Dioxin and dl-PCB exposure from food: the German LExUKon project

Abstract

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and -furan (PCDD/F) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyl (dl-PCB) exposure from food were estimated using new food consumption data from the recent German food consumption survey (Nationale Verzehrsstudie II – NVS II). Based on these comprehensive data, information on the consumption of 545 individual food items by the German population was derived. Concentrations of dioxin-like compounds in food were compiled from the German Food Monitoring Programme (GFMP), the German Dioxin Database, other German authority programmes, European countries’ authority programmes and the published literature covering the years 2000–2010. By multiplication with consumption data, estimates of intake from food were determined. The main food groups contributing most to the intake of the general public are dairy products (including milk), meat and fish (including seafood), followed – due to high consumption – by the main group vegetables. The combined intake of PCDD/F and dl-PCB (as toxic equivalents – TEQ) from food was estimated to be 2.11/1.53 pg kg^–1 bw and day and 3.56/2.85 pg kg^–1 bw and day (upper/lower bound) for average and high-end consumers, respectively. The estimated intake of average consumers is close to a reference value derived by the Scientific Committee on Food in 2001. Uncertainties in these estimates pertain to the influence of values below the limit of quantification (upper/lower bound ratio) and some foods not considered due to the lack of contamination data.

Keywords:

• dioxins
• polychlorinated biphenyls
• exposure
• intake
• food consumption
• food contaminants

Funding

This work was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety “Lebensmittelbedingte Aufnahme von Umweltkontaminanten – Datenaufbereitung zur Unterstützung und Standardisierung von Expositionsschätzungen auf Basis der Nationalen Verzehrsstudie II” [Forschungskennzeichen UM 08 61 712]. The authors have no financial or non-financial interest to disclose.