Dietary and toxicity exposure of emerging persistent organic pollutants to human health through consumption of cereal crops from Pakistan

ABSTRACT

There is a lack of scientific literature regarding the bioaccumulation, dietary, and toxicity exposure of emerging persistent organic pollutants through food crops. The current mini-review presents the dietary intake, spatial distribution pattern, and screening-levels risk assessment of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the cereal crops and environmental compartments from Punjab Province, Pakistan. Results of congener specific analysis were in accordance to the previously reported pattern of detected POPs across the globe. Spatial distribution was influenced by the industrial and urban fraction and trend of spatial distribution pattern was observed as follows: industrial/urban areas > industrial/peri-urban areas > agricultural/rural areas. Dietary intake of Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) via consumption of cereal crops was observed higher and was in accordance to the previously reported levels while human health was at marginal risk to cancer. The results of dietary and toxicity exposure of detected POPs warrant auxiliary devotion in future, to this group of contaminants.

KEYWORDS:

• POPs
• screening-levels risk assessment
• urban environment
• human health

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge HEC, Pakistan (HEC) for IRSIP. We also express our thanks to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, China.