To evaluate dioxin contamination in retail vegetables, congener analyses of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (Co-PCBs) were performed on sixty varieties of fresh vegetables including cereals and mushrooms, obtained from Japanese supermarkets in 2002. The toxic equivalent quantity (TEQ) levels for dioxins in samples ranged fromáż0.001 to 0.089 pg-TEQ/g wet weight, when undetected and trace were taken as zero. Among the samples, dioxins were generally detected in green leafy vegetables. The highest TEQ value was for mulukhiya (0.089 pg-TEQ/g), followed by spinach and komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) (0.077 and 0.074 pg-TEQ/g, respectively). Additionally, the dioxin levels in seventeen varieties of frozen vegetables were also determined, and showed TEQ values ranging fromáż0.001 to 0.080 pg-TEQ/g. The total TEQ in commercial vegetables mainly reflected the levels of 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD, 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF and 3,3áż,4,4áż,5-PeCB (#126) (the sum of them represented 63áż of the total TEQ).