Comparison of Organochlorine Pesticide Levels in Human Adipose Tissue of Inhabitants from Veracruz and Puebla, Mexico

Abstract

Since the discovery of insecticide properties of DDT (1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane) and HCH (hexachlorocyclohexane), they have provided great benefits to humans in sanitary actions to combat the spread of infection-borne disease vectors. Public Health Programs in Mexico used DDT and HCH until 1999 as the insecticides of choice to control disease-transmitting organisms. Because of their persistence and accumulative properties, organochlorine pesticides bioconcentrate in lipids of the human body, reflecting the rate of environmental exposure. Eighty human abdominal adipose tissue samples from Veracruz and 80 samples from Puebla were analyzed and the obtained results were compared among both populations. The results from Veracruz showed higher contamination levels (mg/kg on lipid base) compared to Puebla: beta-HCH, 0.072 vs. 0.029; pp'DDE (Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene), 2.364 vs. 0.726; op'DDT, 0.022 vs. 0.025; pp'DDT, 0.192 vs. 0.061; and Sigma-DDT, 2.589 vs. 0.806. The population from Veracruz and from Puebla divided by sex, origin, and cause of death presented no statistical differences. The comparison between sexes (women and men groups) at Veracruz and Puebla indicated significantly higher levels in Veracruz and statistical significant differences. Calculating possible risks (odds ratios, OR), pp'DDE (OR = 5.04) and op'DDT (OR = 2.93) revealed significantly higher risk for the Veracruz population. The study indicated prolonged DDT exposure of Mexicans caused by the past sanitary use and persistence of its residues in soils and air.

Chlorinated pesticides and cancer of the head and neck

“…Comparison of HCB, DDE, and DDT data from our cohort of five noncancer participants with those of the general population in Belgium (Covaci et al, 2002), however, do not show major differences. Recently published data from background populations in Mexico (Herrero-Mercado et al, 2010;Waliszewski et al, 2010) and Turkey (Daglioglu et al, 2010), however, show higher values for these countries compared with our data. These higher values are understandable given that phasing out of OCPs in Mexico and Turkey did not occur as early as in the USA and legal enforcement on the ban of these chemicals may not be as stringent in some jurisdictions compared with America.…”

Levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in human adipose tissue from Baghdad/Iraq

“…The overall mean concentrations of PCBs in the Iraqi human adipose tissue samples were within the range of other results reported for different countries (USA/NY, Brazil, Belgium, Singapore, Korea, Japan, Italy and the Czech Republic) (Cok et al, 2010;Johnson-Restrepo et al, 2005;Kunisue et al, 2007;Moon et al, 2012;Pulkrabova et al, 2009;Schiavone et al, 2010;Tan et al, 2008;Waliszewski et al, 2010). In Italy, the total concentrations of PCBs were very high because of manufacturing these compounds till now, for example in Caffaro Company.…”

Effect of agropesticides use on male reproductive function: A study on farmers in Djutitsa (Cameroon)

“…Their harmfulness has been demonstrated by previous studies, such as the deleterious effect of DDT‐related compounds on Lake Apoka (in Florida) alligators (Guillette et al,1994). Also, the exposure to pesticides evidenced by storage of related residues in human tissues and excretion in urine (Garry et al,2001; Yucra et al,2008; Waliszewski et al,2010) were demonstrated to be associated with immune suppression, hormone disruption, cancer, and reproductive abnormalities (Abhilash and Singh,2009). Their pathological processes in the male reproductive system are triggered via endocrine disrupting (estrogenic, antiandrogenic, or antiestrogenic) effect (Garry et al,2001; Kamijima et al,2004; Lu et al,2004; Dallegrave et al,2007).…”