The transfer of organic micro-polluants in the food chain: overview and research outlook

Several aromatic lipophilic compounds belong to Polyaclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). They show similar physico-chemical and toxicological properties. Dioxins (polychorobibenzoparadioxin/furan or PCDD/F) are the most well-known among these compounds, then PCBs (polychlorobiphenyls) and non chlorinated PAHs (made of 2 to 6 aromatic cycles). Those compounds are released by anthropic activities and most environmental matrixes are contaminated(soil, water, air). According to their lipophilic properties, they are linked with hydrophobic compartments and may be concentrated in lipids, especially at the end of the food chain. Risk assessment and risk management need some advances in the understanding of the fate of these molecules in biological matrixes and an improvement of analytical procedure. Transfer of PCB and HAP throughout the food chain has not been extensively described and there is a lack of data concerning their bioavailability for human.