Intercomparison study on milk powder fortified with PCDD and PCDF

Monitoring dioxins and furans in a population living near a hazardous waste incinerator: levels in breast milk

In this study, the concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDFs) in breast milk from mothers living in the vicinity of a new hazardous waste incinerator (HWI) were determined. Monitoring was performed after three years of regular operations in the facility and the present results were compared with baseline concentrations obtained in a pre-operational program. PCDD/PCDF levels were determined by HRGC/HRMS in 15 samples. In the present study, PCDD/PCDF concentrations ranged from 4.9 to 39.9 pg I-TEQ/g fat (5.1-46.8 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat), with a median value of 7.7 pg I-TEQ/g fat (9.1 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat). In the baseline survey, PCDD/PCDF concentrations ranged between 5.9 and 17.1 pg I-TEQ/g fat, with a median value of 11.7 pg I-TEQ/g fat. In relation to this, a percentage of reduction of 34.2% was noted. This decrease is in agreement with the relevant reduction found in the dietary intake of PCDD/PCDFs between both surveys. The results of the present study, as well as other recent environmental and biological data, indicate that living in the vicinity of this HWI should not mean additional health risks due to PCDD/PCDFs for the general population.

Comparative study of methodologies for the analysis of PCDDs and PDCFs in powdered full-fat milk. PCB, PCDD and PCDF levels in commercial samples from Spain

Feasibility of two different extraction methods involving solid-liquid extraction and Soxhlet extraction, previously used for the determination of lipid contents and PCB levels on powdered full-fat milk, are now examined for simultaneous PCDD/F analysis. The results of this study are consistent with those found for PCBs. The solid-liquid procedure provides the most efficient extraction of both labelled spiked and endogenous PCDD/Fs with the lowest variability. The average recoveries were 101% (R.S.D. = 6.9%) for 13C12-2,3,7,8-TCDD and 95% (R.S.D. = 11%) for 13C12-1,2,3,4,7,8-HxCDD. The R.S.D.s for endogenous 2,3,7,8-PCDD/Fs were in the 9.3-25% range. In addition, this methodology simplified the subsequent clean-up step as it allowed a semi-selective extraction of the apolar lipids from the milk. The proposed method was applied to simultaneous PCB and PCDD/F analyses in different brands of powdered full-fat milks commercially available in Spain. In all cases, very similar PCB and PCDD/F levels were found. Differences among batches from the same manufacturer were even lower. The total i-TEQ average for PCDDs and PCDFs in the 22 powdered full-fat milk samples analysed was 1.87 pg/g fat basis. This value was similar to those found in cow's milk from other European countries.

Levels and trends of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in human milk in Finland

Word Health Organization, WHO/EURO, has coordinated two rounds of follow-up studies on levels of PCDDs, PCDFs, and PCBs in human milk which were analyzed as two pooled samples from each participating country, one from urban and the other one from rural area. Finland has taken part to both of those studies and we are now reporting results of all the second round randomly sampled human milk samples (84 samples) from Southern (20) and Eastern (64) Finland. The levels of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in human milk in Southern Finland were considerably higher than in Eastern Finland. The level of PCDD/Fs in human milk in Southern Finland was the same as in the Central Europe but the level in Eastern Finland was similar to levels in Norway and eastern parts of Europe. The concentrations of PCDD/Fs and PCBs showed a significant decrease from 1987 to 1994. Declining of PCDD/Fs and PCBs was 36 and 49% in primiparae mothers' milk, respectively. This decrease in concentrations of PCDD/F and PCB was slightly greater in Eastern than in Southern Finland.

PCDD, PCDF, and PCB concentrations in human milk from two areas in Finland

Concentrations of 17 toxic 2,3,7,8-chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and of 36 polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (PCBs) were analyzed from 167 randomly sampled human milk samples from Southern (77 samples) and Eastern (90) Finland. The level of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in human milk in Southern Finland was about 25% higher than those from Eastern Finland. The level of PCDD/Fs in human milk in Finland was the same as in Sweden, 30-50% lower than in milk from Central Europe but about 45% higher than values from Norway or Russia. The PCB concentrations in Southern Finland were at the same level as in the Netherlands, and in Eastern Finland at the same level as in Norway. The levels of PCDD/Fs and PCBs decreased with increasing number of children: the third child was exposed to about 70% of the amount of PCDD/Fs and PCBs as compared with the first child, and the eighth to tenth child to about 20%. The congener patterns of PCDD/Fs and PCBs in Finnish human milk were similar to the countries of Central Europe, however, the levels of penta- and heptachlorinated furans were slightly higher than in milk from other countries.

Food control surveys of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans and intake estimates

Several countries have congener-specific data on polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and dibenzofurans (PCDF) in basic foods as well as calculations of the daily exposure to PCDD/F through food. In many countries the total daily intake is of the same level, close to 2 pg toxic equivalents (TEQ)/kg bw/day. The highest concentrations of chlorinated dioxins and furans have been measured in fish and beef which are also their most important sources, together with milk and dairy products. Compared with adults, the neonates and probably older children have a higher exposure level. If human exposure to chlorinated dioxins and furans is higher than the most common tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 10 pg TEQ/kg bw/day, effective means to control the exposure level are needed. The most important countermeasures are to set limits for emissions of PCDD/F and for concentrations in cow's milk, which is an important source of these compounds for children.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans via mother's milk may cause developmental defects in the child's teeth

Previous studies have shown developmental dental defects in rhesus macaques and rats experimentally exposed to dioxin. Now it was investigated if dioxin exposure from mother's milk in a normal breast-fed child population correlated with enamel hypomineralization of teeth that mineralize during the first 2 years of life. We studied 102 6-7-year-old Finnish children breast-fed for an average of 10.5 months. Milk samples were collected when the child was 4 weeks old. The concentrations of 17 most toxic polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and furan congeners were determined. The total exposure to dioxins was calculated from the concentrations in milk and the duration of breast feeding. Hypomineralization of the target teeth was found in 17 children. Both the frequency and severity of the lesions correlated with the total exposure. The results suggest that at the prevailing levels in human milk, dioxin may be an important cause of hypomineralization in the developing teeth of children.

Polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and polychlorodibenzofuran concentrations in human fat samples in a village after pollution of drinking water with chlorophenols

Polychorodibenzo-p-dioxin and polychlorodibenzofuran (PCDD/F) and polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) concentrations were analyzed in fat samples of seven people from a village where the population had been exposed to chlorophenols for over twenty years, and in seven matched controls. There was only a minor difference in both PCDD/F and PCB concentrations which seemed to reflect the general difference in background pollution between the locations. We found nothing which could be construed as evidence of elevated levels of PCDD/Fs due to the chlorophenol exposure. Hence any detrimental health effects must be considered as being due to chlorophenols rather than PCDD/F impurities.