Dietary exposure of the Valencia Region population to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and PCBs was assessed in the Region of Valencia in 2010-2011. A total of 7700 food samples were collected. Occurrence data were combined with consumption data to estimate dietary exposure in adults (>15 years of age) and young people (6-15 years of age). The estimated intake was calculated by a probabilistic approach. Average intake levels (upper-bound scenario) were 1.58 and 2.76 pg toxic equivalent (TEQ) kg-1 body weight (bw) day-1 for adults and young people, respectively. These average intakes are within range of the tolerable daily intake of 1-4 pg WHO-TEQ kg-1 bw day-1 recommended by WHO, and slightly above the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) of 14 pg TEQ kg-1 bw week-1 and the Provisional tolerable monthly intake of 70 pg TEQ kg-1 bw month-1 set by the Scientific Committee on Food and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food, respectively. These results show that the contamination levels in food and therefore the exposure of the general population to PCDD/Fs and PCBs have declined in this region and therefore show the efficiency of the European risk-management measures. In terms of risk characterisation, the results showed that, under the upper-bound scenario, 22% of the adult and 58% of the young people population could exceed the TWI.
Keywords: DR-CALUX® bioassay; Polychlorinateddibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs); Total Diet Study; dietary exposure assessment; dioxin-like PCBs; polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs).