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

Adipose tissue samples from 158 cattle raised locally at experiment stations across the USA were analysed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F). While 80% of the samples had PCDD/F concentrations that fell within the range of a previous US survey of beef animals (not detected -4.1 ppt toxic equivalency), several animals had exceptionally high concentrations (8-54 ppt toxic equivalency). The investigations of three facilities where highly contaminated animals were raised found pentachlorophenol-treated wood at each site. The congener pattern 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 pattern similar to that of pentachlorophenol-exposed animals was seen for the means and medians 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 pentachlorophenol-treated wood contributed measurably to many of the animals in this survey. The largest contributors to the median toxic equivalencies 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.