PH11 Bioaccumulation and Biotransformation of POPs
Exhibit Hall
8:00 AM - Thursday, 13 November 2003
(PH104) Persistent organochlorine pesticides and PCBs in foodstuffs and human adipose tissues from China.
Nasu, T.1, Nakata, H.1, Kawazoe, M.1, Abe, S.1, Kitano, T.1, Shimada, H.1, Arizono, K.2, Li, W.3, Fan, Q.4, Ding, X.3, 1 Kumamoto University, Japan2 Kumamoto Preferectural University, Japan3 Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research, China4 Zunyi Medical College, China
ABSTRACT- Persistent organochlorine contaminants, such as DDTs, hexachlorocyclohexane (HCHs), chlordane compounds (CHLs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in a wide variety of foodstuffs and human tissues collected from Shanghai and Guizhou province in China. DDT and its metabolites are prominent compounds in most of the foodstuffs. In particular, mussels contained noticeable levels of DDTs (34,000 ng/g lipid wt.), which is one to three orders greater than those reported levels in bivalves of other Asian countries. Concentrations of HCHs, CHLs, HCB and PCBs in most of foodstuffs were relatively low, suggesting their small amounts of recent inputs in the environment. In contrast, very high concentrations of DDTs and HCHs were detected in human tissues collected from Shanghai, with the maximum values as high as 19,000 ng/g lipid wt. (mean: 7,600 ng/g) and 17,000 ng/g (mean: 7,400 ng/g), respectively. Greater concentrations of organochlorine pesticides were also detected from adipose tissues from Guizhou province. These facts suggest that Chinese is still experiencing both severe contamination of DDTs and HCHs, although the residue levels in foodstuffs are relatively low. Considering that foodstuffs are a main source of human exposure to contaminants, the greater concentrations of DDTs and HCHs in Chinese are arising from the past extensive use of these pesticides in this country. Continuous monitoring and epidemiological studies of organochlorine pesticides in humans are necessary in China. We have also examined age- and sex-dependent differences of organochlorine concentrations in adipose tissues from Guizhou province. To our knowledge, this is a first report on monitoring persistent organochlorine contaminations in human adipose tissues from China.
Key words: foodstuffs, persistent organochlorines, human, China