Surveillance of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in food commercialized in Barcelona, Spain.
This study explored the potential use of seven congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs-7) as indicator compounds for the presence of dioxins and PCBs in food samples, as part of the routine surveillance programme of a public health agency. Samples of 24 foodstuffs with high fat content were collected (ten fresh fish, six dairy products, five meat and three eggs). Duplicate analyses were performed. A research laboratory tested samples for seven polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDDs), ten dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and twelve dioxin-like PCBs, with limits of detection in the range of ng kg(-1) (ppt). The public health services official control laboratory tested samples for PCBs-7, with a limit of quantification of 5 µg kg(-1) (ppb). The research laboratory detected the presence of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in all samples; fish samples had the highest levels (0.04-10.3 pg WHO-TEQ g(-1)). The public health service official control laboratory detected PCBs-7 only in five samples, which were all fish. Comparing the results in the two laboratories there seems to be an association between the detection of PCB-7 and the presence of higher levels of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs. The use of PCB-7 as an indicator compound may be a practical surveillance strategy for those foodstuffs with higher concentrations of dioxin-like congeners.
a Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona , Plaça Lesseps 1, E-08023 , Barcelona (Catalonia) , Spain.
M
M
Fontcuberta
J F
JF
Arqués
J R
JR
Villalbí
M
M
Martínez
E
E
Serrahima
F
F
Centrich
M
M
Ábalos
E
E
Abad
J
J
Duran
C
C
Casas
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000378:metabolism; D003611:Dairy Products / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D004435:Eating; D004531:Eggs / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism; D005504:Food Analysis / Q000379:methods; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D011634:Public Health; D013030:Spain
D004147:Dioxins; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
animal products – meat; cheese; chromatography – gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS); dioxins – toxic equivalent quantities (TEQs); eggs; fish; polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)