title: Serum levels of organochlorine pesticides in healthy adults from five regions of Spain.
abstract: The aim of this study was to measure of serum levels of p,p'-dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane (p,p'-DDT), p,p'-dichlorodiphenyl dichlorethylene (p,p'-DDE), beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (beta-HCH), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in healthy adults in Spain. Furthermore, we also analyzed these levels according to dietary, other lifestyle factors and anthropometric characteristics. We measured the concentrations of such organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in serum samples collected during 1992-1996 from 953 subjects aged 35-64 years, they were residents of five Spanish regions, they were randomly selected from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort. OCPs were determined by means of gas chromatography with electron-capture detection (GC-ECD). The most frequent compound found in serum was p,p'-DDE, present in 98% of the samples, followed by HCB and beta-HCH, found in 89% and 77% of samples, respectively, while p,p'-DDT could be measured only in 26% of subjects. The geometric means of serum concentrations (ng/g lipid) were 822 for p,p'-DDE, 167 for beta-HCH, and 379 for HCB. The concentrations of all OCPs were positively associated with age and body mass index, and decreased along the period of blood collection. No association was found between OCPs levels and dietary factors. The concentrations of p,p'-DDE and beta-HCB were higher in Murcia, one of southern regions, most likely associated with intensive past use of pesticides related to agricultural practices, while higher levels of HCB were found in Navarra, located in the north, maybe due to industrial use rather than agricultural application.
authors: Unit of Nutrition, Environment, and Cancer, Cancer Epidemiology Research Program, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat 08907, Spain.
authors: Paula
authors: P
authors: Jakszyn
authors: Fernando
authors: F
authors: Goñi
authors: Arsenio
authors: A
authors: Etxeandia
authors: Asunción
authors: A
authors: Vives
authors: Esmeralda
authors: E
authors: Millán
authors: Raul
authors: R
authors: López
authors: Pilar
authors: P
authors: Amiano
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Ardanaz
authors: Aurelio
authors: A
authors: Barricarte
authors: M Dolores
authors: MD
authors: Chirlaque
authors: Miren
authors: M
authors: Dorronsoro
authors: Nerea
authors: N
authors: Larrañaga
authors: Carmen
authors: C
authors: Martínez
authors: Carmen
authors: C
authors: Navarro
authors: Laudina
authors: L
authors: Rodríguez
authors: M José
authors: MJ
authors: Sánchez
authors: M José
authors: MJ
authors: Tormo
authors: Carlos A
authors: CA
authors: González
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Agudo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003634:DDT / Q000097:blood; D003710:Demography; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000097:blood; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004435:Eating; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene / Q000097:blood; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000097:blood*; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010575:Pesticides / Q000097:blood*; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010575:Pesticides; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane; D003634:DDT; C023888:beta-hexachlorocyclohexane