The relative contribution of individual polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-furans (PCDFs) to toxic equivalent values derived for bulked human adipose tissue samples from Wales, United Kingdom

Abstract

Five bulked human adipose tissue samples were analyzed for individual polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners (including selected non-ortho-substituted compounds) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs). Mean sigma PCB and sigma PCDD/F (tetra-through octachlorinated homologues) concentrations were 0.75 microgram/g and 1.22 ng/g adipose tissue respectively. Both the congener patterns and levels detected were similar to those reported by laboratories in other industrialised countries. Each sample comprised of tissue taken from donors within a given locality. However, no obvious relationships were apparent between sampling area, absolute concentrations and congener pattern of PCBs and PCDD/Fs. The contribution of individual PCDD/F and non-ortho-(o), mono-o-, and di-o-substituted PCB congeners to the total calculated toxic equivalent values (sigma TEQ) was assessed for each sample. The main contributions to the sigma TEQ were the mono-o-substituted PCB congeners #118 (TEQ = 42.5 pg/g of lipid), #156 (TEQ = 24.8 pg/g) and #105 (TEQ = 20.7 pg/g), followed by 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDD (TEQ = 18.2 pg/g), 2,3,4,7,8-P5CDF (TEQ = 12 pg/g), 1,2,3,7,8-P5CDD (TEQ = 11.5 pg/g), and the non-o-substituted PCB congener #126 (TEQ = 11.3 pg/g). Collectively, these compounds accounted for 80% of the sigma TEQ values. Based on the TEFs proposed by Safe (1990), the overall TEQs calculated for the monitored PCBs, were twice those due to sigma PCDD/Fs.

Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-Dioxins, Dibenzofurans, and Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Human Tissues, Meat, Fish, and Wildlife Samples from India

“…Among PCDDs, 1234678-HpCDD and OCDD were the most abundant congeners in humans (Figure 7 in Supporting Information), which is similar to that observed in fish, meat, and dolphins. OCDD has been commonly found in human tissues from most countries (19,(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46). Among dioxin-like PCBs, congener 126 is the most prevalent among the non-ortho-PCBs in most human fat samples except two samples, which contained congener 77 at greater concentrations (Table 3 and Figure 8 in Supporting Information).…”

Dioxins in the Environment: A Review of Trend Data

“…Several factors have been shown to affect adipose tissue concentrations/body burdens, notably age, the number of children and the period of breast feeding in females, and dietary habits (59). U.K. concentrations (60) are within the range of the most recent samples from other industrialized nations, including Japan (61), Canada (62), and Spain (63). ∑TEQ concentrations in contemporary adipose are of the order of 0.03 ng/g; ∑PCDD/Fs are of the order of 1 ng/g (64,65).…”

Persistent Organic Pollutants

“…So, when exposed daily 2,3,7,8-TCDD is expected to accumulate in man even more than in the rat. Indeed, considerable amounts of dioxins and furans have been found in the various organs of the human body, especially the liver and the adipose tissue (Ryan et al,1985 ;Graham et al, 1986;LeBel et al, 1990;Leung et al, 1990;Thoma et al, 1990;Scheckter et al, 1991;Duarte-Davidson et al, 1993;Kang et al, 1997). …”