Abstract
A household waste dump near Amsterdam appears to be seriously contaminated with organochlorine waste compounds originating from commercial production of 2,4,5-T, dichlobenil, lindane and tetrachlorodifon. Top soil, bottom sediments and silt of nearby water-ways draining the dump are contaminated with chlorobenzenes, chlorophenols and the like as well as with polychlorinated dioxins and dibenzofurans, including 2,3,7,8-TCDD. Analysis of fish, game animals, worms and mice also revealed measurable concentrations of the most toxic dioxin-isomer as well as of the most toxic dibenzofurans, apart from high levels of the less toxic congeners. Milk fat samples taken from adjacent dairy farms and wild fruits like blackberries, however, were negative. Within the dump area the highest 2,3,7,8-TCDD-levels in fish were found in eel. These amounted to 144 ppt in whole body samples and 97 ppt in liver. The sum of total toxic tetrachloro-dibenzofurans reached concentrations in whole body and liver of up to 5,000 and 2,500 ppt respectively. Toxic levels in eel caught outside the dump site were far lower. The surrounding population was dissuaded from consuming eel and other fish species caught in the contaminated canals within the dump area as well as rabbits shot at the dump site itself. The Dutch Government has established an ADI for 2,3,7,8-TCDD of 4 picograms per kg of bodyweight as a preliminary guideline for health protection.
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