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Dietary exposure of the Hong Kong adult population to organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residues was estimated using a total diet study (TDS) approach. OCPs listed under the Stockholm Convention as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including, aldrin, dieldrin, chlordane, chlordecone, dichlorodiphenyltricholroethane (DDT), endosulfan, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), α-hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCH), β-HCH, lindane, mirex, pentachlorobenzene and toxaphene, were studied. Out of 600 composite samples, 55% contained one or more OCP residues at detectable levels. The most commonly detected OCP was DDT (32% of all composite samples), followed by HCB (30%) and endosulfan (22%). The lower- and upper-bound mean exposure estimates of OCP residues ranged from 0% to 0.5% and were 0.1–8.4% of their respective health-based guidance values (HBGVs). The lower- and upper-bound 95th percentile exposure estimates ranged from 0% to 1.2% and were 0.1–13.6% of their respective HBGVs. This indicated that dietary exposures to the OCP residues analysed would be unlikely to pose unacceptable health risks to Hong Kong adults. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Dietary exposures to eight metallic contaminants, aluminium (Al), antimony (Sb), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), methylmercury (MeHg), nickel (Ni), tin (Sn) and vanadium (V), of the Hong Kong adult population were estimated using the total diet study (TDS) approach. The estimated mean exposures of Al (0.60 mg kg–1bw week–1), Sb (0.016–0.039 µg kg–1bw day–1), Cd (8.3 µg kg–1bw month–1), Pb (0.21 µg kg–1bw day–1), MeHg (0.74 µg kg–1bw week–1), Ni (3.1 µg kg–1bw day–1), Sn (0.029–0.031 mg kg–1bw week–1) and V (0.13 µg kg–1bw day–1) were well below the relevant health-based guidance values (HBGVs) where available. However, dietary exposures to MeHg of women aged 20–49 years (child-bearing age) accounted for 150% of the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) and to Al and Cd of some high consumers were found exceeding or approaching the HBGVs. The major food contributors of MeHg were fish and seafood (90%), of Al were non-alcoholic beverages including tea (33%), and of Cd were vegetables (36%). MeHg exposure during pregnancy was a public health concern in Hong Kong due to potential health risks to the foetus. Results suggest that there is a need to continue monitoring the exposures to metallic contaminants, especially Al, Cd and MeHg, of the Hong Kong population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a group of industrial chemicals that are persistent and can bioaccumulate. In the first Hong Kong Total Diet Study, the dietary exposure of Hong Kong adults to PBDEs was estimated to assess the associated health risks. Food samples, which represented the Hong Kong people’s diet, were collected and prepared in table-ready form for analysis. Concentrations of PBDEs were determined in 142 composite samples. The dietary exposures were estimated by combining the analytical results with the local food consumption data of the adults. The mean and 95th percentile of dietary PBDEs exposures of the Hong Kong people were 1.34 and 2.90 ng kg−1body weight day−1, respectively. The main dietary source of PBDEs was “fish and seafood and their products”, which contributed 27.3% of the total exposure, followed by “meat, poultry and game and their products” (20.7%), “cereals and their products” (15.9%), and “fats and oils” (15.9%). The large margins of exposure (MOE) (>2.5) calculated following the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) approach for four important congeners, BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-153 and BDE-209, indicate that the estimated dietary exposures are unlikely to be a significant health concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]