Mobilization of PAH and PCB from contaminated soil using a digestive tract model

Environmental contaminants are mainly incorporated by ingestion. In general only those contaminants mobilized by the digestive juices are available for absorption in the digestive tract, while pollutants still fixed to indigestible particles leave the body without any effect. To evaluate the different health risks arising from the ingestion of individual types of polluted soil or other materials, we developed an in vitro test system which simulates the transition of pollutants from contaminated materials into digestive juices by means of a standardized artificial gastro-intestinal model. The test system simulates the influence of the acidic environment of the stomach (gastric model) followed by the neutral or slightly alkaline environment of the small intestine (gastro-intestinal model). Investigations on small amounts of polluted soil, sewage sludge, asphalt, metal scrap and blast sand showed that the mobilization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) by artificial gastric juice reaches 3% up to 22% of the pollutant concentration introduced into the test system. Elutions of the contaminated materials under gastric and subsequently under intestinal conditions with bile concentrations of 3 g/l resulted in PAH- and PCB-mobilizations in the range of 5% up to 40%. The degree of mobilization depends considerably on supplementary food material added to the test system. Lyophilized milk increased the fraction of mobilized PAH and PCB to 40%-85%. Application of the test system on 22 different contaminated soils showed that the mobilization of PAH under gastro-intestinal conditions with the addition of lyophilized milk ranged from 7% up to 95%, and the mobilization of PCB ranged from 32% up to 83%. This indicates that the test system can be a useful tool for evaluating the individual health risks arising from polluted soil or other materials.