Assessment of the Serbian population exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls by crops

Data on occurrence of six marker polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in 35 composite samples of some crop products (wholegrain wheat flour, edible sunflower oil and white sugar) and by-products of food processing industry (bran, dried sugar beet pulp and molasses) were collected and combined with food consumption data to assess the dietary intake of these persistent food contaminants by the Serbian adult population. The average daily intake of sum of PCBs was assessed to be 172.2 ng using a mean weight of 60 kg for the general population in Serbia. The wheat-based products contributed largely (141.0 ng day−1) to the estimated value, due to fact that these products are notably consumed in Serbia, while the contribution of edible oil (19.8 ng day−1) and sugar (11.4 ng day−1) were not pronounced. The estimated daily intakes were compared with the maximum permissible risk (MPR) level of 600 ng day−1 established by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment. The additional source seemed to be found in the market basket that included meat products, fish, dairy products and eggs.