Analysis of hydroxylated metabolites of PCBs (OH-PCBs) and other chlorinated phenolic compounds in whole blood from Canadian inuit.

Abstract

In this study, we identified the main hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls (OH-PCBs) and other chlorinated phenolic compounds and we determined their relative concentrations in whole blood from 13 male and 17 female Inuit from northern Quebec, Canada, and from a pooled whole blood sample from southern Quebec. We also determined concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Total OH-PCB concentrations were variable among the Inuit samples, ranging over 2 orders of magnitude (0.117-11.6 ng/g whole blood wet weight). These concentradions were equal to and up to 70 times those found for the southern Quebec pooled whole blood sample. Geometric mean concentrations of tota OH-PCBs were 1.73 and 1.01 nglg whole blood for Inuit men and women, respectively, and 0.161 nglg whole blood for the southern population pool. There are limited data available for comparison, but the levels of OH-PCBs in Imuit are higher thn those previously reported in the literature for other populations. There was a significant correlation (p < 0.005) between OH-PCBs and PCBs (r = 0.84) and both correlated significandy (p < 0.005) with age (r= 0.68 and 0.78, respectively). The ratio of OH-PCBs to PCBs was lower in Inuit (0.11) than in the southern Quebec pool (0.33). There is no apparent explanation for the difference. There was considerable variability in the congener pattem of the identified OH-PCBs. The main metabolite, 4-OH-CB109 (4-0H-2,3,3',4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl), constituted 12-62% of the total OH-PCBs in the samples. Pentachlorophenol (PCP) was the dominant phenolic compound in blood, constituting 46% (geometric mean) of the total quantitated chlorinated phenolic compounds. PCP concentrations in Imuit blood ranged from 0.558 to 7.77 ng/g on a wet weight basis. All but two Inuit samples had lower concentrations than the southern Quebec pool (6.29 ng/g). The possible role of OH-PCBs in mediating PCB-induced adverse effects needs to be investigated fiuther.

Serum polychlorinated biphenyl and organochlorine insecticide concentrations in a Faroese birth cohort

“…Depending on the structure, OH-PCBs bind to the thyroxine transport protein, transthyretin (TTR) (19)(20)(21). These metabolites have been found at concentration levels of 10-30% of the PCB concentrations in blood (22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28). The substances selected for analysis are metabolites of the persistent PCB congeners CB-105, CB-118, CB-138, CB-153 and CB-187 (18).…”

Hydroxylated PCB Metabolites and PCBs in Serum from Pregnant Faroese Women

“…2,2-Bis(4-chlorophenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane (4,4´-DDE) and persistent PCB congeners are in general and still the most abundant pollutants in wildlife and humans, although recent decreases have been reported (2,3). High concentrations of these substances have been determined even in populations living in remote areas (4,5), including people from the Faroe Islands, as first documented by analyses of four pools of human breast milk sampled from a birth cohort in 1987 (6). Similarly high PCB and 4,4´-DDE concentrations were obtained from a second Faroese birth cohort from 1994 (7).…”

“…Among those compounds, a large number of polychlorobiphenylols (OH-PCBs) have earlier been reported in blood from humans, birds, seals, and polar bears (9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17). The concentration of the OH-PCBs may exceed 10% of the total PCB concentration in human serum (5,9,12). As many as 38 OH-PCBs have been identified in human plasma (10), but only a few of these make up the major proportion of the OH-PCB concentrations in the human blood.…”

Determination of hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls by offline solid-phase extraction-liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry using a molecularly imprinted polymer as a sorbent for sample preconcentration

“…Several solvents including hexane, EtOAc, ACN, and the mixture of hexane/EtOAc (1/1, v/v) were tested for efficient elution of OHPCBs [33,34]. As shown in Fig.…”