Levels and Profiles of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins, Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans, and Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Feedstuffs and Milk From Farms in the Vicinity of Incineration Plants in Tuscany, Italy

• Published in: Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology Vol. 57; no. 2; pp. 397 - 404
• Main Authors: Ingelido, Anna Maria, Abballe, Annalisa, di Domenico, Alessandro, Fochi, Igor, Iacovella, Nicola, Saragosa, Alberto, Spagnesi, Maurizio, Valentini, Silvia, De Felip, Elena
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer-Verlag 01.08.2009; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Animal Feed - analysis; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Benzofurans - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Cattle; Chemical contaminants; Combustion; Congeners; Contamination; Dairy farms; Dioxins; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental impact; Farms; Food contamination & poisoning; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Incineration; Incineration plants; Incinerators; Indicators; Italy; Medical wastes; Milk; Milk - chemistry; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Municipal solid waste; PCB; Pollutants; Pollution; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - analysis; Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins; Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins - analogs & derivatives; Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins - analysis; Polychlorinated dibenzofurans; Polymers - analysis; Refuse Disposal; Sheep; Soil Science & Conservation; Studies; Toxicity; Italy, Tuscany; PCBs; Congener Profile; Incineration Plant; Milk Sample; Dioxin; Persistent organic pollutant; Pollution; Dioxin derivatives; Ecotoxicology; Incineration; Toxicity; Chlorine Organic compounds; Polychlorobiphenyls; Environment; Organic compounds; Feed
• ISSN: 0090-4341; 1432-0703
• DOI: 10.1007/s00244-008-9262-y

Levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) were determined in samples of bovine and ovine milk collected in farms located in the province of Grosseto, Tuscany, in the vicinity of two incineration plants as well as in farms located in areas with presumable background levels of contamination. Samples of feedstuffs of local origin used in the investigated farms were also collected and analysed. The cumulative levels of PCDDs, PCDFs, and dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs) in feedstuffs ranged from 0.25 to 0.61 pg WHO-TE/g fresh weight (fw) in the farms under impact from incinerator emissions and from 0.21 to 0.34 pg WHO-TE/g fw in the control area farms. The sums of the six non–dioxin-like indicator PCB (NDL-PCB) congeners were 0.13 to 9.3 ng/g fw and 1.2 to 1.9 ng/g fw, respectively. In milk samples, the levels detected were 0.71 to 2.9 pg WHO-TE/g fat and 0.52 to 0.59 pg WHO-TE/g fat in farms under impact from the incinerators and in the control area farms, respectively. The corresponding sums of the six indicator PCB congeners were 1.4 to 8.2 ng/g fat and 0.90 to 1.6 ng/g fat. In all samples, contamination levels were below the limits set by the European Community (EC; Commission Directive 2006 /13/EC and Commission Regulation 1881 /2006/EC.) No relevant differences were found between samples collected in potentially exposed areas and control areas for total toxic equivalents and cumulative analytic levels of PCDDs, PCDFs, DL-PCBs, and NDL-PCBs ( p  > 0.05, Mann-Whitney U test). Observed levels were in agreement with those found in other countries in areas with background levels of exposure. Congener levels and profiles of PCDDs, PCDFs, and PCBs in feedstuffs and milk samples that were compared describe congener-specific transfer behavior.