Scottish Marine and Freshwater Science Vol 6 No 11: Measurement of contaminants in food for Marine Strategy Framework Directive Descriptor 9

Footnotes

i. Dioxins (sum of polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins ( PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans ( PCDFs), expressed as World Health Organisation ( WHO) toxic equivalent using the WHO-toxic equivalency factors ( WHO- TEFs).

ii. Of the 209 PCB congeners, the most toxic are the so-called 'dioxin-like' PCBs ( DL- PCBs). The DL- PCBs are the four non- ortho ( CB77, 81, 126, and 169) and eight mono- ortho ( CB105, 114, 118, 123, 156, 157, 167, and 189) congeners. DL- PCBs are stereo-chemically similar to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p-dioxin ( TCDD) and, therefore, have similar toxic and biological responses to those of dioxins.

iii. The seven ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) PCBs ( CB28, 52, 101, 118, 153, 138, and 180) were recommended for monitoring by the European Union Community Bureau of Reference; these congeners were selected as indicators of wider PCB contamination due to their relatively high concentrations in technical mixtures and their wide chlorination range (3-7 chlorine atoms per molecule). The ICES 7 PCBs have been part of the OSPAR Co-ordinated Environmental Monitoring Programme ( CEMP) since 1998. MPCs have been set for the ICES 6 (excludes CB118 which is classed as a DL- PCB).

iv. Superseded by Food Standards Scotland since 1 April 2015.

v. This regulation has recently been updated (Commission Regulation EC/589/2014) and now allows for the use of triple quadrupole gas chromatography mass spectrometry ( GC- MS/ MS) for the quantitative and confirmatory analysis of dioxins.