PCDDs and PCDFs levels exceeding the European Union tolerance limits were detected in milk from different animal species (cows,
sheep, goats, and buffaloes) and in animal feed samples from Campania region in southern Italy. A monitoring plan was performed
in the period 2002–2004 to investigate the extension of the contamination. A total of 595 milk samples were analyzed and the
percentage of noncompliant samples (PCDD/Fs > 3 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat) was 27% (maximum value 30.43 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat for a sheep's
milk). The number of tested feedingstuffs was 434 but only feed likely grown in the area of sampling such as grass, silage
and hay (267 samples) showed a significant contamination with 13% of samples containing PCDD/F > 0.75 ng WHO-TEQ/kg product
(tolerance limit referred to 12% moisture content). The spatial autocorrelation analysis based on the calculation of the I-Moran
index gave significant values for both milk and animal feed and highlighted an area characterized by a widespread practice
of illegal waste dumping and burning. The problem of waste management in the area of study is particularly worrying from the
sanitary point of view with a significant excess of cancer mortality and occurrence of malformations revealed by a recent
research.
Keywords polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins - polychlorinated dibenzofurans - gas chromatography - high-resolution mass spectrometry - milk - feedingstuffs - statistical analysis