title: [Monitoring plan of environmental contaminants in sheep milk from areas next to an Italian contaminated site named «Aree industriali di Porto Torres e discarica di Calancoi» (Industrial areas of Porto Torres and landfill of Calancoi) in Sardinia Region (Southern Italy)].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to assess concentration levels of dioxins, PCBs, and chemical elements in sheep milk produced in areas close to the Italian contaminated site (CS) located in the North-West of Sardinia (Southern Italy), named «Aree industriali di Porto Torres e discarica di Calancoi» (i.e., industrial areas of Porto Torres and landfill of Calancoi).
  
  
  METHODS
  monitoring plan of environmental contaminants on zootechnical productions based on analysis of dioxins, PCBs, heavy metals (Cd, Hg, Pb), and other elements (As, Be, Cr, Ni, Tl , Zn) in sheep bulk milk.
  
  
  METHODS
  60 samples of sheep bulk milk were collected in rural farms where animals were fed mainly with forage and feed produced in the CS: 30 samples from farms located near the industrial area of Porto Torres and 30 taken from farms spread out the landfill area of Calancoi, a former waste dump in the East of Sassari city.
  
  
  METHODS
  the concentration levels of target substances were determined and compared to legal thresholds fixed on EU regulations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  concentrations of target substances in all samples were below the maximum limits set by EU regulations. Dioxins and DL-PCBs (expressed as the sum) were in the range 0.20-1.30 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat, NDL-PCB (sum of the six marker congeners) were in the range 0.50-7.50 ng/g, while concentrations of all heavy metals were not detectable or were near the limit of quantitation of the method. Undetectable concentrations were also observed for the toxic elements beryllium and thallium.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  concentration levels of micro-pollutants in milk samples were significantly lower than the legal thresholds. Concentrations and congener profiles showed no relevant differences compared to milk samples from areas with low environmental impact, therefore consumption of milk from the studied area do not produce a higher intake of contaminants respect to the regional milk. The results of this study do not make the resident population safe from health risks caused by critical issue of the CS, but provide information limited to the safety of the milk from these areas, without showing peculiar contamination and hazard for food from local sheep farms.
authors.affiliation: Servizio di sanità animale, Dipartimento di prevenzione, ASL 1 Sassari.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sgarangella
authors.affiliation: Servizio di sanità animale, Dipartimento di prevenzione, ASL 1 Sassari.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bitti
authors.affiliation: Servizio di sanità animale, Dipartimento di prevenzione, ASL 1 Sassari.
authors.forename: Maria Caterina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Suelzu
authors.affiliation: Servizio di sanità animale, Dipartimento di prevenzione, ASL 1 Sassari.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Desini
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di chimica ambientale e tossicologia, Istituto zooprofilattico sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari.
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Piras
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di chimica ambientale e tossicologia, Istituto zooprofilattico sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari.
authors.forename: Gianuario
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fiori
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di chimica ambientale e tossicologia, Istituto zooprofilattico sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cossu
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di chimica ambientale e tossicologia, Istituto zooprofilattico sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari. giannina.chessa@izs-sardegna.it.
authors.forename: Giannina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chessa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D005062:European Union; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D007558:Italy; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000592:standards; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D004147:Dioxins; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008670:Metals; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls