Investigation into the occurrence in food of veterinary medicines, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals used in personal care products.
Human exposure to emerging contaminants by indirect routes is of increasing interest. This study assessed the contamination of food by chemicals used in human pharmaceuticals (HPs), veterinary medicines (VMs), and personal care products (PCPs). A prioritization study was undertaken to identify the chemicals and food-producing scenarios most likely to result in contamination of food. Around 400 samples of mushrooms, vegetables, aquaculture products, and animal tissues were collected from sites in the United Kingdom, along with aquaculture products imported from Southeast Asia. A number of multianalyte methods were developed and validated for the analysis of the prioritized compounds in these samples. The analysis of all sample-method combinations required approximately 18000 determinations. Around 325 individual residues, including parabens, musk compounds, and antibiotics, were detected in 118 individual samples, but mostly at low nanograms per gram concentrations. Results suggest that the limited contamination of target chemicals occurred in the realistic food-producing scenarios investigated.
Food and Environment Research Agency, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ, United Kingdom.
Richard J
RJ
Fussell
Monica
M
Garcia Lopez
David N
DN
Mortimer
Stuart
S
Wright
Monika
M
Sehnalova
Chris J
CJ
Sinclair
Alwyn
A
Fernandes
Matthew
M
Sharman
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000378:metabolism; D003358:Cosmetics / Q000032:analysis*; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D019155:Veterinary Drugs / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
D003358:Cosmetics; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D019155:Veterinary Drugs; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical