Suchergebnisse

The project "Review of maximum levels for dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs, impact on the consumer exposure and the food supply", was initiated by The Nordic Council of Ministers as one of their project to follow up the agreement from 2002 to establish a Nordic cooperation for dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs. The report gives an overview of the current legislations on dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in foods, and summarizes how the dioxin risks have been assessed and handled in the Nordic countries. Data on dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in different foods from the Nordic countries are presented together, as well as a comparison of dietary exposure. Several countries have lately carried out a risk-benefit evaluation to find a good balance between the benefit of eating fish and the need to protect vulnerable groups at risk. The report gives a short summary of the consumption advices given in the Nordic countries related to dioxins and PCBs. The project group has discussed the impact on food supply in the Nordic countries if the current EU maximum levels for dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in food are reduced with 25%, based on Nordic occurrence data presented in the report. The present work showed that a 25% reduction of maximum levels would just have minor, if any, impact on food supply or exposure. The project group agreed on recommendations for use in the upcoming discussions when EU shall review maximum levels for dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in foodstuffs.

BACKGROUND: Prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) may increase risk of obesity later in life. OBJECTIVE: We examined the relation of in utero POPs exposure to offspring obesity and cardiometabolic risk factors at 4 years of age in the Rhea mother-child cohort in Crete, Greece (n = 689). METHODS: We determined concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in first-trimester maternal serum. We measured child weight, height, waist circumference, skinfold thicknesses, blood pressure (BP), blood levels of lipids, C-reactive protein, and adipokines at 4 years of age. Childhood obesity was defined using age- and sex-specific cut points for body mass index (BMI) as recommended by the International Obesity Task Force. RESULTS: On multivariable regression analyses, a 10-fold increase in HCB was associated with a higher BMI z-score (adjusted β = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.86), obesity [relative risk (RR) = 8.14; 95% CI: 1.85, 35.81], abdominal obesity (RR = 3.49; 95% CI: 1.08, 11.28), greater sum of skinfold thickness (β = 7.71 mm; 95% CI: 2.04, 13.39), and higher systolic BP (β = 4.34 mmHg; 95% CI: 0.63, 8.05) at 4 years of age. Prenatal DDE exposure was associated with higher BMI z-score (β = 0.27; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.5), abdominal obesity (RR = 3.76; 95% CI: 1.70, 8.30), and higher diastolic BP (β = 1.79 mmHg; 95% CI: 0.13, 3.46). PCBs were not significantly associated with offspring obesity or cardiometabolic risk factors./nCONCLUSIONS: Prenatal exposure to DDE and HCB was associated with excess adiposity and higher blood pressure levels in early childhood. ; The Rhea project was financially supported by European Union (EU) grants for specific projects (EU FP6-2003-Food-3-NewGeneris; EU FP6. STREP HiWATE; EU FP7 ENV.2007.1.2.2.2. Project no. 211250 ESCAPE; EU FP7-2008-ENV-1.2.1.4 Envirogenomarkers; EU FP7-HEALTH-2009-single stage CHICOS; EU FP7 ENV.2008.1.2.1.6. Proposal no. 226285 ENRIECO; EU-FP7-HEALTH-2012 Proposal no. 308333 HELIX), MeDALL (FP7 European Union project, no. 264357), and the Greek Ministry of Health (Program of Prevention of obesity and neurodevelopmental disorders in preschool children, in Heraklion district, Crete, Greece: 2011–2014; "Rhea Plus": Primary Prevention Program of Environmental Risk Factors for Reproductive Health, and Child Health: 2012–15). E.O. was supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (K24 HD069408).