Comparison of levels of polychlorinated biphenyls in edible oils and oil-based products--possible link to environmental factors

• Published in: Journal of environmental science and health. Part B, Pesticides, food contaminants, and agricultural wastes Pesticides, food contaminants, and agricultural wastes, 2008-06, Vol.43 (5), p.422-428
• Main Authors: Adenugba, A.A, Headley, J, McMartin, D, Beck, A.J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; animal fats and oils; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight - drug effects; Body Weight - physiology; diet; dietary exposure; Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; distribution; environmental factors; Environmental Pollutants - analysis; Environmental Pollutants - metabolism; Environmental Pollutants - toxicity; extraction; fat; Fat industries; Female; fish sauce; food analysis; food contamination; Food industries; Food toxicology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gas chromatography; Humans; Male; mass spectrometry; mayonnaise; Medical sciences; men; oil; Oils - chemistry; pathways; PCBs; plant fats and oils; pollutants; polychlorinated biphenyls; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - analysis; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - metabolism; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - toxicity; salad dressings; Soil and water pollution; Soil science; Solvents - chemistry; Time Factors; Toxicology; women
• ISSN: 0360-1234; 1532-4109
• DOI: 10.1080/03601230802062216

Food consumption has been widely reported to be the main source of human exposure to PCBs. A total of 47 samples of food products on sale in supermarkets in the United Kingdom were thus analyzed for PCBs to determine residual levels in oil and oil-based products. The objective was to compare the measured levels of total PCBs (ΣPCBs) in food products to those reported in various environmental compartments. Combined extraction and online clean up was achieved using Accelerated Solvent Extraction™ (ASE) to recover target analytes for analysis by GC-MSD (gas chromatography mass spectrometry). Σ PCBs (ng/g) in each product were in the ranges of 4.73-44.38 edible oil; 1.40-6.18 mayonnaise; 1.21-6.25 salad cream; 1.28-5.64 seafood sauce, and 0.97-15.08 exotic dressing. The level of human exposure to PCBs in all products was < 1 μg/kg body weight/day when considering a 70 kg male or 57 kg female, possibly reflecting the reported decline of PCBs in the environment.