Global Egg Reports

Egg Report Contamination of chicken eggs from 17 countries by dioxins, PCBs, and hexachlorobenzene Adobe Acrobat .pdf 138KB
Annexes Annexes Adobe Acrobat .pdf 288KB

The Egg Report:
Contamination of chicken eggs from 17 countries by dioxins, PCBs and hexachlorobenzene

A study of free-range chicken eggs collected near waste incinerators, cement kilns, the metallurgical industry, waste dumps, and chemical production facilities involving chlorine found evidence of high levels of dioxin and PCB contamination. Seventy percent of the samples exceeded the European Union (EU) limit for dioxins in eggs. Sixty percent of them also exceeded proposed EU limits for PCBs in eggs. Three egg samples reported in this study contain some of the highest dioxin levels ever measured in chicken eggs. To our knowledge, this study represents the first data about these substances in chicken eggs for Belarus, Bulgaria, Egypt, India, Mexico, Kenya, Mozambique, Philippines Senegal, Tanzania, Turkey, and Uruguay.


POPs Report Adobe Acrobat .pdf 288KB
The Next Generation of POPs: PBDEs and Lindane

A study of free-range chicken eggs from found the widespread presence of substances that should be added to the Stockholm Convention: lindane and brominated flame retardants. Twelve locations in nine countries were sampled for brominated flame retardants while 24 locations in 17 countries were examined for lindane. Lindane, beta-HCH and the PBDE flame retardants were found in all samples. Another flame retardant, HBCD, appeared in 80% of the samples. Lindane is a neurotoxin, probable carcinogen, suspected endocrine disrupter and banned in 52 countries. PBDEs resemble PCBs and cause long-term neurological damage. To our knowledge, these are the first sampling data on PBDEs in many of these countries.