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. 2024 Apr 10;13(8):1155.
doi: 10.3390/foods13081155.

Pesticides and Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Milk and Dairy Products in Croatia: A Health Risk Assessment

Maja Đokić  1 , Tamara Nekić  1 , Ivana Varenina  1 , Ines Varga  1 , Božica Solomun Kolanović  1 , Marija Sedak  1 , Bruno Čalopek  1 , Darija Vratarić  2 , Nina Bilandžić  1
Affiliations

Pesticides and Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Milk and Dairy Products in Croatia: A Health Risk Assessment

Maja Đokić et al. Foods. .

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate contamination levels and the frequency of detection of organochlorine (OCPs) and organophosphate pesticides (OPPs), pyrethroids, carbamates and polychlorinated biphenyls (seven PCB congeners) in a total of 534 samples of cow's, sheep's and goat's milk and dairy products from Croatia. Concentrations above the limit of quantification (LOQ) were measured for fourteen OCPs, nine OPPs, six pyrethroids, one carbamate and PCBs with a total of 172 results, and no concentrations exceeded the maximal residue levels defined by the European Union. The mean concentrations of pesticides and the sum of seven PCBs were determined in the ranges 0.92-17.4 μg/kg and 1.38-2.74 μg/kg. Pesticides were quantified in 27% of samples, and seven PCBs were quantified in 5.23% of samples. Among the three pesticide groups, the highest numbers of quantified results were found for OCPs (12.1-20.8%). The highest frequencies of detection were found for the sum of 4,4'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its isomers (DDTs), hexachlorobenzene and seven PCBs. The sum of seven PCBs was quantified within the range of 3.3-6.67% of samples per milk type and dairy products. Among the OPPs, the highest frequency of detection was found for chlorpyrifos in cow's milk. Based on the estimated daily intakes, chronic risk characterisation showed no risk for adults or ten-year-old children for the consumption of cow's milk and dairy products.

Keywords: Croatia; dairy products; food contaminants; food safety; milk; pesticides; polychlorinated biphenyls; risk assessment.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chromatograms for all optimised analytes in real milk sample (A), blank milk sample (B) and standard milk sample spiked at LOQ level (C).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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