Changes in PCB serum concentrations among capacitor manufacturing workers.
To assess the elimination of PCBs in humans, PCB concentrations in serum from 165 capacitor manufacturing workers were measured twice within a 46-month interval (March 1976-December 1979). Use of PCBs at the facility was entirely eliminated in 1977. PCB congeners with lower chlorination (LPCBs--mainly tri- and tetrachlorobiphenyls) had decreased in concentration, with six of the LPCB 7 peaks observed by packed column GC showing average reductions of 25-90%. Higher chlorinated PCBs did not decrease significantly as a whole, although three of the six constituent congener peaks showed some decline (15-25%). As expected, decreases in PCB congener concentrations were associated with chlorine substitution configurations known to be amenable to metabolism.
Wolff
M S
MS
Division of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029.
Fischbein
A
A
Selikoff
I J
IJ
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors
D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls