Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are substances that are difficult to break down. Their longevity and high fat solubility lead to an accumulation in humans, animals and the environment. In addition, POPs have the potential for long-range transport via air and water and can therefore be found worldwide. POPs are highly toxic and can promote the development of cancer and disrupt the immune system. In the past, they were widely used in agriculture and industry, but today their use is banned or restricted to special exceptions. However, POPs are also produced unintentionally, especially during combustion processes, and are released during many other anthropogenic activities. Environmental contamination by POPs often results in far-reaching analyses of feed and food and possible effects on health.
Over the past four years, two projects on the monitoring of POPs in various matrices have been carried out by the Agency for Health and Food Safety in cooperation with the Federal Environment Agency on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection and the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology.
Aim and realisation
As part of the first project "POPMON - Identification of relevant persistent organic pollutants and potentially contaminated regions as a basis for risk-based food monitoring in Austria", industrial and waste treatment sites, suspected sites and contaminated sites were identified with regard to possible environmental contamination by POPs in Austria. In the follow-up project "POPMON II - Risk communication and risk-based monitoring of persistent organic pollutants in various environmental matrices, feed and food at potentially contaminated sites in Austria", regions for emission-based monitoring were identified in rough scenarios in the first phase and then two scenarios were characterised and elaborated in more detail. In the second phase, samples of various relevant matrices were taken at the two sites and analysed and evaluated for selected POPs. Planning and implementation were carried out in consultation with the relevant country representatives. The relevant state authorities were informed of any conspicuous results during the project. Finally, further recommendations and measures were developed in a workshop with the state representatives.
Results
Scenario 1 was based in the waste management sector. Air (deposition), soil and animal foodstuffs were analysed at this site.
The soil analyses showed that increased soil concentrations of polychlorinated dioxins, furans and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCDD/F and dl-PCB) as well as non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (ndl-PCB) are possible in the vicinity of the industrial areas. In general, a decrease in pollutant concentrations was observed in most cases with the distance from the possible sources of input.
The measured deposition concentrations documented a continuous input of pollutants into the environment in the vicinity of the industrial areas. Particularly noticeable are the higher values for PCBs, which correspond to the measured soil concentrations.
Decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE 209) dominated among the polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants, but substitutes such as decabromodiphenylethane, dechlorane plus or hexabromobenzene were also detected in almost all soil and deposition samples.
It should be noted that the soil analyses were one-off measurements and the deposition was measured over a period of only four months. Further measurements would therefore be useful to confirm the results and localise the contamination.
Samples of locally produced, predominantly animal-based foodstuffs were taken within a radius of up to 10 kilometres around the industrial areas. The available samples complied with the legal maximum levels for PCDD/F, dl-PCB, ndl-PCB and chlorinated pesticides. PBDEs, such as BDE 153 and BDE 126, were found in small quantities in nine out of fifteen food samples. Currently, no maximum levels for PBDEs in food have been set. Hexabromocyclododecane, which was used as a flame retardant in polystyrene until 2016, could not be detected in the food samples. Based on the current state of knowledge, no risk to public health can be derived from the above-mentioned POPs.
Scenario 2 dealt with contamination with perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). Groundwater, drinking water, drinking water, surface water and animal foodstuffs were analysed at this site. Elevated PFAS values were found in some of the various water samples, whereby the selected samples were one-off measurements and were taken at different sampling times. The substances perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorobutanesulfonic acid, perfluorohexanesulfonic acid, perfluoropentanesulfonic acid, perfluoroheptanoic acid, perfluorohexanesulfonic acid, perfluorohexanesulfonic acid and perfluoropentanoic acid were detectable in almost every water sample. The parameter value of 0.10 µg/l of the EU Drinking Water Directive for the sum of 20 PFAS was exceeded by four drinking water samples. Assuming that the population only consumes this drinking water, a health risk for the population could not be ruled out. The contaminated drinking water wells were taken off the network.
The locally produced foodstuffs were analysed for PFAS, PCDD/F, dl-PCB, ndl-PCB and chlorinated pesticides. The samples complied with the legal maximum levels for PCDD/F, dl-PCB, ndl-PCB and chlorinated pesticides. PFAS were also measured in the locally produced foodstuffs; no maximum levels have yet been set here. No risk to the population could be derived from this.
A clarification of the findings for groundwater and drinking water and a clarification of the cause and contamination pathways was proposed as a follow-up project.
In a further chapter, the relevant legal matters, responsibilities and information obligations in the areas along the food chain were presented. The 2014 hexachlorobenzene contamination case in the Görtschitztal valley in Carinthia and the 2014 groundwater contamination in Ohlsdorf in Upper Austria were presented as examples of experiences in the area of risk communication and crisis management. With reference to PFAS, the case of Rastatt in Baden-Württemberg 2013 (Germany) is described.
Based on this experience, it is recommended that appropriate precautions be taken to enable a coordination centre to be set up more quickly in the event of an emergency or crisis. This coordination centre is also of great benefit for crisis communication in order to provide coordinated, competent and uniform information and prevent a loss of public confidence. It is also recommended that environmental information relevant to food safety be collected in a structured manner and exchanged on a mandatory basis. Food-relevant environmental monitoring should be continued or expanded in order to recognise the causes of contamination at an early stage. This is essential for the clarification, remediation and prevention of further contamination, which could otherwise remain undetected and expose the environment, animals and humans to harmful substances.