Ethyl carbamate in fermented foods and beverages: dietary exposure of the Hong Kong population in 2007-2008.

To evaluate the potential public health risk of ethyl carbamate (EC), EC exposure from fermented foods and beverages for Hong Kong population was estimated. In 276 samples analysed, EC was detected (limit of detection (LOD) at 0.4 µg kg(-1)) in 202 samples (73%), with higher levels in fermented red bean curd (150-650 µg kg(-1)) and yellow wine (140-390 µg kg(-1)), while low or non-detected (ND) in preserved vegetables (ND-10 µg kg(-1)) and fermented tea (ND-15 µg kg(-1)). The estimated dietary exposure from all fermented foods and beverages was 8.27 ng kg(-1) bw day(-1), while exposure excluding alcoholic beverages was 5.42 ng kg(-1) bw day(-1), with calculated margins of exposure (MOEs) at 3.6 × 10(4) and 5.5 × 10(4) respectively. The risk of adverse health effects was low for the average population but higher (MOE of 10(3)) for high consumers of alcoholic beverages especially habitual drinkers of alcoholic types with high EC contents.

Dietary exposure of secondary school students in Hong Kong to polybrominated diphenyl ethers from foods of animal origin.

This paper reports levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in a wide range of foods of animal origin and estimates their dietary exposure for secondary school students in Hong Kong, China. Dietary exposure to PBDEs was estimated using local food consumption data obtained from secondary school students in 2000 and the concentrations of PBDEs in food samples taken from local market in 2008. The PBDE levels on a fresh weight basis for fish ranged from 13 to 6600 pg g(-1), for seafood and seafood products ranged from 15 to 1200 pg g(-1), for meat and meat products ranged from 23 to 3500 pg g(-1), for poultry ranged from 68 to 670 pg g(-1), for eggs ranged from 280 to 800 pg g(-1), and for dairy products ranged from 12 to 480 pg g(-1). The dietary exposures of secondary school students for the average and high consumers were estimated to be 2.6 and 6.4 ng kg(-1) body weight day(-1), respectively. According to the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), for the more toxic PBDE congeners, adverse effects would be unlikely to occur in laboratory animals at doses of less than approximately 100 microg kg(-1) body weight day(-1). The resulting margins of exposures (38,000 for average consumers and 16,000 for high consumers) showed that the estimated dietary exposures of secondary school students were far below any adverse effect dose observed in laboratory animals and were therefore of low concern for human health.

Mercury and methylmercury levels in the main traded fish species in Hong Kong.

Levels of total mercury (tHg) and mono-methylmercury (MeHg) were measured in 280 different fish, including fresh/frozen raw whole fish of 89 different species and canned tuna fish of three different species, that are traded mainly in Hong Kong, China. These samples were purchased from different commercial outlets between April and August 2007. All samples of raw whole fish were identified at species level by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. The range for tHg and MeHg of all samples were 3-1370 and 3-1010 µg kg(-1), respectively, with medians of 63 and 48 µg kg(-1), respectively. The results show that, according to Hong Kong legislation, the products on the market are generally 'safe'. A total of 277 samples (99?) contained tHg and MeHg below the legal limit of 500 µg kg(-1). The remaining three samples of alfonsino (species: Beryx splendens) were found to contain tHg and MeHg at levels higher than 500 µg kg(-1) (tHg: 609-1370 µg kg(-1); MeHg: 509-1010 µg kg(-1)). The ratios of MeHg to tHg in the different fish species ranged from 0.46 to 0.99.