Monitoring of dioxins in cow's milk in risk areas

In this paper, results are reported of a monitoring study on levels of PCDDs and PCDFs in cow's milk from dairy farms in the vicinity of municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWs) and a metal reclamation plant in the Netherlands. Levels are expressed in picograms of 2,3,7,8- TCDD toxicity equivalents (TEQ) per gram of milk fat, calculated on the basis of international toxicity equivalence factors (TEF) of individual components. Samples consisted of time-averaged sampling of cow's milk during periods of one month of in total 12 dairy farms in the neighbourhood of the MSWs of Duiven, Zaandam and the Lickebaert- area and a farm near the metal reclamation plant of Culemborg. Samples were collected in the period from September to December 1990.HIMHHIGBVV