Abstract

This report describes the results of a study on dioxin levels in cow's milk of four dairy farms in the area called Bommelerwaard in the Netherlands. The reasons for this study were the relatively high dioxin levels found in sediment and soil samples from spilling sites of waste water from mushroom farms which formerly used pentachlorophenol as wood preserver. Selection of farms was based on their geographical location to such contaminated spots or their position to mushroom farms. Aim was to find whether possible contaminated pastures cause increased dioxin levels in cow's milk in this area. Dioxin levels found in a total of eight time averaged milk samples of four dairy farms collected during two monthly periods from 23 May-13 July 1990, were between 1.3+-0.1 and 2.7+-0.1 pg TEQ/g fat. Both the levels and the relative amounts of the individual congeners were comparable with those found in milk samples from background locations. In addition, the congener pattern was significantly different from the pattern in soil and sediment samples. The latter was very similar to the dioxin pattern of formulations of pentachlorophenol. The result does not allow drawing conclusions concerning the degree of distribution nor concentration levels of dioxins in soil of the whole area.