FOOD. Science. Technology. Quality

Food. SCIENCE. Technology. Quality

Food. Science. TECHNOLOGY. Quality

Food. Science. Technology. QUALITY

Authors

AGATA WITCZAK, JACEK CYBULSKI, ANNA MITUNIEWICZ-MAŁEK, IZABELA DMYTRÓW

Title

Changes in content of PCB in milk derived from milk vending machines during a 3-year period – attempt to assess consumer exposure

Abstract

More and more purchasers buy fresh milk using milk vending machines. This milk is neither pasteurised nor sterilized, therefore its  microbiological and chemical cleanness may cause some concern. The objective of the research study was to assess the remains of non- ortho, mono-ortho PCB, and indicatory congeners (ndl PCB) in fresh milk from milk vending machines. The analyses were performed using GS MS techniques. It was shown that the contents of PCB varied in the milk analyzed: the amount of ndl PCB congeners  ranged between the values lower than LOQ and 7.13 ng/g of lipids (PCB 52). The total of ndl PCB ranged between 4.70 and 12.32 ng/g of  lipids, i.e. 11.7 ÷ 30.8 % of MRL. In the case of dl PCB, low levels were reported of the remains of the compounds analysed in the milk. As  for the nonortho PCB congeners, they ranged between the values lower than LOQ and 3.46 ng/g of lipids and as for the mono-ortho PCB:  between the values lower than LOQ and 3.28 ng/g of lipids. The value of TEQ, toxic equivalent, ranged from 0.00003 to 0.00024 pg- TEQ/g of lipids, i.e. 0.001 ÷ 0.01 % of MRL. The analysis of health risk assessment made it possible to show that at the present level of  milk consumption, this product was safe for consumers because the daily PCB intake was significantly lower than the tolerable daily intake  (TDI). Based on the changes in TEQ during a three-year period, no significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the content of dl PCB  congeners was found; what’s more, in the case of two sampling points, a slight increase in this content was reported. This fact proves that  those persistent xenoestrogenic substances may be present in the environment and food over many years. On the other hand, during the  period studied, a small decrease in the contents of ndl PCB was reported. The recorded remains of PCB were safe for consumers.

Keywords

milk from milk vending machines, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dl PCB, ndl PCB, health risk assessment

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