Environment, food and health

Our Environment, Food and Health team conducts research and development into the effects on food safety of chemicals in the environment arising from human activity. Our work involves research into the links between exposure to chemicals in the environment and resulting human and environmental health effects.

Our specialists work to develop ever more sensitive methods to measure low concentrations of highly toxic chemicals, such as dioxins in foods and other complex sample types.

CSL was one of the first laboratories to become accredited for dioxins in food and, in 2005, became the first laboratory in the world to be accredited for brominated dioxins in food.

Activities

We carry out studies in support of risk assessments relating to consumer dietary exposure to established and emerging environmental contaminants. Analytical chemistry is used to support collaborative studies into the environmental pathways of toxic chemicals, fundamental aspects of toxicology and health, and emergency and contingency response.

Our work covers research and surveillance to ensure the safety of food with respect to chemical contaminants, including a range of regulated and near-regulated organic environmental contaminants such as PCDD/Fs (dioxins and furans), PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), PBDEs (polybrominated diphenylethers) and compounds with emerging concern (eg. brominated dioxins and brominated biphenyls).

Accurate measurements are required to check the compliance of foods with legislation, to provide support for toxicological studies, and for human and wildlife exposure estimates. Our work also covers toxic elements and their bioremediation, together with the health implications of nutritional trace elements.

Our organic environmental contaminants projects are conducted using high and low resolution MS instruments (GC-HRMS and GC-LRMS). Trace elements work uses ICP-MS instruments.

Achievements

  • Participation in a toxicological study of the reproductive effects of dioxins will re-set the benchmark TDI value for this most critical group of POPs and thus impact significantly on risk assessment.
  • Development and accreditation of new methods for brominated dioxins and brominated biphenyls, and extension of BFR work to include TBBPA and HBCD is providing the first data of their kind.
  • Defining the effects of river flooding on dioxin contaminant concentration in cow�s milk has improved understanding of this potential risk.

Recent publications

Gizzi G, Hoogenboom L A P, Holst C Von, Rose M, Anklam E: Determination of dioxins (PCDDs/PCDFs) and PCBs in food and feed using the DR CALUX� bioassay: Results of an international validation study. Food Additives & Contaminants, Vol 22, pp 472-481.

Lake I R, Foxall C D, Lovett A A, Fernandes A, Dowding A, White S, Rose M: Effects of river flooding on PCDD/F and PCB levels in cow�s milk, soil, and grass. American Chemical Society (Environmental Science & Technology), Vol 39, pp 9033-9038.

Rose M, Harrison N, Greaves A, Dowding A, Runacres S, Gem M, Fernandes A, White S, Duff M, Costley C, Leon I, Petch R S, Holland J, Chapman A: Dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCDD/Fs and PCBs) in food from farms close to foot and mouth disease animal pyres. Journal of Environmental Monitoring, Vol 7, pp 378-383.

Bryszewska M A, Ambroziak W, Ivanov V, Stabnikova E, Lewis J: Changes in the chemical form of selenium during the manufacture of a selenium-enriched sourdough bread for use in a human nutrition study. Food Additives & Contaminants, Vol 22, pp 135-140.

Bryszewska M A, Ambroziak W, Rudzinski J, Lewis J: Characterisation of selenium compounds in rye seedling biomass using 75Se-Labelling/SDS-PAGE separation/g-scintillation counting, and HPLC-ICP-MS analysis of a range of enzymatic digests. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, Vol 382, pp 1279-1287.

Fox T E, Atheron C, Danity J R, Lewis D J, Langford N J, Baxter M J, Crews H M, Fairweather-Tait S J: Absorption of selenium from wheat, garlic and cod, intrinsically labelled with Se-77 and Se-82 stable isotopes. International Journal of Vitamin and Nutrition Research, Vol 75, pp 179-186.