Source of PCB & dioxin exposure detected

Ministry of Agriculture informs about PCB

06/07/2012

In recent months, Lower Saxony's PCBs and dioxin-contaminated eggs have been detected in three districts. Now, the Lower Saxony Ministry of Agriculture has informed about the state of affairs in the search for the causes of contamination.

Since the beginning of the year, several laying hen farms in the counties of Emsland, Aurich and Oldenburg have been found to exceed the limit values ​​for PCB and dioxin contamination of eggs. In the subsequent search for the causes of suspicion quickly fell to contamination by contaminated soil in the area of ​​the outlet surfaces. For the companies in the districts of Oldenburg and Aurich, this suspicion has been confirmed, in the district of Emsland the final proof is still pending.

Source of PCB pollution in the district of Emsland is still unclear
According to the Lower Saxony Ministry of Agriculture, in the district of Emsland „the results of the official egg samples led to a confirmation of the findings within the framework of the self-inspection of the organic laying hen farm.“ In the four stable divisions, the sum value of dioxin and dl-PCB in the eggs had exceeded the permissible limit of a maximum of five picograms per gram of fat, according to the ministry's announcement. The measured values ​​therefore lay between 17.07 and 43.26 picograms per gram of egg fat. According to the authorities, contamination via the feed used could be excluded as a cause of the investigation. Currently, according to the Ministry „systematically investigated further contamination sources.“ The investigations concentrate on the run-off areas of the company. However, it will probably be several weeks before a definitive assessment of the source of contamination in the district of Emsland has been established. As long as the operation remains locked.

Contaminated outlet area and buildings in the district of Aurich
In the district of Aurich, a threshold value was found in the burden of the produced chicken eggs in three laying hen farms. After weeks of research, the final opinion of the Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety has now been prepared in coordination with the district of Aurich, the State Office for Mining, Energy and Geology (LBEG) and the Industrial Inspectorate (Hildesheim). This concludes that all three farms concerned were able to identify the main cause of contamination of the food in the run-off areas of the areas close to the sheds. The soil samples have „determined a different load situation of the natural soils to the soils changed by humans by material entries“, so the message of the Ministry of Agriculture. Before the run-off surfaces can be used again, according to the Ministry „consistent remedial measures take place.“ In addition, one of the three farms has evidence of sources of entry through the structural substance of the laying hen house, so that also here appropriate remedial measures are required before a re-use can take place. Authorities found increased PCB stress in a patched wall cladding. The three farms of the Aurich district remain officially closed until they are renovated.

Restructuring measures completed in the district of Oldenburg
In the district of Oldenburg the investigations and the necessary remedial measures are furthest advanced. „After the examination of soil materials from the run-off area of ​​the company had yielded clearly conspicuous findings, the run-off areas were meanwhile rehabilitated“, so the message of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Agriculture. Following the remediation measures, the soil samples would have yielded no more conspicuous values, so that again pullets can be stabled. However, the operation remains for the time being „locked and is closely monitored by official controls“, explained the Ministry of Agriculture.

Soil as a source of PCB and dioxin
The dioxin contamination in the farms in the three districts of Lower Saxony makes it clear that soil contamination as a possible source of PCB and dioxin contamination of the eggs must be considered more particularly in organic farms and free-range farming. So far, the suspicion was usually first on the feedstuffs, but the improved controls seem to actually be effective after the dioxin scandal involving contaminated feed in early 2011. Instead, however, now more contaminants are recorded by PCB or dioxin contaminated soil in the area of ​​the outlet surfaces. (Fp)

Also read:
Again dioxin and PCB in the breakfast egg
Dioxin & PCB in chicken eggs through contaminated soil

Picture: Gerd Altmann, Pixelio