Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans, and polychlorinated biphenyls in human blood samples from Korea.
Analysis of blood samples is an effective way of evaluating contamination by persistent pollutants such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin/furans (PCDD/Fs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in human population. Concentrations of PBDEs, PCDD/Fs and PCBs were measured in the blood of laborers (n = 13) working full time in two different municipal waste incinerator (MWI) plants and residents from the general population (n = 22) living in areas near MWIs in Korea. The concentrations of PBDEs were found to be slightly higher in the blood of incineration workers (8.61-46.05 ng/g lipid; mean, 19.33 ng/g lipid; median, 15.94 ng/g lipid) in comparison to that of residents from the general population (7.24-28.89 ng/g lipid; mean, 15.06 ng/g lipid; median, 14.34 ng/g lipid). The total average PCDD/Fs and PCB TEQ concentration was 20.11 pg/g lipid, averaged over incineration workers (17.73 pg/g lipid) and the general population (21.52 pg/g lipid). In addition, the average total crude concentration of PCDD/Fs was 7.40 ng/g lipids, which was 4.1 times greater than for PBDEs. Congener specific analysis confirmed that BDE 47 was a predictive indicator for total PBDE concentration (correlation coefficient r = 0.912), and that PCB 153 was a predictive indicator for total PCB concentration (r = 0.967). The PBDE levels in human blood in Korea are much higher than those reported in other countries. The presence of the BDE 183 congener was characteristic in the blood of workers from an electronic dismantling facility in MWIs.
Kim
Byung-Hoon
BH
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, San 31 Hyojadong, Namku, Pohang 790-784, Republic of Korea.
Ikonomou
Michael G
MG
Lee
Se-Jin
SJ
Kim
Hee-Sun
HS
Chang
Yoon-Seok
YS
D000328:Adult; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000097:blood*; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004581:Electronics; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017745:Incineration; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood*; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000097:blood*
D001572:Benzofurans; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls