Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - The influence of sewage sludge applications to agricultural land on human exposure to polychlorinated dibenzo-P-dioxins (PCDDs) and -furans (PCDFs).
AU - Wild, S. R.
AU - Harrad, S. J.
AU - Jones, K. C.
N1 - sewage sludges; organic contaminants; PCDDs; PCDFs; agricultural soils
PY - 1994
Y1 - 1994
N2 - Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) are organic chemicals of suspected extreme toxicity. PCDD/Fs are ubiquitous in the environment and relatively enriched in sewage sludges. The deliberate application of sewage sludge to agricultural land can therefore potentially increase exposure of the human population to these compounds via transfers through the foodchain. This paper presents a protocol for assessing the background human exposure to all seventeen 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDD/Fs for which toxic equivalent factors (TEFs) are available. Background daily human exposure in the UK to 2,3,7,8-T4CDD and I-TEQ are calculated to be 0·0239 ng and 0·203 ng, respectively. The potential increases in crop plant and livestock tissue PCDD/F concentrations, and hence in human exposure, following applications of sewage sludge to agricultural land are quantified for different sludge application scenarios. The key role of PCDD/F transfer into livestock via ingestion of sludge adhered to vegetation in determining increases in human exposure is demonstrated.
AB - Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) are organic chemicals of suspected extreme toxicity. PCDD/Fs are ubiquitous in the environment and relatively enriched in sewage sludges. The deliberate application of sewage sludge to agricultural land can therefore potentially increase exposure of the human population to these compounds via transfers through the foodchain. This paper presents a protocol for assessing the background human exposure to all seventeen 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDD/Fs for which toxic equivalent factors (TEFs) are available. Background daily human exposure in the UK to 2,3,7,8-T4CDD and I-TEQ are calculated to be 0·0239 ng and 0·203 ng, respectively. The potential increases in crop plant and livestock tissue PCDD/F concentrations, and hence in human exposure, following applications of sewage sludge to agricultural land are quantified for different sludge application scenarios. The key role of PCDD/F transfer into livestock via ingestion of sludge adhered to vegetation in determining increases in human exposure is demonstrated.
U2 - 10.1016/0269-7491(94)90158-9
DO - 10.1016/0269-7491(94)90158-9
M3 - Journal article
VL - 83
SP - 357
EP - 369
JO - Environmental Pollution
JF - Environmental Pollution
SN - 1873-6424
IS - 3
ER -