Sources of dioxins in the environment: A study of PCDDs and PCDFs in ancient, frozen eskimo tissue

Schecter, Arnold; Dekin, Albert A.; Weerasinghe, Nipuna; Arghestani, Saleh; Gross, Michael L.

doi:10.1016/0045-6535(88)90242-1

Cited by 30 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 9 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Other clearly pre-industrial data are available on tissue samples of Eskimos who were exposed to incomplete combustion products in their lives about 400 years ago. In these tissues, the levels of the studied tetra-to hexa-CDD/ Fs were below detection limits (Schecter et al 1988).…”

Section: Sedimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Levels and congener distributions of PCDDs, PCDFs and dioxin-like PCBs in environmental and human samples: a review

Srogi

2007

Environ Chem Lett

176

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The term ''dioxins'' is often used in a confusing way. In toxicological considerations-and also in the present report-the term is used to designate the PCDDs, the PCDFs and the coplanar (''dioxin-like'') PCBs, since these classes of compounds show the same type of toxicity. Because of the large number of congeners, relevant individual congeners are assigned with a toxic equivalency factor (TEF) that relate their toxicity to that of tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) (2,3,7,8-TCDD) and are to be evaluated as dioxins. Each concentration of an individual congener in a mixture is multiplied with its TEF, and the resulting TCDD equivalents are added up and expressed as WHO-endorsed toxic equivalents (WHO-TEQ). Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are mainly the by-products of industrial processes (such as metallurgical processing, bleaching of paper pulp, and the manufacturing of some herbicides and pesticides) but they can also result from natural processes like volcanic eruptions and forest fires. Waste incineration, particularly if combustion is incomplete, is among the largest contributors to the release of PCDDs and PCDFs into the environment. Due to their persistence, PCDDs, PCDFs and PCBs are part of the socalled persistent organic pollutants group of compounds that also include some chlorinated pesticides. Since they have a high lipophilicity and resist transformation, they bio-accumulate in animal and human adipose tissues. Consumption of food is considered as the major source of non-occupational human exposure to PCDD/Fs with foodstuffs from animal origin accounting for more than 90% of the human body burden. With meat, dairy, and fish products being the main contributors. The aim of the present review was to summarize experimental data regarding dioxin emissions from contaminated and uncontaminated biological and environmental samples, from the available literature. The information will be presented chronologically with respect to distribution in human milk, serum; food, water, air, soils and sediments.

show abstract

Section: Sedimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Levels and congener distributions of PCDDs, PCDFs and dioxin-like PCBs in environmental and human samples: a review

Srogi

2007

Environ Chem Lett

176

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The concentrations of the most common 17 dioxin and dibenzofuran congeners were determined in the liver, the kidneys, the spleen and in fatty tissue by high resolution gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC-HRMS). All the analytical methods used have been previously described in detail [3,8,9,10,11].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dioxin in infants - an environmental hazard?

Bajanowski

Fürst²,

Wilmers³

et al. 2002

International Journal of Legal Medicine

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The concentrations of the most common dioxin and dibenzofuran congeners were measured in different tissues (e.g. liver, kidneys, subcutaneous fatty tissue and spleen) from 27 infants who died suddenly and unexpectedly. The cases could be subdivided into 2 groups consisting of 15 infants who died in 1991/1992 and in 12 infants who died in 1996/1997. The autopsies were carried out using a standardised protocol and additionally the parents were asked to supply details of the nutritional conditions. The age of the mother and the birth order of the infants were also recorded. From the results obtained by correlating these parameters with the dioxin concentrations three main factors could be established: 1) there was a significant decrease in the total dioxin concentration in infant tissues from 1991/1992 to 1996/1997 indicating a decrease in the environmental dioxin levels due to a decrease in dioxin emission, 2) the birth order was inversely and the duration of breast feeding directly proportional to the dioxin concentrations thus showing that the mothers can decontaminate themselves by breast feeding and 3) an accumulation of specific dioxin congeners was observed in the liver tissue but the pathophysiological significance of these observations is not yet fully understood. Because of the well-known beneficial effects of breast feeding and considering the results of the present study, this type of infant nutrition can be recommended without any restrictions.

show abstract

“…This is in part because the recent origin ofmost chlorinated dioxins and dibenzofurans. Also, the measurement ofthem in the environment and in humans is historically quite recent (52)(53)(54)(55)(56)(57) There is also evidence that there may be neurodevelopmental and other adverse health outcomes in children exposed in utero and/or by nursing to the closely related dioxinlike compounds PCBs and PCDFs (61)(62)(63)(64)(65). It would seem prudent to consider adverse health outcomes such as neurological, immune deficiency, or reproductive outcomes, rather than focus exclusively on the better-characterized cancer-inducing capability ofthe dioxins and related chemicals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chlorinated and brominated dioxins and dibenzofurans in human tissue following exposure.

Schecter¹,

Ryan²,

Masuda³

et al. 1994

Environ Health Perspect

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

With substantial improvements in analytic techniques over the past decade, it has become possible to measure polychlorinated dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in human tissue in a congener-specific fashion down to the low parts per trillion level. This paper reviews findings using these new techniques from a number of recent medical and environmentalcasestudies. These studies inudethose ofIwreseacxpedto polyhlorinaled biphenyl (PCB)trnsfonner fire in the United States, German chemical workersecposedto2,3,7$etrachlorodIbenzodimcn (2,3A7,$-TDD) while cleaning up after an explosion, workers at a municipal incinerator in New York City, a chemist exposed to brominated and chlorinated dioxins, U.S. veterans and also Vietnamese civilians exposed to Agent Orange contaminated with TCDD in Vietnam, and victims of the polychlorinated dibenzofuran and PCB contminted rice oil (Yusho) incident in Japan.

show abstract

Sources of dioxins in the environment: A study of PCDDs and PCDFs in ancient, frozen eskimo tissue

Cited by 30 publications

References 9 publications

Levels and congener distributions of PCDDs, PCDFs and dioxin-like PCBs in environmental and human samples: a review

Levels and congener distributions of PCDDs, PCDFs and dioxin-like PCBs in environmental and human samples: a review

Dioxin in infants - an environmental hazard?

Chlorinated and brominated dioxins and dibenzofurans in human tissue following exposure.

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About