niklas johanssonniklas johanssonniklas johanssonniklas johansson swedish epa and karolinska...
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What can environmental monitoring tell us about human exposure to dioxins?about human exposure to dioxins?
Niklas JohanssonNiklas Johansson
Swedish EPA and
Karolinska Institutet
2012-11-09Naturvårdsverket | Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
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What are ”dioxins”?What are dioxins ?
• Chemically, ”dioxins” are polychlorinated dibenzo-p dioxins (PCDDs) polychlorinated dibenzofuransp-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) (together: PCDD/Fs)
F d i t ti ll l C th t b• Formed unintentionally only. Can thus not be banned, just restricted
• The total number of PCDD/Fs is 210 but only 17 of these have the specific toxicological profile that characterises the most toxic congener: TCDDcharacterises the most toxic congener: TCDD
What are ”dioxins”What are dioxins
• In addition, there are 12 dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs) that also have been shown to act via the )same toxicological mechanism as TCDD
• Toxic equivalence factors (TEFs) are used toToxic equivalence factors (TEFs) are used to calculate toxic equivalence concentrations (TEQs) of dioxins and DL-PCBs.
• Current internationally accepted TEF scheme: van den Berg et al., 2006 (WHO 2005)
• NB: A number of different TEF schemes have been applied since the 1980s (I-TEF, WHO-TEF, etc )etc.)
Some implications of persistencySo e p cat o s o pe s ste cy
Slow break down but also slow reactions with• Slow break down but also slow reactions with biological systems. Thus, toxic effects will be chronic rather than acutechronic rather than acute
• Ample time to be transported and redistributed in the environmentthe environment
• Long time until positive changes from actions can be observed in the environmentbe observed in the environment
Toxicology of dioxinsToxicology of dioxins
• Important effects for human risk assessment of dioxins are developmental, cancer and immunological effects
Tolerable daily intake TDITolerable daily intake, TDI
• TDI of dioxins and DL-PCBs for humans should represent long-term intake with no risk of negative ff t f h h ltheffects of human health.
• The TDI generally applied within the EU is currently 2 pg TEQ/kg b wcurrently 2 pg TEQ/kg b.w.
Estimated daily intake of dioxins, ypg TEQ/kg b.w.
C t A M i t kCountry Age Mean intake The Netherlands 40 1.1The Netherlands 10 1.5The Netherlands 10 1.5The Netherlands 2 2.8Italy 13-94 2.28
Italy 7-12 3.37Italy 0-6 5.34
P R China 18-45 0.15-0.96
Japan 17-72 0.79-1.06pUSA >80 1.9USA 0-1 42Egypt - 6.04-6.68
Finnish fishermen and general gpopulation in the late 1990s
I Fi l d t th d f 1990' fi h l tiIn Finland at the end of 1990's, fishermen versus average population
500 average men
400
TEQ
, fat average women
fishermen
200
300
OPC
DD
/F-T
100
200
WH
O
00 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
(D t f J T i t KTL)age (Data from J. Tuomisto, KTL)
Environmental monitoring ofEnvironmental monitoring of contaminants
• Purpose: checking the state of the environment• Purpose: checking the state of the environment and to study trends −how well environmental objectives are metj−detect new environmental issues
• Often carried out as multidisciplinary programmesOften carried out as multidisciplinary programmes of recurring, systematic studies that reveal the state of the environment.
Recurring environmental monitoringRecurring environmental monitoring of contaminants in biota
• Systematic approach in order to reduce biological variation −Standardised with respect to sampling method,
time, site, species, sex, age, developmental stage organ etcstage, organ etc.
−Collect contextual information on a number of physical, chemical and biological variablesp y , g
−Analysis of several contaminants and other compounds
−Analysis of other variables that can add to the characterisation of the samples.
Environmental monitoring ofEnvironmental monitoring of contaminants
Recurrent monitoring in background areasDetection of temporal trends p
In grids and or transects including possible sources. Identification and quantification of affected areasIdentification and quantification of affected areas
Emission control Control the effect of emission reducing actionsControl the effect of emission reducing actions taken at point sources
ScreeningScreening
Bio-banking
Dioxins in Baltic Proper Guillemots p
ng TEQ/g fat
Dioxins in Baltic Proper Guillemots p
0 50,5
ng TEQ/g w.w.
01969 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011
Dioxins and DL PCBs in BalticDioxins and DL-PCBs in Baltic Proper Guillemots p
ng TEQ/g fat
Dioxins in human milk
30
35
20
25
30ng TEQ/g fat
15
20
5
10
01972 1989 1996 2000 2006
Dioxins and DL-PCBs in human milk
50556065
Dioxins
35404550 DL-PCBng TEQ/g fat
20253035
5101520
05
1972 1989 1996 2000 2006
My fishmongery g
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Information given: species (also scientificInformation given: species (also scientific name), catchment area, eco-labelling …
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Representativity and relevance of analytical results for the exposure assessment
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Where to take samples?Where to take samples?
400
300
400+ 20 %
kg fw
)
200
300
- 74 %B (μ
g/k
100
74 %
um P
CB
0Anterior Middle Tail
S
Anterior Middle Tail muscle muscle musclePart of the fish analysed (n=2)
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Spatial trendsSpatial trends
Often found in gradient studies and expressed• Often found in gradient studies and expressed as coast-open sea- and north-south gradients
G di f ibl• Gradient from possible sources−Active point sources−Contaminated sediments
Pattern analysisPattern analysis
A l t d ti t f DDE/DDT• An elevated quotient of DDE/DDT reveals recent emission of DDT
• Different patterns of dioxins indicate different sources
• Differences between biological and non-bi l i l lbiological samples
Ratio individual PCB congeners between residents in flats in buildings with and without PCB
Important information fromImportant information from environmental monitoring
• Temporal trends
• Pattern analysis−SourcesSources
Exposure routes−MetabolismMetabolism
QuotientsRecent emission?Recent emission?
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Important information fromImportant information from environmental monitoring, cont.
• Spatial trends, facilitated by standardisation−Sources
• Co-variation of compoundsCo variation of compounds−Temporal−Common sources?Common sources?
• Relative contribution to total exposure from different exposure routesdifferent exposure routes
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ConclusionsConclusions
Information on temporal and spatial trends of• Information on temporal and spatial trends of contaminants in biota could improve the general assessment of contaminants in foodassessment of contaminants in food
• Borders could be overcome as we have a win-win situationsituation
• To accomplish this we need to further harmonise food and environmental monitoringfood- and environmental monitoring
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