Occurrence, Homologue Profiles and Risk Assessment of Short- and Medium-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins in Edible...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Food Safety
• Toxicology

Background:

• Dietary intake is the primary human exposure route for persistent chlorinated paraffins (CPs).
• Lipid-rich foods, like edible vegetable oils, are significant reservoirs for CPs due to their lipophilic nature.
• Understanding CP contamination in vegetable oils is crucial for assessing dietary exposure and potential health risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the levels of short-chain (SCCPs) and medium-chain (MCCPs) chlorinated paraffins in commercially available vegetable oils in China.
• To assess the potential health risks associated with dietary exposure to SCCPs and MCCPs from these oils.
• To provide the first probabilistic exposure assessment of CPs in Chinese edible vegetable oils.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of SCCPs and MCCPs concentrations in 29 vegetable oil samples using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with electron capture negative ionization mass spectrometry (GC × GC-ECNI-MS).
• Probabilistic exposure assessment integrating analytical results with Chinese dietary consumption data (2017-2020).
• Risk characterization using the margin of exposure (MOE) approach.

Main Results:

• Average concentrations of SCCPs and MCCPs were 112 ng/g and 139 ng/g, respectively, with higher levels found in sesame and peanut oils.
• Estimated daily intakes (EDIs) for SCCPs and MCCPs were 56.06 and 73.63 ng/kg bw/d on average, respectively.
• Margins of exposure (MOE) at the 95th percentile (P95) were 1.27 × 10^4 for SCCPs and 1.56 × 10^5 for MCCPs, indicating low risk.

Conclusions:

• Dietary intake of SCCPs and MCCPs from the analyzed edible vegetable oils does not currently pose a significant health risk to the Chinese population.
• The study establishes current contamination profiles and provides a robust probabilistic exposure assessment for CPs in a key food matrix.
• Findings contribute valuable data for food safety monitoring and risk management strategies related to chlorinated paraffins.