Dietary intake estimations of organohalogen contaminants (dioxins, PCB, PBDE and chlorinated pesticides, e.g. DDT) based on Swedish market basket data

By use of a Swedish Market basket study from 1999, in which foods were sampled from four regions, the dietary intake of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) was assessed. Based on earlier data, six food groups (fish, meat, dairy products, egg, fats/oils, and pastries; comprising 52 food items) were selected for POP analyses. Homogenates from these six groups were subjected to POP analyses and levels presented on dioxins (PCDD/PCDFs), dioxin-like PCBs, PCB-153, ∑PCBs, BDE-47, ∑PBDEs, DDE, ∑DDTs, HCB, ∑HCHs, and ∑chlordanes, after adjusting non-quantified levels to 1/2 LOQ. For all compounds, the fish homogenate contained the comparatively highest levels, on a fresh weight basis. Intake calculations based on the six food groups showed that ∑PCBs and ∑DDTs gave per capita intakes of 615 and 523 ng/day, respectively, that the estimated ∑PBDE intake was 51 ng/day and that of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs was 96 pg WHO–TEQ/day. The estimated mean intakes were below (total-TEQ: 1.3 pg/kgbw/day) or well below (∑DDTs: 8.9 ng/kgbw/day) internationally agreed intake limits (total-TEQ: 2 pg/kgbw/day; ∑DDTs: 10 000 ng/kgbw/day). A number of uncertainty factors, including analytical limitations due to low POP levels in food, give reason for caution in the use of the presented intake data. However, the intake estimations of dioxins, ∑PCBs and ∑PBDEs are well in accordance to calculations of POP intakes in Sweden made by alternate methods.