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Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) are toxic and can accumulate through the food chain. PCNs have been detected in different categories of foods. Intake of animal-derived foods is an important pathway for human exposure to PCNs. However, information on PCNs in meat from farmed animals is scarce. In this study, PCNs were assessed in beef sourced from local markets in Beijing and six provinces in China. The mean PCN concentrations in beef samples from the seven regions varied from 41.2 to 88.7 pg/g wet weight (ww). The homologue profiles of PCNs in the specimens were similar, with tri- and di-CNs being dominant. The mean concentration of PCNs in the flank (74.7 pg/g ww) was higher than that in the round (58.2 pg/g ww) or shank (53.6 pg/g ww), likely because the former contained a higher proportion of lipids than the latter. Significantly different PCN distributions in beef and dairy cow milk were identified using machine learning. The toxic equivalencies (TEQs) of PCNs in all beef samples ranged from 0.0003 to 0.022 pg TEQ/g ww. PCNs contributed to approximately 4.6% of the total TEQ values of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, polychlorinated biphenyls, and PCNs in the beef. Health risks related to the intake of PCNs through beef consumption by the average person living in China were minimal., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) are highly toxic and persistent organic pollutants that can cause adverse effects in the environment and on human health. PCNs have been detected in remote areas because of their long-range transportation. Bees and bee products are commonly used as biomonitors for various pollutants in the environment. However, information on PCNs in apiaries is scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrences of PCNs in bees and bee products from apiaries located in different geographical regions of China, and to identify potential pollution sources and assess exposure risks to humans. Our results showed that the average Σ 75 PCNs concentrations in bees, pollen, and wax were 74.1, 96.3, and 141 pg/g dry weight, respectively. The homologue and congener profiles of PCNs in bees, pollen, and wax were similar, and di- and tri-chlorinated naphthalenes (>60%) were the predominant homologues. The concentrations and distributions of PCNs in bees, pollen, and wax varied among different geographical regions, but their occurrences were correlated with PCN metallurgical sources in China. The health risks of PCNs in pollen were evaluated, and both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of PCNs exposure to humans through the diet were low., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are industrial chemicals produced in large quantities. Short-chain CPs (SCCPs) were classified as persistent organic pollutants under the Stockholm Convention in 2017. Medium-chain CPs (MCCPs) became candidate persistent organic pollutants in 2021. CPs are now ubiquitously found in the environment. Honey bees can be exposed to CPs during foraging, and this exposure subsequently results in the contamination of honey and other bee products along with colony food production and storage. Here, SCCP and MCCP concentrations in honey collected from Chinese apiaries in 2015 and 2021 were determined. Total CP concentrations in honey from 2021 to 2015 were comparable, but the ratio of MCCPs/SCCPs was higher in 2021 than in 2015. SCCP and MCCP congener group profiles in all honey samples were similar and dominated by C 10 - 11 Cl 6-7 and C 14 Cl 6-7 , respectively. MCCP concentrations were also higher than SCCP concentrations in bees, pollen, and wax but not in bee bread, which were all collected in 2021. The order of average CP concentrations was determined as wax > bee > pollen > bee bread > honey. Poor relationships were found between SCCP concentrations in honey and other samples, but a relationship between MCCP concentrations in honey and other samples was observed. Migration tests of CPs in plastic bottles showed essentially no migration into honey during storage. The risks to humans from CPs in honey are low., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The potential contamination of food items with polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) has attracted increasing attention because of their toxicity, persistence and bioaccumulative characteristics. Humans are exposed to PCNs primarily through consuming animal-derived foodstuffs. However, the pathways by which PCNs can enter the food supplying chain are poorly understood. In this study, Σ 75 PCNs were determined in raw cow milk (n = 82) collected from three different regions that varied in the intensity of PCNs emission sources in North China, using high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry method. Higher PCN concentrations (214-2050 pg/g lw) were found in raw cow milk from dairy cow farms located in the region with relatively higher intensity of emission sources. Less chlorinated congeners were dominant in all raw cow milk samples. PCNs in cow milk might result from industrial fly ash emissions that contaminate animal feed through atmospheric deposition. Risks posed to humans through consuming PCNs in cow milk were low., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Increasing concerns over bisphenol A (BPA) as an endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) and its adverse effects on both humans and animals have led to the substitution by structural analogs, such as bisphenol F (BPF), in many application areas. Information regarding to the carry-over of this emerging chemical in farm animals is essential for legislation and risk assessment purposes. In this study, a large-scale number of animal experiments were designed to investigate the transfer of BPF from feed to eggs. One control and three experimental groups of laying hens (72 hens per group) were fed with basal diets and BPF-contaminated feed at concentration levels of 0.1, 0.5 and 2.5 mg kg -1 , respectively, for two weeks. The hens were then fed with BPF-free diets for a further four weeks. Eggs were collected daily, and separated into egg yolk and white for BPF analysis. The effects of different levels of BPF exposure on laying performance followed a non-monotonic dose-response curve, since low level BPF (0.1 mg kg -1 ) exposure did increase the laying rate, mean egg weight and daily feed intake, while high level BPF (2.5 mg kg -1 ) exposure showed a decreasing trend. BPF residues were detected in both egg yolks and whole eggs after two days of administration, and plateau phase was achieved within 9-18 days. There are clear linear dose-response relationships between the plateau BPF concentrations in feed and eggs. The residue of BPF was found mainly in egg yolks with conjugated form and depleted slowly (still detected 21 days after feeding the BPF-free diet of the high level group). Mean carry-over rate of 0.59% BPF from feed to eggs was obtained. Compared with the carry-over rates of PCBs and dioxins, BPF showed a relatively minor trend of bioaccumulation in eggs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the deposition, depletion, and bioaccumulation study of bisphenols in farm animals. The quantity of data can therefore be helpful in the frame of risk assessment, especially for a comprehensive estimation of consumer exposure to the residues of bisphenols., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and their hydroxylated (OH) and methoxylated (MeO) structural analogues have been found widely distributed in aquatic ecosystems, and may exhibit potential adverse effects to humans due to their bioaccumulative behavior through food chain. Fishmeal is an important animal feed applied around the world and is generally of marine origin. However, the levels and sources of PBDEs in fishmeal have not been thoroughly evaluated and their structural analogues have not been reported to date. The present study collected ninety-two fishmeal samples from world main fishmeal producing area to determine 27 PBDEs, 10 MeO-PBDEs and 11 OH-PBDEs. The concentrations of Σ 27 PBDEs, Σ 10 MeO-PBDEs and Σ 11 OH-PBDEs were in the ranges of 0.1-1498 (mean: 75.8), 1.14-881 (37.4) and 1.00-47.5 (8.17) ng/g lipid, respectively. PBDEs were found primarily correlated with the historically commercial production, meaning higher production of certain commercial product in a country, higher corresponding PBDE congeners in local fishmeal. A market shift from penta- and octa-formulations toward deca-formulation was observed. BDE209 was identified as a major congener in fishmeal. Both the MeO-PBDEs and the OH-PBDEs were influenced by fishmeal producing areas (p < 0.001). High MeO-PBDEs were identified in the Southeast Asian fishmeal, which might be due to the suitable environmental conditions for the generation of bromoperoxidase-contained algae in local area. The ratio of two major MeO-PBDE congeners, 6-MeO-BDE47/2'-MeO-BDE68, were generally >1 in the northern hemisphere and <1 in the southern hemisphere in the present study, which was consistent with the results obtained from previous published papers. Both MeO-PBDEs and OH-PBDEs were in accordance with the specialties of naturally produced halogenated compounds., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) were listed as persistent organic pollutants in the Stockholm Convention in 2015. Despite numerous studies on PCNs, little is known about their occurrence in atmospheric particulate matter of different sizes. In this study, 49 PCN congeners were investigated for their concentrations and size-specific distributions in an urban atmosphere, and preliminary exposure assessments were conducted. Ambient air samples were collected using a high-volume cascade impactor for division into a gas fraction and four particle size fractions. Samples were collected from October 2013 to June 2014 at an urban site in Beijing, China. The concentration range for PCNs in the atmosphere (gas + particle fractions) was 6.77-25.90 pg/m(3) (average 16.28 pg/m(3)). The particle-bound concentration range was 0.17-2.78 pg/m(3) (average 1.73 pg/m(3)). Therefore, PCNs were mainly found in the gas phase. The concentrations of PCNs in a fraction increased as the particle size decreased (dae > 10 μm, 10 μm ≥ dae > 2.5 μm, 2.5 μm ≥ dae > 1.0 μm and dae ≤ 1.0 μm). Consequently, PCNs were ubiquitous in inhalable fine particles, and the ΣPCNs associated with PM1.0 and PM2.5 reached 68.4% and 84.3%, respectively. Tetra-CNs and penta-CNs (the lower chlorinated homologues) predominated in the atmosphere. The homologue profiles in different size particles were almost similar, but the particulate profiles were different from those in the gas phase. Among the individual PCNs identified, CN38/40, CN52/60 and CN75 were the dominant compounds in the atmosphere. CN66/67 and CN73 collectively accounted for most of the total dioxin-like TEQ concentrations of the PCNs. Exposure to toxic compounds, such as PCNs present in PM1.0 or PM2.5, may affect human health. This work presents the first data on size-specific distributions of PCNs in the atmosphere., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)