Assessment of dietary exposure to inorganic and persistent organic contaminants in relation to environmental pollution in the Campania region

The aim of this Ph.D. project is the investigation of the impact that the environmental pollution has had on the quality of Campania food products and, therefore, to determine the exposure level of the population to such contaminants. This objective was pursued through the determination of organic pollutants, mainly in food matrices of animal and vegetable origin, as well as in environmental matrices. Samples were collected both from the areas classified at greater risk, because they are closer to the pollution sources, and from geographical areas not included in the so-called "Land of Fires". In order to study the links between environmental pollution and the contamination levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in food of animal origin, eggs from free-range hens, of Gallus gallus domestics species, were used as bioindicators of the PCDD/F and PCB contamination levels of the environment where the hens live. In addition to food of animal origin, food of plant origin, collected in the same areas of eggs, was also analysed to assess the contamination levels present in vegetable matrices and to investigate the differences that exist in pollutant bioaccumulation in these products compared to food of animal origin. An important phase of the project was to conduct an in vivo study using the hens, designed to investigate the PCDD/Fs and PCBs transfer from the exposure sources, particulary soil and to a lesser extent feed, to hen eggs. Then, through the analysis of the results obtained, it was possible to calculate the biotransfer factors for each PCDD/F and PCB congener and thus their bioavailability. Moreover, in order to achieve a complete understanding of the relationships that exist between environmental pollution and the contamination levels in food, a preliminary study concerning persistent inorganic environmental pollutants has also been carried out. The study was designed within the frame of this Ph.D. project concerning the investigation of persistent organic contaminants.