Low levels of phthalates, including di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), in raw bovine milk were determined using gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC/TOF-MS). A fast and convenient process of sample treatment combined with TOF-MS analysis (medium resolution >5000), yielded good recoveries (85-125%) and low limits of detection (<0.002 mg kg(-1)). The most commonly used phthalate, DEHP, was found in 15 out of 30 samples monitored in this study. DEHP concentrations in raw milk ranged from not detected to 0.154 mg kg(-1), and the mean concentration was 0.057 mg kg(-1). The dietary intake of DEHP was about 0.004 mg kg(-1) body weight day(-1) if a child (24 months, 13 kg body weight) drinks 1 L day(-1) of milk that contains the mean concentration of DEHP found in raw milk. The estimated dietary intake corresponded to 8% of the European Union tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 0.05 mg kg(-1) body weight day(-1). Dimethyl phthalate (DMP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) were found from two and 20 samples, respectively, at low levels. Diethyl phthalate (DEP), butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP), and di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP) were not found in any of the samples.

The congener-specific profiles of PCDD/Fs in domestic and imported pork monitored in South Korea in years 2002 and 2005 were compared. Total concentrations of PCDD/Fs decreased from 2002 to 2005, but displayed a similar pattern of congeners. In neither 2002 nor 2005 were either 2,3,7,8-TCDD or 2,3,7,8-TCDF detected. The mean concentrations of PCDD/Fs in domestic and imported pork were 8.29 pg g(-1) fat from 106 samples in 2002 and 4.03 pg g(-1) fat from 90 samples in 2005. However, the contribution of PCDDs increased about four times with respect to toxic equivalent (TEQ) level and about 1.5 times in terms of concentration in the monitoring results from 2005 compared with 2002, and the PCDF contribution decreased substantially. This suggests that the main source of dioxins in pork probably changed to a larger portion coming from animal feeds than environmental sources of exposure. The estimated human intakes of PCDD/Fs originating from pork in the South Korean diet were calculated as 0.029 and 0.019 pg TEQkg(-1) body weight day(-1) for the upper bound exposure in 2002 and 2005, respectively. The values represent low intakes when compared with the both Korean tolerable daily intake (TDI) (4 pg TEQkg(-1) body weight day(-1)) and World Health Organization TDI (1-4 pg TEQkg(-1) body weight day(-1)).