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ARS Home » Plains Area » Fargo, North Dakota » Edward T. Schafer Agricultural Research Center » Animal Metabolism-Agricultural Chemicals Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #145769
Title: LEVELS OF POLYCHLORINATED DIBENZO-P-DIOXINS AND DIBENZOFURANS IN CATTLE RAISED AT AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FACILITIES ACROSS THE USA AND THE INFLUENCE OF PENTACHLOROPHENOL-TREATED WOOD.

Author
item Huwe, Janice
item DAVISON, KENNETH - ARS RETIRED
item FEIL, VERNON - ARS RETIRED
item Larsen, Gerald
item Lorentzsen, Margaret
item ZAYLSKIE, RICHARD - ARS RETIRED
item TIERNAN, THOMAS - WRIGHT ST UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Journal of Food Additives & Contaminants
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/8/2003
Publication Date: 2/1/2004
Citation: Huwe, J.K., Davison, K., Feil, V.J., Larsen, G.L., Lorentzsen, M.K., Zaylskie, R., Tiernan, T.O. 2004. Levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in cattle raised at agricultural research facilities across the USA and the influence of pentachlorophenol-treated wood. Journal of Food Additives & Contaminants 21(2):182-194.

Interpretive Summary: Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans are ubiquitous environmental pollutants which are considered to be potential chronic human toxins. Humans are exposed to these compounds (dioxins) predominately through their diet. Based on food surveys done in the mid-90s, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that beef, while low in dioxins, contributes 20% of the dietary exposure in the US. In order to supplement the limited amount of data on dioxin levels in US beef (65 samples) and to investigate any possible geographical trend of dioxin levels in US beef cattle, a survey of 158 cattle from selected locations across the country was conducted. Results of this survey supported the earlier findings that showed relatively low dioxin levels in beef. However, some animals with much higher dioxin amounts were discovered and the source of this contamination was traced back to pentachlorophenol-treated wood at three locations. Pentachlorophenol is a wood preservative which may contain high levels of certain dioxins. Its use has been restricted since the 1970s. It appeared that random chewing or licking of treated wood may have exposed cattle to dioxins at three locations studied in this survey. The overall occurrence of treated wood to which beef cattle may be exposed is not known; however, elimination of treated wood may be one way to lower dioxin levels in some cattle. No geographical trends emerged from this survey due to the small number of samples from certain areas of the country and the discovery of pentachlorophenol-treated wood contamination at other sites.

Technical Abstract: Adipose tissue samples from 158 cattle raised locally at experiment stations across the US were analysed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F). While 80% of the samples had PCDD/F concentrations which fell within the range of a previous US survey of beef animals [not detected-4.1 ppt toxic equivalency (TEQ)], several animals had exceptionally high concentrations (8-54 ppt TEQ). The investigations of three facilities where highly contaminated animals were raised found pentachlorophenol-treated wood at each site. The congener profile in the animals' tissues and the lack of elevated PCDD/F levels in other environmental samples, i.e. hay and soil, indicated that the treated wood was the source of contamination. A congener profile similar to that of PCP-exposed animals was seen for the mean and median values of the entire data, i.e. OCDD, HpCDD, and 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDD dominated, the PCDD concentrations equalled or exceeded the furan concentrations, and the concentration of 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDD was six times that of the other HxCDD isomers. This suggested that PCP-treated wood contributed measurably to many of the animals in this survey. The largest contributors to the median TEQ were 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD (40%) and 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDD (16%). No clear geographical trends emerged from the data.