title: Biomonitoring of persistent organochlorine pesticides, PCDD/PCDFs and dioxin-like PCBs in blood of children from South West Germany (Baden-Wuerttemberg) from 1993 to 2003.
abstract: In the context of a monitoring program, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were quantified in the blood of 10 year old children at four different demographic regions in Baden-Wuerttemberg, a highly industrialised federal state in South West Germany. DDE, HCB, PCB 138, PCB 153 and PCB 180 were measured in 1996/1997, 1998/1999, 2000/2001 and 2002/2003 in individual samples of about 400 children per year. PCDD/PCDFs and some relevant coplanar PCBs were determined in pooled samples from children in seven cycles from 1993 to 2003. Blood concentrations of the investigated compounds decreased in that time period by a factor of 2-4 with the exception of most PCDFs. The concentrations of POPs in the blood of the children were distinctly lower than the concentrations reported for adults. Breast feeding was associated with about 30% higher median concentrations of DDE, HCB, PCBs and a 30% increase for mean PCDD/PCDF concentrations. Concerning demographic differences, significant lower concentrations of HCB, PCBs and PCDD/PCDFs could be seen in children from Mannheim compared to the region of Aulendorf. About 10-20% higher concentrations were found in boys compared to girls for HCB, indicator PCBs and PCDD/PCDFs. The pattern of non-ortho and mono-ortho PCBs in the blood of children was similar to the pattern reported for mother's milk, and PCB 126 and PCB 156 contributed about 70% to the toxicity of dioxin-like PCBs and about one-third to total TEQ including PCDD/PCDFs.
authors.affiliation: Baden-Wuerttemberg State Health Office (Landesgesundheitsamt), Wiederholdstr. 15, 70174 Stuttgart, Germany. link@lga.bwl.de
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Link
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gabrio
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zoellner
authors.forename: Isolde
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Piechotowski
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Paepke
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Felder-Kennel
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Maisner
authors.forename: Karl-Heinz
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Schick
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schrimpf
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwenk
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wuthe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000097:blood*; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002648:Child; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000097:blood*; D004147:Dioxins / Q000097:blood*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial / Q000097:blood*; D005860:Germany, West; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004147:Dioxins; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial; D008055:Lipids; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls