title: Sex, BMI and age in addition to dietary intakes influence blood concentrations and congener profiles of dioxins and PCBs.
abstract: METHODS
  The aim of this study was to i) characterize dietary polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxin exposure in consumers of fish from the PCB contaminated Lake Mjøsa in Norway ii) examine the influence of demographic factors on blood concentrations and congener composition of dioxins and PCBs, iii) characterize dietary sources and possible exposures above tolerable intake.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Blood samples were analysed for dioxin-like (dl) compounds (PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs) and non-dl-PCBs (ndl-PCBs). Dietary exposures were calculated using food frequency questionnaires (n=64). Men had higher median intake of dl-compounds than women (1.2 and 0.85 pg TEQ/kg bw/day), but similar blood concentrations (23.3 and 25.8, pg TEQ/g lipid weight (lw)). For non-dl-PCBs, intakes (6.5 and 4.5 ng/kg bw/day) and blood concentrations (381 and 224 ng/g lw) were higher in men than in women. Blood concentrations correlated with dietary intakes in men only. Increasing BMI and age elevated blood concentrations mainly in women. Men and women had different blood congener profiles, with a higher share of PCB-126 in women, despite similar dietary congener profiles. Eleven participants exceeded the tolerable intake for dl-compounds. Fish from Lake Mjøsa was the main dietary source.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The higher influence of BMI and age for women than for men may have implications for risk assessment.
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway. helle.knutsen@fhi.no
authors.forename: Helle K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Knutsen
authors.forename: Helen E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Kvalem
authors.forename: Margaretha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haugen
authors.forename: Helle M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Meltzer
authors.forename: Anne L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Brantsaeter
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Päpke
authors.forename: Veronica H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Liane
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Becher
authors.forename: Cathrine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thomsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004032:Diet; D004147:Dioxins / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000097:blood*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D004147:Dioxins; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls