Dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in seafood: dietary exposure amongst Malaysian adult populations and its association with sociodemographic factors.

Seventeen polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (dioxins) as well as twelve dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) congeners were analysed in the seafood samples (prawn, squid, fish, processed seafood and dried anchovy). The average sum of dioxins and dl-PCBs in the seafood samples were 2.577 WHO₂₀₀₅-TEQ (pg g^-1 fw). Mean exposure to dioxins and PCBs (in pg TEQ kg^-1 body weight day^-1) was assessed to be 0.333 and 0.643, respectively in the adult population (aged 18-59 years). Although the monthly dietary exposure of female was higher than male, but there is no significant difference found between the genders. Adults from rural area were reported to have the highest monthly exposure to dioxins and PCBs. Across the ethnicity, the highest exposure was found among the Malay, followed by Chinese and Indian. The daily, weekly and monthly exposure to all groups of the population were lower in comparison with the corresponding tolerable limits. However, the results obtained in this study indicated that there is a health risk to high consumer (those who consumes the amount of food corresponding to the 97.5th percentile of the consumption data) and caution of reducing the consumption of seafood should be taken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]