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Title: TREATED WOOD IN LIVESTOCK FACILITIES: RELATIONSHIPS AMONG RESIDUES OF PENTACHLOROPHENOL, DIOXINS, AND FURANS IN WOOD AND BEEF

Author
item FRIES, GEORGE - 1265-70-00 RETIRED
item FEIL, VERNON - 5442-05-05 RETIRED
item Zaylskie, Richard
item Bialek Kalinski, Krystyna
item Rice, Clifford

Submitted to: Environmental Pollution
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/8/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Several research facilities had been identified as having higher than average concentrations of dioxins in beef produced at these facilities. Wood and other environmental samples were collected from these sites and analyzed for dioxins and pentachlorophenol. Pentachlorophenol has been a commonly used wood preservative and it often contained dioxin contaminants. .Analyses of the environmental samples for dioxins and pentachlorophenol indicated that the high beef residues were associated with pentachlorophenol-treated wood in the animal facilities. Concentrations of dioxins in wood as toxic equivalents ranged from 10 to 320,000 parts per trillion. These concentrations were closely related to the concentrations of pentachlorophenol, indicating that analysis for pentachlorophenol provides an economical method to identify wood with high concentrations of dioxins. Further evidence that the pentachlorophenol-treated wood was the source of the beef residues was provided by the similarity of the dioxin congener profiles in beef, and those profiles predicted from the concentrations of dioxins in wood.

Technical Abstract: Wood and other environmental samples were collected from sites that produced beef with higher than average residues of dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD) and dibenzofuran (PCDF). Analyses of these samples for PCDD/Fs and pentachlorophenol (PCP) indicated that the high beef residues were associated with PCP-treated wood in the animal facilities. Concentrations of PCDD/Fs in wood as toxic equivalents (TEQs) ranged from 10 to 320,000 pg/g. These concentrations were closely related to the concentrations of PCP, indicating that analysis for PCP provides an economical method to identify wood with high concentrations of PCDD/Fs. Further evidence for the PCP-treated wood as the source of the beef residues is provided by the similarity of the congener profiles in beef from the sites and those profiles predicted from the profiles in wood.