Abstract
Nine samples of butter from producers in various states of Australia were analysed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs). Detectable concentrations of 2,3,7,8-chlorine substituted PCDD/Fs were found in all samples. The mean PCDD/F concentration expressed as 2,3,7,8-TCDD equivalents (TEQs) was 0.19 pg TEQ g−1 fat. The highest concentration (0.46 pg TEQ g−1 fat) was observable in a sample from Victoria which is the most densely populated state. Overall the results indicate that PCDD/F concentrations in dairy products from Australia are low in comparison to the levels in dairy products of industrialized countries on the Northern Hemisphere. As expected, this study provides evidence that the environmental and consequently the human body burden of PCDD/ Fs to be relatively low in Australia.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Buckland SJ, Scobie S, Heslop V (1998): Concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs and PCBs in retail foods and an assessment of dietary intake in New Zealanders. Organochlorines Program, Ministry for the Environment. Ministry for the Environment, New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand
Defour S, Fraisse D, Scherrer MC, Schnepp B, Le Querrec F (1998): Analysis of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in milk around industrial sites in France. Organohalogen Compd 38, 85–88
Fiedler H, Cooper KR, Bergek S, Hjelt M, Rappe C (1997): Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF) in food samples collected in Southern Mississippi, USA. Chemosphere 34, 1411–1419
Fürst P (1998): Dioxine in Lebensmittel. In: Handbuch Dioxine. 1st ed., Ed. M. Oehme, 227–66. Heidelberg: Spektrum Akademischer Verlag
Gaus C, Päpke O, Denisson N, Haynes D, Shaw GR, Connell DW, Müller JF (2000): Evidence for the presence of a widespread PCDD source in coastal sediments and soils from Queensland, Australia. Chemosphere in press
Grochowalski A, Chrzaszcz R (2000): The result of the large scale determination of PCDDs, PCDFs and coplanar PCBs in polish food product samples using GC-MS/MS technique. Organohalogen Compd 47, 310–313
Liem DAK, Fürst P, Rappe C (2000): Exposure of populations to dioxins and related Compd. Food Additives and Contaminants 17, 241–259
Lindström G, Haug LS, Nicolaysen T (2000): Intercalibration on Dioxin in Food, An International Study, Report No 9 Folkehelsa, National Institute of Public Health ISBN 82-7364-167-8
Lorber MN, Winters DL, Griggs J, Cook R, Baker S, Ferrario J, Byrne C, Dupuy A, Schaum J (1998): A national survey of dioxin-like compounds in the Unites States milk supply. Organohalogen Compd 38, 125–129
Malisch R (2000): Increase of the PCDD/F-contamination of milk, butter and meat samples by use of contaminated citrus pulp. Chemosphere 40, 1041–1053
McLachlan MS (1996): Bioaccumulation of hydrophobic chemicals in agricultural food chains. Environ Sci Technol 30, 252–259
Mclachlan MS (1997): A simple model to predict accumulation of PCDD/Fs in an agricultural food chain. Chemosphere 34, 1263–1276
Müller JF, McLachlan MS, Hawker DW, Connell DW (1998) Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans in the atmospheric environment of Brisbane, Australia. Clean Air 32, 27–31
NATO CCMS (NATO Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society) 1988. International Toxicity Equivalency Factors (I-TEF) Method of Risk assessment of complex mixture of dioxins and related compounds. NATO CCMS Report No 176
Prange JA, Gaus C, Päpke O, Müller JF (2001): Investigation into the PCDD contamination in topsoil, river sediments and kaolinite clay in Queensland, Australia. submitted to Chemosphere
Ramos L, Eljarrat E, Hernandez LM, Rivera J, Gonzales MJ (1999): Levels of PCBs, PCDDs and PCDFs in commercial butter samples in Spain. Chemosphere 38, 3141–3153
Rappe C, Nygren M, Lindstroem G, Buser HR, Blaser O, Wüthrich C (1987): Polychlorinated dibenzofurans and dibenzo-p-dioxins and other chlorinated contaminants in cow milk from various locations in Switzerland. Environ Sci Technol 21, 964–970
Schecter A, Cramer P, Boggess K, Stanley J, Olson JR (1997) Levels of dioxins, dibenzofurans, PCB and DDE congeners in pooled food samples collected in 1995 at supermarkets across the United States. Chemosphere 34, 1437–1447
United Nations Environment Programme (1999): Dioxin and Furan Inventories-National and Regional Emissions of PCDD/PCDF. Geneva, Switzerland: United Nations
Van den Berg M, Birnbaum L, Bosveld ATC, Brunstroem B, Cook P, Feeley M, Giesy JP, Hanberg A, Hasegawa R, Kennedy SW, Kubiak T, Larsen JC, Van Leeuwen RFX, Liem DAK, Nolt C, Peterson RE, Poellinger L, Safe S, Schrenk D, Tillitt D, Tysklind M, Younes M, Waern F, Zacharewski T (1998): Toxicity Equivalency Factors (TEFs) for PCBs, PCDDs, PCDFs for humans and wildlife. Environ Health Perspect 106, 775–792
Weiss J, Bergman A, Päpke O: (manuscript in preparation) PCDD/ PCDFs and related contaminants in butter samples originating from 45 countries world wide. Chemosphere (in preparation)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Müller, J.F., Prange, J., Gaus, C. et al. Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans in butter from different states in Australia. Environ Sci & Pollut Res 8, 7–10 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02987289
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02987289