ABSTRACT
Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are two series of tricyclic, almost planar aromatic compounds that exhibit very similar physical, chemical, and biological properties. The human exposure to PCDDs and PCDFs by milk consumption is not negligible. Detection levels in ecological and human samples should be orders of magnitude below the usual detection levels obtained in pesticide analyses. One objective of the study is to identify background levels of PCDDs and PCDFs in these samples, especially those of human origin. The spectrum of toxic effects is species dependent but for humans they include chloracne and porphyria cutane tarda and for other animals edema, thymic atrophy, teratogenicity, liver lesions and a slow wasting syndrome followed by death. It is evident that it is of particular importance to identify the ultimate source or sources of the toxic 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDDs and PCDFs found as background constituents in the environmental and human samples, especially the samples of mother's milk, which are of toxicological interest.
