Volatile halocarbon compounds in process water and processed foods
Volatile halocarbon compounds (VHCs) of low molecular weight are among the most abundant man-made industrial chemicals in the United States. Because of the physical properties of these compounds, in particular their high volatility, they are ubiquitous environmental contaminants. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has detected numerous VHCs in ground water and finished drinking water. The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Division of Contaminants Chemistry, as well as other laboratories, have detected VHCs in foods. These findings of VHCs in foods, coupled with their frequent detection in ground waters, suggested that food contamination by VHCs could be occurring via polluted process waters. The objectives of this investigation were to determine if VHC contamination of food through contact with contaminated process water was widespread, and to ascertain the levels of contamination. The problem was addressed by collecting and analyzing process water and foods from processing plants situated in areas where contamination of the process water was most probable. Recent data from EPA were used to select food processing plants most likely to use VHC-contaminated process water. Processing plants were chosen for study only if they produced a high-fat content food that came in contact with water during processing, or produced a product that contained a high percentage of added water. Findings are reported here in process water and food product analysis from 15 food processing plants located in 9 different states (CA, FL, IL, MA, MI, NY, OH, PA, WI), representing a total of 39 food products.
- Research Organization:
- Food and Drug Administration, Washington, DC (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5382799
- Journal Information:
- Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States), Vol. 39:4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
FOOD
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CONTAMINATION
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
WATER
CALIFORNIA
FLORIDA
FOOD PROCESSING
ILLINOIS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MARYLAND
MINNESOTA
NEW YORK
OHIO
PENNSYLVANIA
VOLATILE MATTER
WASTE WATER
WISCONSIN
CHROMATOGRAPHY
FEDERAL REGION II
FEDERAL REGION III
FEDERAL REGION IV
FEDERAL REGION IX
FEDERAL REGION V
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LIQUID WASTES
MATTER
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
USA
WASTES
510200* - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)