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Table 7: Estimated daily dietary intake of PCBs in the USA. a
Year Dietary intake (µg/kg body weight per day)
Adult Toddler Infants
a ATSDR (2000). Estimated intakes are based on an average "total diet" composition (which varies slightly) and not on individual food items. Average body weights are assumed to be 9 kg for infants, 13 kg for toddlers, and 70 kg for adults. Accordingly, the average dietary intake for 1982–1984 would be 0.0108 µg, 0.0104 μg, and 0.035 μg for the infant, toddler, and adult, respectively.
b ND = not detected.
1986–1991 <0.001 0.002 <0.001
1982–1984 0.0005 0.0008 0.0012
1981–1982 0.003 NDb ND
1980 0.008 ND ND
1979 0.014 ND ND
1978 0.027 0.099 0.011
1977 0.016 0.030 0.025
1976 Trace ND Trace

Source: WHO Section 6.2, Human exposure  of the
Polychlorinated biphenyls : Human health aspects.Concise international chemical assessment document ; 55 (2003)

Related publication:
PCBs homePCBs Polychlorinated biphenyls
Other Figures & Tables on this publication:

Table 1: PCB nomenclature conversion table.a [Two different systems are used for naming PCBs: In the IUPAC system the numbers at the beginning of the name specify the sites where chlorines are attached to the two phenyl rings. In this table, the top row indicates the position of the chlorine atoms one one phenyl ring and the first column their position on the second phenyl ring. Another system developed by Ballschmiter & Zell (1980) assigns a separate number, from 1 to 209, to each of the 209 specific PCB congeners. These numbers are indicated inside the table below. An example how to relate the two systems is provided below the table.]

Table 7: Estimated daily dietary intake of PCBs in the USA. a

Overview: Levels of human exposure to PCBs (from environmental sources)* and Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) The table below presents amounts of PCBs found in the environment or in food products in various studies, as well as the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) set by the WHO. The figures do not represent average exposure at a global level, but results of specific studies with a limited geographical and time scale. Direct comparisons between figures are thus not possible (even if the units presented are similar). Comparisons are further complicated by the fact that some studies measured the total amount of PCBs found in the environment, while others measured only certain types of PCBs, generally the most toxic ones which account for most though not all of the overall PCB toxicity.