Global day of action on POPs in Russia: dioxins in Russian food.
Eco-Accord developed and disseminated information materials on environmental quality and health hazards of POPs. On April 20, 2005, the Centre conducted a press conference on "Dioxins in Russian Food." The press conference participants discussed results of the international campaign to measure concentrations of dioxins, furans, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in chicken eggs (see 7RUS). This was only the second study of unintentionally produced POPs in chicken eggs in Russia. Free-range eggs from Igumnovo had dioxin levels that exceeded the EU limit by almost 14-fold, while PCBs levels exceeded the proposed limit by 9-fold. In chicken eggs from Gorbatovka, dioxin levels exceeded the EU limit by 4-fold, while PCBs levels exceeded the proposed limit by 4.5-fold. In samples from Gorbatovka, HCB was also found. The research data suggest the need to initiate monitoring of POPs levels in food and implement long-term actions for elimination of organochlorine substances-sources of releases of PCBs, dioxins and furans to all environmental media.
Outputs:
Informational materials on POPs
Press conference to present the results of the egg study