PCDDs/PCDFs and dioxin-like PCBs: recent body burden levels and their determinants among general inhabitants in Japan.
OBJECTIVE
The objective was to grasp the recent body burden levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) and to investigate their determinants among general inhabitants in Japan.


METHODS
This study was performed on 1374 participants aged 15-73 years, who were not occupational exposure to PCDDs/PCDFs and DL-PCBs, living widely in 75 different residential areas of 25 prefectures in Japan. Seven PCDDs, ten PCDFs, twelve DL-PCBs, which are assigned a toxicity equivalent factor, and biochemical factors were determined in fasting blood. A questionnaire survey on life-style was also performed.


RESULTS
The median of total toxicity equivalent (TEQ) was 20pgTEQ/g lipid. The TEQs of PCDDs/PCDFs, DL-PCBs and total TEQ increased with age. The intake frequency of fish-and-shellfish was positively associated with the TEQ of DL-PCBs in both sexes. Current smoking was negatively related to the TEQ of DL-PCBs in male subjects but not in female subjects. Feeding status was significantly related to the TEQs of PCDDs/PCDFs, DL-PCBs and total TEQ, being lowest in breast feeding and highest in never and bottle feeding. According to the results of subgroup analysis, parity was not associated with the TEQs.


CONCLUSIONS
The fish-and-shellfish consumption may contribute to the accumulation of DL-PCBs, and smoking may induce some biological action for the elimination of DL-PCBs from the human body. Breast feeding is considered to be one of the major excretory pathways of PCDDs/PCDFs and DL-PCBs in women, while parity may not largely contribute to the elimination of these pollutants.
Uemura
Hirokazu
H
Department of Preventive Medicine, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, 3-18-15, Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan. uemura@basic.med.tokushima-u.ac.jp
Arisawa
Kokichi
K
Hiyoshi
Mineyoshi
M
Satoh
Hiroshi
H
Sumiyoshi
Yoshio
Y
Morinaga
Kenji
K
Kodama
Kazunori
K
Suzuki
Taka-Ichiro
T
Nagai
Masaki
M
Suzuki
Tsuguyoshi
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000097:blood*; D001822:Body Burden; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood*; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D017747:Seafood; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D001572:Benzofurans; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls