Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Zhejiang foods (2006–2015): Market basket and polluted areas

Abstract

In this study, we measured the levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in 620 foods collected during 2006–2015 from Zhejiang market, a municipal waste incinerator (MWI) and E-waste disassembling areas.For market retail foods, the levels of PCDD/F TEQs, PCDD/F plus dioxin-like PCB (DL-PCB) TEQs, and the concentrations of six indicator PCBs were generally below the EU ML. The average TEQ values for the 13 food groups were 42% of EU ML for PCDD/Fs and 32% for PCDD/Fs+DL-PCBs. Some foods of animal origin were close to the corresponding EU ML: pork (PCDD/F TEQ, 79% of ML; PCDD/F+DL-PCB TEQ, 84% of ML); infant formula (90% of PCDD/F ML) and beef (96% of PCDD/F ML; PCDD/F+DL-PCB TEQ, 78% of ML). The estimated dietary intake for the general population was 22.0pgTEQ(kgbody weight (bw))−1month−1, which was below the standard of 70pgTEQ(kgbw)−1month−1 set by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).For the MWI and E-waste disassembling sites, high concentrations of PCDD/Fs and PCBs were measured in all foods tested. The corresponding TEQ in (1) freshwater fish, (2) chicken egg, (3) chicken meat and (4) chicken liver was (1) 1.4-fold (MWI, PCDD/F TEQ), (2) 11.2-fold (MWI,) and 1.6-fold (E-waste disassembling sites), (3) 20.7-fold and (4) 3.3-fold greater than EU ML, respectively. Considering the worst situation (highly polluted foods were consumed), the estimated dietary intake for local residents were 244 (MWI) and 240pgTEQ(kgbw)−1month−1 (E-waste disassembling sites), approximately 3.5-fold greater compared to the standard 70pgTEQ(kgbw)−1month−1 set by JECFA, indicating high risk could have been imposed on the health of local residents.