Assessment of exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls: Analysis of selected isomers in blood and adipose tissue

Journal Article · Mon Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Environmental Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-9351(05)80095-7· OSTI ID:5964389

Luotamo, M; Jaervisalo, J; Aitio, A ^[1]

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1. Inst. of Occupational Health, Helsinki (Finland)

Concentrations of 12 selected polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners and isomers in human serum and adipose tissue after environmental and short- and long-term occupational exposures were determined. The individual congener concentrations in adipose tissue varied between <0.01 and 420 {mu}g/kg (tri-, tetra-, penta-, hexa-, and heptachlorobiphenyls); the dominating isomers were 2,2{prime},4,4{prime},5,5{prime}- and 2,2{prime},3,4,4{prime},5{prime}-hexaCB, which represented approximately 90% of all PCBs in adipose tissue. Those isomers were also the most abundant in serum specimens after environmental exposure, their contribution together with the 2, 2{prime},3,4,4{prime},5{prime},6-heptaCB was approximately 90%. After short-term as well as long-term occupational exposure, the most remarkable changes were observed in concentrations of the tri- and tetrachlorobiphenyls. In long-term occupational exposure 2,4,4{prime}-triCB and 2,4,4{prime},5-tetraCB showed the highest concentrations, whereas after short-term exposure 2,2{prime},5-tri and 2,3{prime},4,4{prime}-tetraCB were most abundant. In people with only environmental exposure, the concentrations in adipose tissue of some PCB isomers were interrelated. The concentrations of the isomers 2,4,4{prime},5-tetraCB (IUPAC 74), 2,2{prime},4,4{prime},5,5{prime}-hexaCB (IUPAC 153), 2,2{prime},3,4,4{prime},5{prime}-hexaCB (IUPAC 138), 2,3,3{prime},4,4{prime},5-hexaCB (IUPAC 156), 2,2{prime},3,4,4{prime},5{prime},6-heptaCB (IUPAC 183), and 2,2{prime},3,3{prime},4,4{prime},5-heptaCB (IUPAC 171) showed close correlation, the coefficients varied from 0.42 to 0.98. The correlation between the concentrations of individual PCB isomers in adipose tissue was highest for 2,4-substituted highly chlorinated isomers, i.e., isomers with longest half-times in the body.

• OSTI ID: 5964389
• Journal Information: Environmental Research; (United States), Journal Name: Environmental Research; (United States) Vol. 54:2; ISSN ENVRA; ISSN 0013-9351
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism &amp; Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ADIPOSE TISSUE
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BODY
BODY BURDEN
BODY FLUIDS
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
CONNECTIVE TISSUE
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
MAMMALS
MAN
MATERIALS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
PRIMATES
TISSUES
VERTEBRATES