Dioxin levels in meat samples of selected free-living and farmed cervids.

Introduction: The aim of the research was to determine the levels of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in muscle samples of free-living and farmed cervids and to estimate the health risk to consumers of food originating from these animals.

Material and methods: The research material was collected from red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) (n = 22), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.) (n = 6) and fallow deer (Dama dama) (n = 6). The isotope dilution technique, supported by high resolution gas chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry was used.

Results: The average concentration of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans and dioxin-like PCBs in the muscles of free-living cervids was 4.77 ± 2.92 pg World Health Organization toxic equivalency quotients (WHO-TEQ)/g fat, and in the muscles of farmed cervids was 1.85 ± 1.21 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat. Of the tested samples taken from free-living animals, approximately 13% did not meet the requirements of EC Regulation No. 2023/915 EU as they exceeded the maximum limit for congeners.

Conclusion: Both frequent and occasional consumption of meat obtained from free-living and farmed cervids do not pose a threat to human health, because estimated intake of the analysed congeners is very low from these sources. However, very frequent consumption of highly contaminated free-ranging wild game muscles can pose a health risk (in this pattern, an adult consumes dioxins at 133% of the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) and a child at 202% of the TWI).