# Chlorinated Paraffins in Chicken Eggs from Five Regions in China and Dietary Exposure Health Risk Assessment

## TL;DR

This study measured chlorinated paraffins in chicken eggs from China and found no significant health risk from dietary exposure.

## Contribution

The study provides the first assessment of CP dietary exposure risk from chicken eggs in China.

## Key findings

- Average SCCP and MCCP concentrations were 28.4 ng/g and 176.5 ng/g in chicken eggs.
- Exposure levels for the general population were below health risk thresholds.
- Congener profiles showed consistent patterns across regions, dominated by C10–11 Cl6–7.

## Abstract

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are a class of persistent organic pollutants that pose potential human health risks through dietary exposure. In this study, we analyzed CPs in 55 chicken egg samples collected from five regions across China. Short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) were detected using a two-dimensional gas chromatograph coupled with an electron-capture negative-ionization mass spectrometer. Dietary exposure risks were assessed using the margin of exposure (MOE) approach based on the food consumption data of Chinese residents from 2018 to 2020. The average concentrations of SCCPs and MCCPs in all samples were 28.4 ng/g wet weight (ww) and 176.5 ng/g ww, respectively. The congener profiles of SCCPs and MCCPs were similar across different regions, with C10–11 Cl6–7 as the dominant homologs. For MCCPs, the average contributions of C14-CP, C15-CP, C16-CP, and C17-CP were 25%, 21%, 27%, and 27%, respectively. The estimated daily intake (EDI) for the entire population was 18.3 ng/kg body weight (bw)/d for SCCPs and 118.3 ng/kg bw/d for MCCPs. In the consumer-only group, the average exposure levels of SCCPs and MCCPs were 27.8 ng/kg bw/d and 174.1 ng/kg bw/d, respectively. This preliminary risk assessment indicates that there is no health risk to the Chinese population from exposure to CP through consumption of chicken eggs.