INTAKE OF 2,3,7,8 CHLORINE SUBSTITUTED DIOXINS, FURANS, AND PLANAR PCBs FROM FOOD IN THE NETHERLANDS: MEDIAN AND DISTRIBUTION

To establish a standard for dioxin and related compounds in cow's milk fat, a study was carried out to determine the intake of the seventeen 2,3,7,8-chlorine substituted dioxins and furans, and three planar PCBs from food in the Netherlands. In this study were 26 different food samples, or mixtures of food products analyzed. Sampling strategy was set up using information of the Dutch food consumption survey from 1987 to 1988. By combining the concentrations of the compounds of interest with the original data from the food consumption survey, a large database was acquired, that contained intake figures of 12,000 individuals for various food categories. With these data, a statistical model was developed, that was used to calculate the median and distribution of the daily intake, in relation to age and body weight. Besides the contribution of the various food categories to the total median intake was determined. The model was used for a scenario analysis, to calculate the percentage of the population that exceeds the TDI of dioxin and related compounds after lifetime exposure from food, with increasing concentrations of TEQ in cow's milk, fat and beef. The results showed a median daily intake for adults of 1 pg (i)-TEQ per kg body weight, with a 95 percentile of 2 pg (i)-TEQ/kg, lognormal distributed. This median is lower than the results reported by authors from other countries. For the planar PCBs the figures were 1.4 and 2.5 pg (PCB)-TEQ respectively. Younger children showed a higher intake, due to their lower body weight. Fat from cow's milk, butter and cheese, and associated beef was responsible for 50% of the exposure from food. Second important were food items with a mixture of vegetable and animal fats and oil, as added by the food industry. Fish oil was responsible for that contribution, but it showed a large variation in concentrations of 2,3,7,8-chlorine substituted dioxins and furans, and three planar PCBs, in comparison with the other food categories.. Finally, the model predicts an exceeding of the TDI of 10 pg TEQ per kg body weight per day for less then 1 percent of the population at the Dutch standard of 6 pg TEQ/g milkfat.