Biomonitoring of persistent organochlorine pesticides, PCDD/PCDFs and dioxin-like PCBs in blood of children from South West Germany (Baden-Wuerttemberg) from 1993 to 2003

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 58; no. 9; pp. 1185 - 1201
• Main Authors: Link, Bernhard, Gabrio, Thomas, Zoellner, Iris, Piechotowski, Isolde, Paepke, Olaf, Herrmann, Thomas, Felder-Kennel, Andrea, Maisner, Valentina, Schick, Karl-Heinz, Schrimpf, Monika, Schwenk, Michael, Wuthe, Juergen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-03-2005; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Benzofurans - blood; bioaccumulation; Biological and medical sciences; blood chemistry; Breast Feeding; chemical residues; Child; children; DDE; Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene - blood; Dioxins - blood; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring - statistics & numerical data; Environmental Pollutants - blood; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungicides, Industrial - blood; General aspects; Germany, West; HCB; Hexachlorobenzene - blood; Human; Humans; Lipids - blood; Male; organochlorine pesticides; pesticide residues; polychlorinated biphenyls; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - blood; polychlorinated dibenzodioxins; polychlorinated dibenzofurans; Sex Factors; TEQ; Time Factors; Germany; Europe; West Germany; Germany, Baden-Wuerttemberg; Human; TEQ; DDE; Breast feeding; HCB; Dioxin derivatives; Pesticides; Polychlorobiphenyl; Blood; Biological monitoring; Persistent organic pollutant; Organochlorine compounds; Chlorine Organic compounds; Child; Organic compounds; Anthropogenic factor
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2004.09.061

In the context of a monitoring program, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were quantified in the blood of 10
year old children at four different demographic regions in Baden-Wuerttemberg, a highly industrialised federal state in South West Germany. DDE, HCB, PCB 138, PCB 153 and PCB 180 were measured in 1996/1997, 1998/1999, 2000/2001 and 2002/2003 in individual samples of about 400 children per year. PCDD/PCDFs and some relevant coplanar PCBs were determined in pooled samples from children in seven cycles from 1993 to 2003. Blood concentrations of the investigated compounds decreased in that time period by a factor of 2–4 with the exception of most PCDFs. The concentrations of POPs in the blood of the children were distinctly lower than the concentrations reported for adults. Breast feeding was associated with about 30% higher median concentrations of DDE, HCB, PCBs and a 30% increase for mean PCDD/PCDF concentrations. Concerning demographic differences, significant lower concentrations of HCB, PCBs and PCDD/PCDFs could be seen in children from Mannheim compared to the region of Aulendorf. About 10–20% higher concentrations were found in boys compared to girls for HCB, indicator PCBs and PCDD/PCDFs. The pattern of non-ortho and mono-ortho PCBs in the blood of children was similar to the pattern reported for mother’s milk, and PCB 126 and PCB 156 contributed about 70% to the toxicity of dioxin-like PCBs and about one-third to total TEQ including PCDD/PCDFs.