Contamination of chicken eggs near the Mbeubeuss dumpsite by dioxins, PCBs and hexachlorobenzene.
Free-range chicken eggs collected near the Mbeubeuss dumpsite in one of Dakar's suburbs in Senegal showed very high levels of dioxins and elevated levels of PCBs. The dioxin levels in the eggs were more than 11 times higher than the existing European Union (EU) limit for these chemicals. The PCB levels in eggs were more than 1.7 times higher than the newly proposed EU limit for PCBs in eggs. To our knowledge, this study represents the first data about POPs in chicken eggs from Senegal. The most obvious potential source of POPs releases at the site is chlorine-containing waste disposed at the Mbeubeuss dumpsite and uncontrolled burning of the chlorine-containing waste products such as commonly found PVC plastics. The high levels of U-POPs represent a concern for wider contamination, as the rubbish dump is located on one part of the Mbeubeuss lake bottom, parallel to the Atlantic coast.
Outputs:
First-of-a-kind study of POPs in chicken eggs
Dissemination of study results to public media
Report: Contamination of chicken eggs near the Mbeubeuss dumpsite by dioxins, PCBs and hexachlorobenzene