PCB concentration in eggs is a mystery to the authorities

Authorities puzzle over the dioxin and PCB contamination of eggs

05/25/2012

The discovery of dioxin and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the eggs of a laying hen farm in the district of Borken in North Rhine-Westphalia poses a mystery to the authorities. The composition of the toxins is rather unusual, according to the experts.

Above all, the increased concentration of the PCB gives the authorities to think. This is a chemical „A spokesman for the North Rhine-Westphalian State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection (LANUV) in Recklinghausen explains how it can be found in the oil of transformers: How to get the PCB into the eggs is so far completely unclear, especially PCB „unlike dioxin, it is not a product of combustion that accidentally gets into the ground, for example through a fire“, said the spokesman for the State Environment Agency. According to the authorities, contamination of the soil is possible, but the result of a corresponding investigation of soil samples is still pending.

Environmental toxins accumulate in the body for decades
Significantly increased levels of dioxins and PCBs were found in the laying hen eggs, exceeding the PCB limits by 4.5 times. The operation was on Monatg „banned by the district of Borken by order of the LANUV, recalled the eggs from distribution and trade“, so the official message of the State Environment Agency. Affected are the eggs with the stamp numbers 1-DE-05 22462 and 1-DE-05 22461. Since both dioxin and the dioxin-like PCB as an environmental toxin in the human body are sufficient and are hardly degraded by this, should be on a consumption of contaminated eggs urgently waived. The Landesumweltministerium NRW warned that „With regular intake over decades, the toxins accumulate in the body“ and here can lead to disturbances in the immune system and in the worst case to cancer. However, without knowing the actual cause of the increased PCB and dioxin exposure in the open-air eggs of Borken, it is difficult to estimate the local acute health risks. Thus, the result of the ongoing investigations into the source of the contamination is eagerly awaited. (Fp)

Also read about dioxin:
Dioxin in eggs: scandal seems to be widening
Circles withheld information about PCB eggs
Dioxin eggs also in Lower Saxony
Dioxin in organic eggs: causes still unknown
Easter with dioxin eggs from the organic farm
Dioxin eggs could have entered the market
Easily recognize fresh eggs
Health risk from dioxin eggs
Recall for dioxin in the breakfast egg

Picture: birgitH