Dioxin and PCB residues in meats from Italy: Consumer dietary exposure

Grazia Barone; Arianna Storelli; Nicoletta C Quaglia; Angela Dambrosio; Rita Garofalo; Roberta Chiumarulo; Maria M Storelli

doi:10.1016/j.fct.2019.110717

Dioxin and PCB residues in meats from Italy: Consumer dietary exposure

Food Chem Toxicol. 2019 Nov:133:110717. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2019.110717. Epub 2019 Jul 26.

Authors

Grazia Barone¹, Arianna Storelli¹, Nicoletta C Quaglia¹, Angela Dambrosio², Rita Garofalo¹, Roberta Chiumarulo¹, Maria M Storelli³

Affiliations

¹ Biosciences, Biotechnology and Biopharmaceutical Department - University of Bari - Strada Prov. le per Casamassima km 3, 70010, Valenzano (Ba), Italy.
² Department of Emergency and Organ Transplant, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", 70010, Valenzano (BA), Italy.
³ Biosciences, Biotechnology and Biopharmaceutical Department - University of Bari - Strada Prov. le per Casamassima km 3, 70010, Valenzano (Ba), Italy. Electronic address: mariamaddalena.storelli@uniba.it.

PMID: 31356912
DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2019.110717

Abstract

In order to investigate PCB and PCDD/F concentrations and potential human health risk a study has been conducted in meat samples (beef, pork, chicken and turkey) purchased from Italian supermarkets. PCBs were dominant (41.8-77.7 ng g^-1 l.w.) with respect to PCDD/Fs (20.1-91.1 pg g^-1 l.w.). The levels were variable and largely dependent upon the type of meat. Accumulation pattern showed a distribution typically reported for meat. PCBs tended to decrease from lowest to highest congeners, while for PCDD/Fs the concentration profile was dominated by highly chlorinated dioxins and furans. Concentrations of PCDD/Fs plus dl-PCBs and indicator PCBs exceeding the EU maximum permissible levels were found in 23.3% and 53.3% of the samples, respectively. Exposure estimates to PCDD/Fs plus dl-PCBs (0.08-4.16 pg WHO-TEQs kg^-1 b.w. w.^-1) were within the new limit proposed by the EFSA's expert panel, except for pork sausage, showing a twofold higher value. Concerning the exposure derived from indicator PCBs, the maximum level set by different European countries (10 ng kg^-1 b.w. d.^-1) was surpassed solely via consumption of pork sausage (17.22 ng kg^-1 b.w. d.^-1), thought also the estimated intake from hamburger consumption (6.88 ng kg^-1 b.w. d.^-1) merits attention being close to guideline limit.

Keywords: Dl-PCBs; Exposure assessment; Indicator PCBs; Italy; Meat; PCDD/Fs.

MeSH terms

Animals
Cattle
Chickens
Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated / analysis*
Dietary Exposure / statistics & numerical data*
Food Contamination / analysis*
Italy
Meat / analysis*
Polychlorinated Biphenyls / analysis*
Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / analysis*
Pork Meat / analysis
Poultry Products / analysis
Swine
Turkeys

Substances

Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated
Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins
Polychlorinated Biphenyls