VOLATILE HALOGENATED HYDROCARBONS IN FOODS

Volatile halogenated organic compounds were determined in foods. Stati stical treatment of the data for 13 foods sampled from 20 families liv ing in suburban Tokyo (Saitama prefecture) indicated that the foods we re contaminated by water pollution and/or substances introduced by the process of food production. Butter and margarine were contaminated by chlorinated ethylene, ethane, and related compounds released by dry c leaning and other operations. Soybean sprouts and tofu (soybean curd) contained chloroform and related trihalomethanes absorbed during the p roduction process.