Apparent half-lives of dioxins, furans, and polychlorinated biphenyls as a function of age, body fat, smoking status, and breast-feeding.
OBJECTIVE
In this study we reviewed the half-life data in the literature for the 29 dioxin, furan, and polychlorinated biphenyl congeners named in the World Health Organization toxic equivalency factor scheme, with the aim of providing a reference value for the half-life of each congener in the human body and a method of half-life estimation that accounts for an individual's personal characteristics.


METHODS
We compared data from >30 studies containing congener-specific elimination rates. Half-life data were extracted and compiled into a summary table. We then created a subset of these data based on defined exclusionary criteria.


RESULTS
We defined values for each congener that approximate the half-life in an infant and in an adult. A linear interpolation of these values was used to examine the relationship between half-life and age, percent body fat, and absolute body fat. We developed predictive equations based on these relationships and adjustments for individual characteristics.


CONCLUSIONS
The half-life of dioxins in the body can be predicted using a linear relationship with age adjusted for body fat, smoking, and breast-feeding. Data suggest an alternative method based on a linear relationship between half-life and total body fat, but this approach requires further testing and validation with individual measurements.
Milbrath
Meghan O'Grady
MO
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2029, USA. meghanom@umich.edu
Wenger
Yvan
Y
Chang
Chiung-Wen
CW
Emond
Claude
C
Garabrant
David
D
Gillespie
Brenda W
BW
Jolliet
Olivier
O