Organo-Chlorine Insecticide Content of Human Adipose Tissue in South-Eastern England

Abstract

One hundred specimens of human body fat, 50 necropsy and 50 biopsy, were collected in 1964 from a semi-rural area in south-eastern England. The specimens were analysed by two methods and the concentrations of seven organo-chlorine insecticides were determined. The results of the two analytical methods were in good agreement. Endrin and heptachlor epoxide were not detected in any of the specimens analysed for these compounds. The average concentrations of lindane, op'-DDT, and op'-DDE were very small: 0-015 p.p.m., 0 03 p.p.m., and 0-02 p.p.m. respectively. The average concentration of HEOD in the 100 specimens of fat (no significant difference in the means of the necropsy and biopsy fats was detected) was 0-21 p.p.m., as in the 1961 survey. The average concentration of total equivalent-DDT (DDT + DDE) in the 50 necropsy fats was 3-9 p.p.m., as compared with 2-2 p.p.m. in 1961. In the biopsy fats the average concentration for males was 4 9 p.p.m., and for females 3-4 p.p.m. One method was suitable for the separate determination of pp'-DDT and pp'-DDE. The average concentration of pp'-DDT was 1-0 p.p.m. in the 100 necropsy and biopsy fats. The average concentration ofpp'-DDE was 2-2 p.p.m. in the 50 necropsy fats, and 3 1 p.p.m. and 2-0 p.p.m. in male and female biopsy fats respectively. The variability ofthe concentrations of these compounds in the necropsy specimens was generally greater than in the biopsy specimens. No significant differences were found which were attributable to age or to the cause of death. It is considered that the amounts found of these compounds do not constitute a hazard to the population sampled in this survey. The design of surveys to determine the concentrations of organo-chlorine insecticides in man is discussed.

Mutagenicity, Carcinogenicity, and Teratogenicity of Insecticides

“…Maier-Bode (1960) did not detect any differences of storage of DDT and DOE in two groups of patients, divided according to those who died of carcinomas or of other diseases. Robinson et al (1965) and Hofmann et al (1967) reached the same conclusions using a larger sample. In contrast, Casarett et al (1968) found a higher level of DDT, of the two metabolites DOD and DOE, and also of other organochlorine insecticides, in patients who died of carcinomas, but these researchers drew attention to the fact that, in people who lost weight or were cachectic, the amount of insecticide could have been artificially enhanced.…”

“…Robinson et al (1965) did not find any difference between highly and weakly exposed workers to Dieldrin. In the study of Casarett et al (1968), the negative effect observed for DDT was confirmed for Dieldrin and Heptachlor epoxide.…”

Organo-chlorine Pesticide Residues in Human Fat and Human Milk

“…For dieldrin less extensive surveys have been made, but Table VIII suggests that the residues persisting in human fat are of the same order in both Britain and the United States. Hunter et al (1963) Present paper Hoffman et al (1964) Robinson et al (1965 Mention deserves to be made of the source of the fat samples in the present investigation. With two exceptions the subjects had come to post-mortem examination on the instructions of a coroner.…”

“…An official committee, after studying the available evidence, stated (Report, 1964) that, whereas there is no evidence to date that levels of these pesticides hitherto reported in human tissues do any harm or that they present any serious immediate hazard to human beings, the fact that traces of these compounds are found in so many situations is a matter of some concern. The only other surveys of human fat in the U.K. have been confined to south-east England (Hunter et al, 1963 ;Robinson et al, 1965), but in the present study sampling has been extended to other centres in England and Wales, and samples of human breast milk have also been examined. This study was initiated by the Advisory Committee on Pesticides and Other Toxic Chemicals, and was carried out jointly by the Ministry of Health and the Laboratory of the Government Chemist, Ministry of Technology, together with the assistance of a number of forensic pathologists and directors of human breast milk banks.…”

Mutagenicity, Carcinogenicity, and Teratogenicity of Industrial Pollutants

“…Maier-Bode (1960) did not detect any differences of storage of DDT and DOE in two groups of patients, divided according to those who died of carcinomas or of other diseases. Robinson et al (1965) andHofmann et al (1967) reached the same conclusions using a larger sample. In contrast, Casarett et al (1968) found a higher level of DDT, of the two metabolites DOD and DOE, and also of other organochlorine insecticides, in patients who died of carcinomas, but these researchers drew attention to the fact that, in people who lost weight or were cachectic, the amount of insecticide could have been artificially enhanced.…”