Title of the dataset:
Monitoring dioxins, PCBs and flame retardants in agricultural and fishery products in 2018

Creators:
Hanneke Brust, ORCID: 0000-0003-0386-6144
Stefan van Leeuwen, ORCID: 0000-0003-4847-0768
Martijn van der Lee, ORCID: n.a.
Ron Hoogenboom, ORCID: 0000-0002-8913-5328
Antoine Nijrolder, ORCID: n.a.

Related publication:
No

Description:
On behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV), Wageningen Food Safety Research analyses samples of agricultural products of animal origin for dioxins, PCBs, brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and poly- and perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs). This includes meat, milk, eggs and fish.
The samples are taken at the primary production or processing stage (e.g. in slaughterhouses or raw milk collection services). For dioxin-like compounds, 350 samples are first screened with the DR CALUX® method. Samples giving a signal indicating a level above the lowest action level are regarded as suspected. These samples are further examined using GC/HRMS as confirmatory method. Concerning fish, shellfish and crustaceans, approx. 25 samples are collected at sea by research vessels, at the fish auction, or from whole-sale traders (farmed fish).

Keywords:
WUR; LNV; WFSR; RIKILT; EU-regulation; 1881/2006; monitoring; survey; agricultural product; animal origin; dioxin; PCB; brominated flame retardant; BFR; HBCD; PBDE; poly- and perfluorinated alkyl substance; PFAS; organochlorine pesticide; OCP; DR CALUX; GC/HRMS; GC-HRMS; meat; liver; milk; egg; fish; shellfish; crustaceans

Spatial coverage:
The Netherlands and imported into the Netherlands

Temporal coverage:
2018

This dataset contains the following files:
2018-Monitoring.xlsx

With the following tabs:
Calux survey		- Overview
Calux results		- List of animal product samples used in screening
EU-monitoring		- Result of the analysis of dioxins, PCBs and flame retardants (PBDEs) in primary agricultural products
Monitoring Fish		- Result of the analysis of dioxins, PCBs, flame retardants (PBDEs), Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in fish and fishery products
Additional Dioxins-PCBs	- Result of the analysis of dioxins and PCBs in sheep liver and -liver fat
Additional PFAS		- Result of the analysis of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in primary agricultural products


Explanation of variables:
See datafile

Methods, materials and software:
	The samples are taken at the primary production or processing stage (e.g. in slaughterhouses or raw milk collection services). For dioxin-like compounds, 350 samples are first screened with the DR CALUX® method. Samples giving a signal indicating a level above the lowest action level are regarded as suspected. These samples are further examined using GC/HRMS as confirmatory method. Concerning fish, shellfish and crustaceans, approx. 25 samples are collected at sea by research vessels, at the fish auction, or from whole-sale traders (farmed fish).
	Background concentrations:
	Additionally, within the framework of the EU monitoring of background levels of dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs and non-dioxin-like PCBs in foodstuffs, each year approximately 100 samples of foodstuffs (meat, milk and eggs) are examined with GC/HRMS. These samples are randomly chosen from the samples that are screened with the DR CALUX® method.
	In these samples, also brominated flame retardants (BFRs), i.e. polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), are analysed. The fish, shellfish and crustaceans monitoring focusses on dioxins and PCBs, BFRs (PBDEs and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDDs)), PFASs and organochlorine pesticides. Apart from monitoring, surveys are performed to zoom in on a specific product if such need becomes apparent. 
	Legislation:
	For the EU-regulation for action and maximum levels for dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs and non-dioxin-like PCBs in foodstuffs see Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006. For BFRs and PFASs there are no limits.

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