000633:toxicity; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012308:Risk Management / Q000379:methods
D002274:Carcinogens, Environmental; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D009153:Mutagens; D010573:Pesticide Residues; D007854:Lead; D001151:Arsenic
carcinogenic; contaminant; environment; food; genotoxic