Investigating PCBs and OCPs in Lebanese Yogurt: National Contamination Patterns and Health Risk Assessment

This study investigates the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlo- rine pesticides (OCPs) in 165 yogurt samples collected from farms across 11 Lebanese regions. As the first nationwide assessment of these contaminants in yogurt, it addresses a critical gap in Lebanon’s food safety monitoring. Levels of PCBs, ΣDDTs, ΣHCH, HCB, endosulfan, methoxychlor, and dieldrin were quantified, revealing widespread contamina- tion. A total of 40.6% of samples recorded total PCB...