Polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) found in Yusho oil and in used Japanese PCB

Buser, Hans-Rudolf; Rappe, Christoffer; Garå, Anders

doi:10.1016/0045-6535(78)90154-6

Cited by 66 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 9 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It is noteworthy that the effects of PCBs were not consistently observed in all the occupationally exposed workers, and it is possible that some of the responses may be due to the highly toxic polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), which are present as by-products in commercial PCBs (117,118). The acute and subacute effects of PCBs associated with the Yusho and Yucheng accidents in Japan and Taiwan, respectively, will not be discussed in this review because the evidence suggests that the toxic responses observed in the victims of these exposures were due to the relatively high levels ofPCDFs that were identified as by-products in the PCB-containing industrial fluid (119,120).…”

Section: Human Health Effects Of Pcbsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toxicology, structure-function relationship, and human and environmental health impacts of polychlorinated biphenyls: progress and problems.

Safe

1993

Environ Health Perspect

365

128

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are industrial compounds that have been detected as contaminants in almost every component ofthe global ecosystem including the air, water, sediments, riu, and wildlife and human adipose tissue, milk, and serum. PCBs in commercial products and environmental extracts are complex mixtures of isomers and congeners that can now be analyzed on a congener-specific basis using high-resolution gas chromatographic analysis. PCBs are metabolized prarily via mixed-function adxdaes intoa broadspectrum of m-tIbolites. The resuts indicate that metabolk activation is not required for PCB toxicity, and the parent hydrocarbons are responsible for most of the biochemical and toxic responses elicited by these compounds. Some of these responses include developmental and reproductive toxicity, dermal toxicity, endocrine effects, hepatotoxicity, carcinogenesis, and the induction of diverse phase I and phase I drugmetabolizing enzymes. Many of the effects observed for the commercial PCBs are similar to those reported for 2,3,7,-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and related compounds. Strctur-function relaionships for PCB congeners have identified two major stnctural classes ofPCBs that elicit "TCDD-lik"' responses, namely, the coplanar PCBs (e.g., 3,3',4A,'-tetraCB, 3,3' 4,4 ,5-pentaCB and 3,3',4,4,,5'-hexaCB) and their mono-ortho coplanar derivatives. These compounds competitively bind to the TCDD or aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor and exhibit Ah receptor agonist activity. In addition, other structural dasses of PCBs elicit biochemical and toxic responses that are not mediated through the Ah receptor. The shor-term effects of PCBs on occupationally exposed humans appear to be reversible, and no consistent changes in overall mortality and cancer mortality have been reported. Recent studies have demonstrated that some developmental deficits in infants and children correlated with in utero exposure to PCBs; however, the etiologic agent(s) or structural clas of PCBs responsible for these effects have not been dlinated. In contrast, based on a toxic equivalency factor approach, the reproductive and developmental problems in certain wildlife populations appear to be related to the TCDD-like PCB congeners.

show abstract

Section: Human Health Effects Of Pcbsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toxicology, structure-function relationship, and human and environmental health impacts of polychlorinated biphenyls: progress and problems.

Safe

1993

Environ Health Perspect

365

128

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Furthermore, due to mechanical problems in the heat exchanger which was the original source of the oil, approximately one-half of the original PCB fluid had been converted into chlorinated quaterphenyls. After heating, the contaminated oil mixture contained significant levels of PC-DFs and PCDDs (Buser et al, 1978;Chen et al, 1981;Miyata et al, 1985Miyata et al, , 1977.…”

Section: The Yusho and Yu-cheng Incidentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Position Paper of the American Council on Science and Health: Public Health Concerns about Environmental Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

1997

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, were widely used in various industrial applications for their insulating and fire retardant properties. In the 1960s, PCBs were found in soil and water, and research confirmed that some PCB congeners degrade very slowly in the environment and can build up in the food chain. Two widespread poisoning episodes in Japan and Taiwan were initially attributed to the consumption of rice bran oil contaminated with PCBs. Although subsequent analysis suggested that toxic thermal degradation products of PCBs in the oil, rather than the PCBs, were responsible for the observed health effects, commercial production of PCBs in the United States was discontinued in 1979. Several regulatory and advisory agencies have categorized PCBs as animal carcinogens; however, studies of workers exposed to high doses of PCBs over long periods of time have not demonstrated an increased cancer risk. In fact, the only health effects that could be attributed to PCBs were skin and eye irritation. Recent studies of the possible effects of prenatal exposure to PCBs on neurodevelopment in infants and children have been criticized for methodological deficiencies. There is no conclusive evidence that PCB levels in the general population are causing intellectual deterioration in children exposed in utero. Some investigators have also suggested that PCBs and other chemicals in the environment can interfere with the body's endocrine system, leading to infertility, certain types of cancer, and other hormone-related disorders. Evidence for estrogenic effects of environmental PCBs remains weak and circumstantial. The following actions are recommended: development of innovative, cost-effective remediation techniques, particularly for sites that are difficult to remediate (e.g., river sediments); and scientifically based improvements to risk assessment, to reduce the considerable uncertainty associated with PCB exposure to health effects in humans.

show abstract

“…Similar to the PCDF congeners in Yusho patients, relatively low concentration of 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-DF and high concentrations I I I of 2,3,4,7,8-pentachloro-DF and 1,2,3,4,7,8-hexachloro-DF were also observed in the Yu-Cheng patients, although the high concentration of 1,2,3,7,8-pentachloro-DF in Yu-Cheng patients was in contrast with its low concentration in Yusho patients. About 40 PCDF congeners were identified in the rice oil which was ingested by Yusho patients (16). Some of them, such as 2,3,6,7-tetrachloro-, 2,3,4,6,7-pentachlo- ro-, 1,2,6,7,8-pentachloro-, 1,2,3,4,8-pentachloro-, and 1,2,3,4,6,7-hexachloro-DF, were, however, not identified in the tissues of the patients.…”

Section: Pcdfsmentioning

confidence: 99%

PCB and PCDF congeners in the blood and tissues of yusho and yu-cheng patients.

Masuda¹,

Kuroki²,

Haraguchi³

et al. 1985

Environ Health Perspect

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) poisonings occurred in western Japan, where it is called yusho, in 1968, and in central Taiwan, where it is called yu-cheng, in 1979. The average concentrations of PCBs in the adipose tissue, liver and blood of yusho patients and in the blood of yu-cheng patients were 1.9 ppm, 0.08 ppm, 6.7 ppb and 99 ppb, respectively. Seven PCB congeners, such as 2,4,5,3',4'-pentachloro-, 2,3,4,3',4'-pentachloro-, 2,4,5,2',4',5'-hexachloro-, 2,3,4,2',4',5'-hexachloro-, 2,3,4,5,3',4'-hexachloro-, 2,3,4,5,2',4',5'-heptachloro- and 2,3,4,5,2',3',4'-heptachloro biphenyls were identified in the blood and tissues of patients with yusho and yu-cheng and controls. The concentration of 2,3,4,5,3',4'-hexachlorobiphenyl was comparatively higher in the patients than in controls. The concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in the adipose tissue and liver of yusho patients were 6 to 13 ppb and 3 to 25 ppb, respectively, while no PCDFs were detected in the controls. Major PCDF congeners identified in the tissues and blood of yusho and yu-cheng patients were the 2,3,6,8-tetrachloro-, 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-, 1,2,4,7,8-pentachloro-, 2,3,4,7,8-pentachloro- and 1,2,3,4,7,8-hexachlorodibenzofurans (DFs), of which the 2,3,4,7,8-pentachloro compound was predominant. The concentrations of methylthio-PCB in the liver, lung and adipose tissue of yusho patients were 0.1 to 0.5, 0.2 to 1.4 and 0.5 to 1.0 ppb, respectively, and those of methysulfone PCBs were 0.3 to 0.7, 1.0 to 2.5 and 0.7 to 1.0 ppb, respectively. Some of the major peaks of the PCB methylthio and methylsulfone derivatives were identical in gas chromatographic retention times with those of 4-methylthio- and 4-methylsulfone-2,5,2',5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl PCDFs, especially 2,3,4,7,8-pentachloro DF, appear to be mainly responsible in the poisonings.

show abstract

Polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) found in Yusho oil and in used Japanese PCB

Cited by 66 publications

References 9 publications

Toxicology, structure-function relationship, and human and environmental health impacts of polychlorinated biphenyls: progress and problems.

Toxicology, structure-function relationship, and human and environmental health impacts of polychlorinated biphenyls: progress and problems.

Position Paper of the American Council on Science and Health: Public Health Concerns about Environmental Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

PCB and PCDF congeners in the blood and tissues of yusho and yu-cheng patients.

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About