title: Termite control and other determinants of high body burdens of cyclodiene insecticides.
abstract: Breast milk fat concentrations of three cyclodiene insecticides--dieldrin, heptachlor epoxide, and oxychlordane--were measured in 797 primiparous women, and sources of exposure that contributed significantly to high body burdens were investigated. All three distributions were highly skewed to the right, with median concentrations falling between 0.007 and 0.039 mg/kg. Termite control of residence was associated consistently with being in the high-body-burden group for all three compounds, but the association was greatest for heptachlor. Age, socioeconomic status, residential area, smoking, and home use of insecticides were also associated with high body burden of one or more of the compounds, but the odds ratios were lower than those for termite control; the findings were inconsistent for the three compounds. The results for termite control remained statistically significant when we adjusted for the other factors; therefore, termite control of residence is an important risk factor for cyclodiene insecticide absorption.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Forbes
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McNeil
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000737:chemistry; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D002706:Chlordan / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004026:Dieldrin / Q000032:analysis*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006534:Heptachlor Epoxide / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007300:Insect Control / Q000379:methods; D007306:Insecticides / Q000032:analysis*; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010298:Parity; D010573:Pesticide Residues / Q000032:analysis*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012307:Risk Factors; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D010573:Pesticide Residues; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D006534:Heptachlor Epoxide; D002706:Chlordan; C008743:oxychlordane; D004026:Dieldrin