Chlorinated hydrocarbons in beef, cow liver and milk products and total mercury in cow liver

The chlorinated hydrocarbons used in pesticides and PCB-compounds (polychlorinated biphenyls) were determined in domestic and imported beef (79 samples), cow liver (195 samples), butter (112 samples), cheese (93 samples) and milk powder (58 samples); mercury was determined in cow liver (163 samples). The domestic samples (320 samples in total) were collected from different parts of Finland. The foreign samples (270 samples in total) came mainly from the Nordic countries and Central Europe. The chlorinated hydrocarbons were determined by gas chromatography with an E.C. detector. The mercury determinations were made from freeze dried samples using a Coleman Analyzer. In the domestic samples the contents of chlorinated hydrocarbons were low and clearly below the FAO/WHO recommended limits. The pesticide quantities in the foreign samples were often higher, and in two cases the total DDT limit recommended by FAO/WHO was exceeded. The mercury contents of the livers were low and of the same magnitude in all samples examined