The impact of production type and region on polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran (PCDD/F) concentrations in Canadian chicken egg yolks

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) 2012-11, Vol.89 (8), p.929-935
• Main Authors: Rawn, Dorothea F.K., Sadler, Amy R., Quade, Sue C., Sun, Wing-Fung, Kosarac, Ivana, Hayward, Stephen, Ryan, J. Jake
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Applied sciences; Benzofurans - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; biphenyl; Canada; chicken eggs; Chickens; Diet; egg yolk; Egg Yolk - chemistry; Egg yolks; eggs; Environment. Living conditions; Environmental pollutants toxicology; Exact sciences and technology; Food Contamination - analysis; lipids; Medical sciences; pollutants; Pollution; polychlorinated biphenyls; Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); Polychlorinated Biphenyls - analysis; Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans (PCDD/Fs); polychlorinated dibenzodioxins; Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins - analogs & derivatives; Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins - analysis; polychlorinated dibenzofurans; Polymers - analysis; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; toxicity; Toxicology; World Health Organization
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2012.05.111

► PCBs, PCDD/Fs in Canadian egg yolks. ► Concentration in free range yolks not significantly higher than yolks from conventional production. ► Concentrations related to region of production in Canada. Chicken eggs from five different production types (conventional, omega-3 enriched, free range, organic and free run) were collected, when available, from three regions (west, central and east) of Canada to determine persistent organic pollutant (POP) concentrations. Total polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations (∑37 congeners) in yolks from the eggs ranged from 0.162ngg−1 lipid to 24.8ngg−1 lipid (median 1.25ngg−1 lipid) while the concentration of the sum of the 6 indicator PCBs ranged from 0.100ngg−1 lipid to 9.33ngg−1 lipid (median 0.495ngg−1 lipid). Total polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin/dibenzofuran (PCDD/F) concentrations ranged from 2.37pgg−1 lipid to 382pgg−1 lipid (median 9.53pgg−1 lipid). The 2005 WHO toxic equivalency (TEQ) ranged from 0.089pg TEQPCDD/F+dioxin-like[DL]-PCBg−1 lipid to 12.8pg TEQPCDD/F+DL-PCBg−1 lipid (median 0.342pg TEQPCDD/F+DL-PCBg−1 lipid). PCB and PCDD/F concentrations were significantly different (p