Levels and congeners distribution of dioxins, furans and dioxin-like PCBs in buffaloes adipose tissues sampled in vivo and milk

The levels of PCDDs, PCDFs and DL-PCBs were analyzed both in milk and adipose tissues sampled “in vivo” from lactating, drying off and heifer buffaloes from a Campania farm which had been impounded by the competent authority owing to the high dioxin levels found in bulk milk. The chemical determination was carried out by HRGC-HRMS using US EPA Method 1613b. The range of WHO-TEQ values for the PCDDs/PCDFs in adipose tissues was 1.79 to 68.64 pg g −1 fat and in milk was 8.33 to 13.95 pg g −1 fat. The contamination profile for dioxins and furans was given by 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD; 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF; 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDD and 2,3,7,8-TCDD. The levels of DL-PCBs in adipose tissue varied from 1.38 to 20.13 pg g −1 fat while ranged from 8.33 to 13.95 pg g −1 fat in milk. The pattern of DL-PCBs in both matrices was dominated by congeners PCB 126 and PCB 169.