Chemical contamination in eggs of free-range hens in Belgium

International audience ; The elements Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Cd, Sb, Tl, Pb and Hg and selected persistent organochlorinated compounds (dioxins, marker and dioxin-like PCBs, DDT and metabolites as well as other chlorinated pesticides) were analysed in Belgian free-range eggs obtained from hens of private owners (PO) and of commercial farms (CF). It was found that PO eggs were more contaminated than CF eggs. The ratios of levels in PO eggs to levels in CF eggs range from 2 to 8 for the toxic contaminants Pb, Hg, Tl, dioxins, PCBs and the group of DDT. The DDT contamination was marked b... Mehr ...