title: Potential impact on food safety and food security from persistent organic pollutants in top soil improvers on Mediterranean pasture.
abstract: The organic carbon of biosolids from civil wastewater treatment plants binds persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polychlorodibenzo -dioxins and -furans (PCDD/Fs), dioxin and non-dioxin -like polychlorobiphenyls (DL and NDL-PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). The use of such biosolids, derived digestates and composts as top soil improvers (TSIs) may transfer POPs into the food chain. We evaluated the potential carry-over of main bioavailable congeners from amended soil-to-milk of extensive farmed sheep. Such estimates were compared with regulatory limits (food security) and human intakes (food safety). The prediction model was based on farming practices, flocks soil intake, POPs toxicokinetics, and dairy products intake in children, of the Mediterranean area. TSI contamination ranged between 0.20-113 ng WHO-TEQ/kg dry matter for PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs (N = 56), 3.40-616 μg/kg for ∑6 NDL-PCBs (N = 38), 0.06-17.2 and 0.12-22.3 μg/kg for BDE no. 47 and no. 99, 0.872-89.50 μg/kg for PFOS (N = 27). For a 360 g/head/day soil intake of a sheep with an average milk yield of 2.0 kg at 6.5% of fat percentage, estimated soil quality standards supporting milk safety and security were 0.75 and 4.0 ng WHO-TEQ/kg for PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs, and 3.75 and 29.2 μg/kg for ∑6 NDL-PCBs, respectively. The possibility to use low-contaminated TSIs to maximize agriculture benefits and if the case, to progressively mitigate highly contaminated soils is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di sanità, Veterinary Public Health Dept, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brambilla
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di sanità, Veterinary Public Health Dept, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Abate
authors.affiliation: Università degli Studi di Sassari, Agricultural Science, Viale Italia, 39 07100 Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Battacone
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di sanità, Toxicological Chemistry Unit, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: De Filippis
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Via Salute 2, 08055 Portici, (Neaples), Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.affiliation: Agenzia Regionale Per la Protezione dell'Ambiente Regione Puglia, Via Anfiteatro 8, 74100 Taranto, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.affiliation: Istituto Superiore di sanità, Toxicological Chemistry Unit, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Miniero
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D020387:Food Chain; D059022:Food Safety; D005523:Food Supply; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000032:analysis*; D019083:Mediterranean Region; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000032:analysis; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004147:Dioxins; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Dairy; Food safety; Food security; Mediterranean; POPs; Sheep; Top soil improvers