A biomonitoring study on blood levels of beta-hexachlorocyclohexane among people living close to an industrial area

Abstract

BackgroundA chemical plant manufacturing pesticides has been operating since the 1950’s in the Sacco River Valley (Central Italy). In 2005, high beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (Beta-HCH) concentrations were found in milk of cows raised and fed near the river. We report the results of a biomonitoring study conducted in this region to evaluate the body burden of Beta-HCH and to identify the determinants of the human contamination.MethodsWe defined four residential areas by their distance from the chemical plant and the river, and selected a stratified random sample of 626 people aged 25–64 years. We evaluated the association, in terms of the geometric mean ratio (GMR), between several potential determinants and Beta-HCH serum concentrations using multivariate linear regression analysis.ResultsTwo hundred forty-six serum samples were analysed to assess Beta-HCH levels (mean concentration: 99 ng/g lipid; Standard Deviation: 121; Geometric Mean: 60.6; Geometric Standard Deviation: 2.65). We found a strong association between Beta-HCH and living in the area close to the river (GMR: 2.00; 95%CI: 1.36-2.94). Beta-HCH levels were also associated with age, level of education, use of private wells and consumption of local food.ConclusionsThe results suggest that people living close to the river may have been contaminated by Beta-HCH, most likely through water from private wells and privately grown food. A programme of epidemiological and clinical surveillance is on-going on this population.

Predictors of Beta-Hexachlorocyclohexane blood levels among people living close to a chemical plant and an illegal dumping site

“…The food chain is supposed to be the main source of human exposure in this case: vegetables irrigated with contaminated water, animals grazing on contaminated soil and fed with contaminated food and water. A positive correlation of β-HCH blood levels with the consumption of food produced in the area was demonstrated in a previous study [15] and clearly confirmed in the present analysis. One of the main interests of this analysis is the role of single food items produced locally.…”

“…Use of water from private wells seemed to play an important role, especially drinking and washing with water. Recent surveys performed to assess the pollutant concentration in private wells of the area indicated values lower than the maximum concentrations permissible by Italian law (0.1 μg/l) [15]. The apparent inconsistency with the role of well water use found in this study, could be explained either from inadequacy of the water samples taken from wells (water was sampled only on the top of the well whereas the chemical might tend to stay Table 3 β-HCH (ng/g lipid) GM and GMR from distinct linear regressions, by local/own production food consumed on the bottom) or from the fact that wells were no longer contaminated.…”

“…Gender and age (in classes) [11,12,15]; BMI: overweight or obese (> = 25) vs. normal/ underweight (< 25) [11,12]; Educational level: high or medium (secondary school or higher) vs. low (primary school or no education) [15]; Food consumption: consumption (up to 2005) of at least one of the following food of local/own production vs. commercial or no consumption: milk, cheese, eggs, fresh or cooked vegetables, fruit, liver meat, chicken, beef, pork, sheep, rabbit [9,10]; Drinking, cooking, irrigating, washing with water from private wells [15]; Breast feeding (if occurred in the last 15 years) [18,19].…”

“…A biomonitoring study on a sample of the population living in the Sacco Valley area was conducted in 2007 showing that people living close to the river (within 1 Km) had the highest observed values of β-HCH. High β-HCH haematic concentration was found especially among older people, those using water from private wells to drink, cook or wash and among those eating the locally produced food [15,16].…”

“…The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictors of β-HCH blood levels in people living within 1 Km of the Sacco River, participating in the last phase of the CESP, carried out between 2013 and 2015. Compared to the results of the previous biomonitoring study (conducted on a sample of the population of all the Sacco Valley in 2007) [15], we examined in depth two aspects that were not yet evaluated, such as the role of specific foods and the association with BMI.…”