ABSTRACT
Chlordecone is an organochlorine insecticide used in the French West Indies until 1993. Toddlers are expected to be differently exposed than older children and adults. The dietary exposure to chlordecone of 18-month-old Guadeloupian toddlers was assessed through different scenarios depending on whether the subjects live on a soil-contaminated place or not and on their supply habits. Food contamination data came from the RESO study performed in 2005-2006. Consumption data derived from a dietary survey conducted in 2005-2008. Results were compared to those of other age groups. Chronic dietary exposures to chlordecone were estimated in a range of 0.018-0.051 µg/kg bw/day (P95: 0.044-0.096) for toddlers living in a non contaminated area and between 0.045-0.078 µg/kg bw/day (P95: 0.110-0.144) for toddlers living in a contaminated area. The probability of exceeding the chronic health-based value of 0.5 µg/kg bw/day was null. These results suggest that 18-month-old toddlers are less exposed than groups aged over 3 years old. This can be explained by their consumption pattern mostly based on milk and fruits, which are not highly contaminated by chlordecone. The acute health-based value of 10 µg/kg bw/day could be exceeded when consuming of highly contaminated taros, showing the importance of regulatory maximum limit.
Subject(s)
Chlordecone/analysis , Environmental Pollutants/analysis , Food Contamination/analysis , Insecticides/analysis , Pesticide Residues/analysis , Adolescent , Animals , Child , Child, Preschool , Diet , Environmental Monitoring , Fruit/chemistry , Guadeloupe , Humans , Infant , Meat/analysis , Milk/chemistry , Seafood/analysis , Vegetables/chemistryABSTRACT
Chlordecone is an organochlorine insecticide used until 1993 in the banana plantations of the French Antilles. Recent surveys revealed its wide presence in the environment. This current paper focuses on the impact of different management options on the Martinican population's food exposure, taking into account that an appreciable part of the food consumed in Martinique corresponds to subsistence production. Food exposure is assessed through deterministic models. Consumption data derive from the ESCAL Survey on 1814 subjects aged 3 and over. Residues data come from the Monitoring Programs 2002-2004. Different scenarios are studied depending on whether the subjects live on a soil-contaminated place or not and on their supply habits. The impact of various maximum limits is then analysed. The probability of exceeding the chronic health-based guidance value (CHGV) of 0.5 microg/kg bw/day is, respectively, 20.9% (CI(95th) [6.2; 34.4]) and 15.6% (CI(95th) [9.6; 20.8]) for children and adults living in a soil-contaminated area and null for the remaining population. MLs below 300 microg/kg fw would reduce significantly the exposure but the probability of exceeding the CHGV remains statistically different from zero when only commercialised products are taken into account. This study shows the supply habits may have significant impacts on food exposure to contaminants. It reveals that setting MLs, which can only be controlled on commercialised products, is not enough in such situations. Other management options like consumption recommendations for self-produced foodstuffs are necessary to protect the Martinican consumer.