title: Assessment of DDT levels in selected environmental media and biological samples from Mexico and Central America.
abstract: Taking into account the environmental persistence and the toxicity of DDT, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) organized a surveillance program in Mesoamerica which included the detection of residual DDT in environmental (soil) and biological samples (fish tissue and children's blood). This program was carried out in communities from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. This paper presents the first report of that program. As expected, the results show that the levels for [summation operator] DDT in soil (outdoor or indoor) and fish samples in the majority of the locations studied are below guidelines. However, in some locations, we found children with high concentrations of DDT as in Mexico (mean level 50.2 ng/mL). Furthermore, in some communities and for some matrices, the DDT/DDE quotient is higher than one and this may reflect a recent DDT exposure. Therefore, more efforts are needed to avoid exposure and to prevent the reintroduction of DDT into the region. In this regard it is important to know that under the surveillance of PAHO and with the support of UNEP, a regional program in Mesoamerica for the collection and disposal of DDT and other POPs stockpiles is in progress.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
authors.forename: Iván N
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Pérez-Maldonado
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trejo
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ruepert
authors.forename: Reyna del Carmen
authors.initials: Rdel C
authors.lastname: Jovel
authors.forename: Mónica Patricia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Méndez
authors.forename: Mirtha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Saballos-Sobalvarro
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yáñez-Estrada
authors.forename: Dania
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Henao
authors.forename: Emilio R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Díaz-Barriga
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002489:Central America; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003634:DDT / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008800:Mexico; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D012987:Soil; D003634:DDT