Serum levels of organochlorine pesticides in healthy adults from five regions of Spain.
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.
Jakszyn
Paula
P
Unit of Nutrition, Environment, and Cancer, Cancer Epidemiology Research Program, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat 08907, Spain.
Goñi
Fernando
F
Etxeandia
Arsenio
A
Vives
Asunción
A
Millán
Esmeralda
E
López
Raul
R
Amiano
Pilar
P
Ardanaz
Eva
E
Barricarte
Aurelio
A
Chirlaque
M Dolores
MD
Dorronsoro
Miren
M
Larrañaga
Nerea
N
Martínez
Carmen
C
Navarro
Carmen
C
Rodríguez
Laudina
L
Sánchez
M José
MJ
Tormo
M José
MJ
González
Carlos A
CA
Agudo
Antonio
A
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
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010575:Pesticides; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene; D001556:Hexachlorocyclohexane; D003634:DDT; C023888:beta-hexachlorocyclohexane