Analysis of Polychlorinated Dioxins and Furans in Samples of the Toxic Oil Syndrome

Abstract

1 Polychlorinated dioxins (PCDDs) and furans (PCDFs) are known to produce a wide range of toxic effects. 2 PCDDs and PCDFs are typical contaminants of chlorinated phenols, and pentachlorophenol and related compounds have been shown to be widely distributed among selected oil samples taken from the 1981 Spanish toxic oil epidemic. 3 Six control and eight case oil samples were analysed using GC/MS for PCDDs and PCDFs. Only small concentrations, normally below 1 ng g-1, of the higher chlorinated PCDDs and PCDFs were detected. There were no statistical differences between the case and control oils. 4 These levels seem to be too low to elicit toxic effects, although they could be enough to potentiate the toxicity of other xenobiotics present in the oils. However, it is uncertain whether the levels of these compounds measured in 1990 reflect the levels present when the oils were consumed in 1981, or whether or not the levels measured in crude oils are representative of fried oils.