Human Exposure Pathways - Dealing with Contaminated Sites: From Theory Towards Practical Application - page 467

Fig. 11.2 Schematic representation of uptake of contaminants in a cow, as an example of the
transfer to an animal product

Depending on the land use and the type of contaminant it may be necessary to
take contamination of meat, dairy products and eggs, into account, in order to assess
human exposure through food consumption. It may also be necessary to consider the
contamination of animal fodder.
This section deals with contamination and consumption of products from terres-
trial animals. It does not deal with contamination and consumption of fish or other
seafood.

11.3.1 Conceptual Model

Exposure modelling is normally carried out in two stages:

• prediction of contaminant concentrations in the various animal tissues;

• calculation of human exposure through consumption of animal products.

11.3.1.1 Prediction of Contaminant Concentrations in Animal Tissues

Modelling of concentrations in animal products requires the assessment of:

• animal intake (i.e., intake by the animal);

• contaminant bioaccumulation in animal tissues.

In principle, animals can be exposed to contaminants through the same pathways
as humans. However, the pathways considered for calculating animal exposure are