title: Congener profiles of occupational PCB exposure versus PCB exposure from fish consumption.
abstract: The composition of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners in serum samples is compared between a cohort previously exposed to PCBs from working at a capacitor plant (n=180) and a cohort of Great Lakes sport-caught fish eaters (n=217). Fourteen congeners were measured in both samples. A multiple logistic regression model differentiating the two groups as a function of relative proportions amongst congeners 74, 138, 153, 180, and 201 correctly classifies more than 99% of the people (395/397); higher proportions of congeners 74, 153, and 201 characterize capacitor plant workers, while higher proportions of congeners 138 and 180 characterize fish eaters. The pattern is driven by the relative amounts of 74+153+201 compared to 138+180; all of the fish eaters, but only 5% of the capacitor plant workers, have a greater percent of 138+180 than 74+153+201. Consideration of combinations of congener levels and their relative proportions is relevant to tracking route of exposure and may also be relevant to modeling effects on health outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1603 West Taylor Street Room 953 (M/C 922), Chicago, IL 60612, USA. sallyf@uic.edu
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Freels
authors.forename: Lin Kaatz
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Chary
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Turyk
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piorkowski
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mallin
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dimos
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McCann
authors.forename: Virlyn
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Burse
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Persky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls