title: Organochlorinated pesticides levels in a representative sample of the Spanish adult population: The Bioambient.es project.
abstract: Organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) were measured in a representative sample of Spanish adults within the Bioambient.es project, a nationwide human biomonitoring program promoted by Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment. The objective of Bioambient.es is to establish reference levels of environmental pollutants in the general population. Participants were recruited in 2009-2010 during their annual medical examination at work. Serum levels of thirteen OCPs were investigated: Aldrin, endrin, dieldrin, heptachlor, heptachlor-epoxide, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylenes (DDEs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) and hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) The highest concentrations were observed for DDE, HCB and β-HCH. The 95th percentile, in ng/g lipids, were: 717.7 for 4,4-DDE, 160.4 for HCB and 107.2 for β-HCH, while concentrations of aldrin, endrin, heptachlor, α-HCH, 2,4-DDT, 4,4-DDT and 2,4-DDE were markedly lower and detected in less than 10% of the samples. Significant differences (p<0.05) were found for DDE and HCB and seasonality, gender and age. Analyzing the geographical distribution, participants from the north of Spain had highest levels of HCB while those from the center of Spain had highest levels of 4,4-DDE. Comparing to earlier studies, the results indicated a sharp decline in the OCP concentrations in the Spanish population over time, and today values are in the same range or lower than those reported in similar studies worldwide, except for HCHs and HCB that presented higher levels than in other European countries and much higher than those observed in US and Canada. This study represents the first nationwide survey of exposure to OCPs in Spain and provides a background reference range for exposure to OCPs in the Spanish adult occupied population. These results will allow establishing reference values, observing temporal trends and identifying high exposure groups.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Toxicology, National Center for Environmental Health (CNSA), Institute of Health Carlos III, 28220, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.affiliation: Environmental Toxicology, National Center for Environmental Health (CNSA), Institute of Health Carlos III, 28220, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Huetos
authors.affiliation: Environmental Toxicology, National Center for Environmental Health (CNSA), Institute of Health Carlos III, 28220, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: González
authors.affiliation: Environmental Toxicology, National Center for Environmental Health (CNSA), Institute of Health Carlos III, 28220, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esteban
authors.affiliation: Ibermutuamur, Ramírez de Arellano 27, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Calvo
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Epidemiology, Institute of Health Carlos III, 28029, Madrid, Spain; CIBER in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Spain.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pérez-Gómez
authors.affiliation: Environmental Toxicology, National Center for Environmental Health (CNSA), Institute of Health Carlos III, 28220, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: castano@isciii.es.
authors.forename: Argelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castaño
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010575:Pesticides / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010575:Pesticides
keywords: Biomarkers; Blood serum; DDE; DDT; Human biomonitoring; Organochlorinated pesticides; Spain; β-HCH