Predictors of Plasma Concentrations of DDE and PCBs in a Group of U.S. Women

Abstract

We evaluated predictors of plasma concentrations of dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE), a metabolite of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) the Northeast and Midwest had higher levels of PCBs (mean. 5.6 ppb; p = 0.0002) as compared to women from other pats of the country (mean DDE -6.3; mean PCBs = 4.5 ppb).Levels of DDE could not be predicted from consumption of meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, vegetables, fluits, and grains. There was a positive association between fish consumption and PCB concentrations among women in the Northeast and Midwest. Using data from the cases in the nested case-control study to assess the predictive ability of the models, we confirmed that the most reliable predictors of DDE were age and senum cholesterol, and the most important predictors of PCBs were age, serum cholesterol, and residence in the Midwest or Northeast. The null results for the majority of the food variables suggst that specific dietary factors, other than fish, are not curreatly a substantial contributor to human exposure to DDE and PCBs.

Persistent organochlorines in human breast milk from Al-Sharkia Governorate, Egypt

“…Our finding may also be supported by many studies from India, Croatia, United States and Egypt [55][56][57][58].…”

Body burdens of brominated flame retardants and other persistent organo-halogenated compounds and their descriptors in US girls

“…Consistent with these results, in the Nurses Health Study, Laden et al (1999) reported that mean DDE levels were higher in participants from the West than the Midwest. Our results were not explained by race or SES, but race categories do not describe immigrant status.…”

Persistent organochlorine in human breast milk from Al-Sharkia Governorate, Egypt

“…The high human breast milk OCP levels in the majority of our study subjects, confirmed that the role of lactation prolongation in reducing OCP levels from human body (Rogan et al, 1980;Rogan et al, 1986). Our finding may also be supported by many studies from India, Croatia, United States and Egypt (Rogan et al, 1986;Nair et al, 1996;Laden et al, 1999;Soliman et al, 2003). CONCLUSION The study shows the presence of high levels of organochlorine pesticide in human milk in the Fakous, Sharkia Governorate.…”