Exposure sources of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and health risk assessment: a systematic review in Iran

This systematic review aims to identify the sources of exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), portioning, and human health risk assessment in Iran. The literature was searched in the international databases of Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and the national databases of SID and Maglran up to November 14, 2020. Among all 153 articles, 21 eligible papers were identified. Among them, only one article was related to drinking water, the rest was related to food and soil, and no article was found on ambient air. The corrected portion of each exposure source was determined to be 90% for food, 9% for water, and 1% for air. The total hazard quotient (HQ) was determined to be within an unsafe range, and the total excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) was determined to be at a high risk of oral carcinogenesis. It is suggested that a comprehensive study be conducted in a specific period for all sources of exposure in all counties of Iran. Moreover, it is recommended that the policymakers set national standards for this pollutant in near future in some sources of exposure (e.g., drinking water) which have no standards in Iran.

Automated summary

This systematic review examines the exposure sources, partitioning, and human health risk assessment of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Iran. The results show that food is the main source of exposure, while water and air have relatively lower levels of exposure. The overall cancer risk in Iran is found to be at a high level, suggesting the need for comprehensive studies and the establishment of national standards for certain exposure sources, such as drinking water.