Comparison of the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls and dioxins in mothers affected by the Yusho incident and their children

Accumulated maternal dioxins are passed onto the fetus and neonate via the placenta and maternal milk. In Japan in 1968, an accidental human exposure to rice oil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other dioxin-related compounds, such as polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), led to development of Yusho oil disease. We investigated differences in blood dioxin concentrations in mother-children pairs affected by the Yusho incident. From 2002 to 2008, blood samples were collected from 26 pairs of Yusho mothers and their children (19 mothers, 26 children). Specific congeners of seven polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), ten PCDFs, and four non-ortho PCBs were analyzed. The children had significantly lower TEQ concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs, and coplanar PCBs compared to their mothers. The mother-child difference in blood concentrations varied with the congeners; the largest for 2,3,4,7,8-pentaCDF and the smallest for 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-heptaCDD. The level for 2,3,4,7,8-pentaCDF, which characterizes Yusho oil disease, was approximately 17-30 times higher in the mothers than in the general population, whereas there were no significant differences between children in the formula-fed group and the general population. In contrast, the mean level for 2,3,4,7,8-pentaCDF in the breast-fed group was approximately 1.5 times, (range 0.5-6.5 times) higher than that in the general population. Over 30 years after the Yusho incident, the mean blood dioxin levels in the offspring were only a fraction of the levels in their mothers. This is more consistent with exposure via breast milk than via transplacental transfer in the Yusho incident.     

Persistent organochlorine pollutants and menstrual cycle characteristics

An evolving body of evidence suggests an adverse relation between persistent organochlorine pollutants (POPs) and menstruation, though prospective longitudinal measurement of menses is limited and served as the impetus for study. We prospectively assessed the relation between a mixture of persistent organochlorine compounds and menstrual cycle length and duration of bleeding in a cohort of women attempting to become pregnant. Eighty-three (83%) women contributing 447 cycles for analysis provided a blood specimen for the quantification of 76 polychlorinated biphenyls and seven organochlorine pesticides, and completed daily diaries on menstruation until a human chorionic gonadotropin confirmed pregnancy or 12 menstrual cycles without conception. Gas chromatography with electron capture detection was used to quantify concentrations (ng g⁻¹ serum); enzymatic methods were used to quantify serum lipids (mg dL⁻¹). A linear regression model with a mixture distribution was used to identify chemicals grouped by purported biologic activity that significantly affected menstrual cycle length and duration of bleeding adjusting for age at menarche and enrollment, body mass index, and cigarette smoking.A significant 3-d increase in cycle length was observed for women in the highest tertile of estrogenic PCB congeners relative to the lowest tertile (β = 3.20; 95% CI 0.36, 6.04). A significant reduction in bleeding (<1 d) was observed among women in the highest versus lowest tertile of aromatic fungicide exposure (γ = −0.15; 95% CI −0.29, −0.00). Select POPs were associated with changes in menstruation underscoring the importance of assessing chemical mixtures for female fecundity.     

Influence of activated carbon amendment on the accumulation and elimination of PCBs in the earthworm Eisenia fetida

In this study we investigated the use of activated carbon (AC) as a soil amendment for reducing bioavailability of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to the earthworm Eisenia fetida. Artificial soil was contaminated with PCBs and used in bioaccumulation experiments fresh or after aging for 19 months. PCB bioaccumulation in earthworms was reduced by 68% when AC was placed as a layer without mixing and by 94% when AC was manually mixed into the soil. Aging of the same AC mixed soil for 19 months resulted in an overall reduction of 99% in PCB biouptake. AC-treated aged soil also showed two orders of magnitude lower equilibrium aqueous concentrations of PCBs compared to untreated aged soils. The findings from this study indicate that application of engineered sorbents like AC to PCB impacted soils may greatly reduce PCB uptake at the base of the terrestrial food chain.     

Polychlorinated biphenyls-containing electrical insulating oil contaminated soil treatment with calcium and magnesium peroxides

Calcium and magnesium peroxides were applied for the treatment of soil contaminated by polychlorinated biphenyls-containing electrical insulating oil (Aroclor 1016). The removal of PCB-containing electrical insulating oil was achieved with the addition of either calcium peroxide or magnesium peroxide alone and dependent on dosages of the chemical. A 21-d treatment of 60% watered soil with the moderate addition (chemical/oil weight ratio of 0.005/1) of either calcium peroxide or magnesium peroxide resulted in nearly complete (96 ± 2%) oil removal, unsubstantial increase in soil pH and almost no changes in oxygen consumption and dehydrogenase activity, making it suitable for the soil decontamination.     

Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls in water from US Lake Ontario tributaries between 2004 and 2008

Research on the environmental fate and transport of PCBs in Lake Ontario basin depends, among other aspects, on the availability of representative data sets for upstream sources, but data are lacking for most US Lake Ontario tributaries. In this study, water samples were collected between September 2004 and October 2008 from five tributaries and were analyzed for 209 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) with high-resolution gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS) following EPA Method 1668A. Total PCB concentrations ranged between 0.31 and 42.75 ng L⁻¹. Congeners between Di and Hexa PCBs accounted between 70 and 99% of the total PCB. The tributary with highest PCB concentrations presented similar pattern and percentage levels to Aroclor 1242. Total average loads for the sampling events ranged between 1.85 g d⁻¹ and 59.08 g d⁻¹. PCB concentrations were evaluated against other variables and other studies (including different matrices) to better understand their transport. The methodology used is reliable to assess PCB contamination in surface water.     

Polychlorinated biphenyls in surface sediments of Yueqing Bay, Xiangshan Bay, and Sanmen Bay in East China Sea

The spatial distribution and source of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in 30 surface sediments of Yueqing Bay, Xiangshan Bay, and Sanmen Bay in Eastern China were analysed. Total concentrations of PCBs ranged from 9.33 to 19.60 ng g⁻¹ dry weight for all the sampling stations. The observed PCB levels were lower than those in areas of high urbanisation or contamination in the bay. Low-chlorinated PCBs, dominated by tri-PCB, were identified as the prevalent contaminate of surface sediments, and the top three PCB congeners were lighter chlorinated congeners (PCB 8, PCB 18 and PCB 28). These results were in agreement with the fact that tri-PCB compounds are the dominant contaminants in China. The result of the principal component analysis revealed that all samples were similar in composition to Aroclor 1242, suggesting they might originate from electrical capacitors and transformers. The levels of PCBs were significantly correlated with the total organic carbon in the sediments.     

The air-water exchange of polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers at an urban lake, a receipt water body for the effluent from a municipal sewage treatment plant

The effluents and sludge from municipal sewage treatment plants (MSTPs) are considered as potential sources of many contaminants to the ambient environments. In the present work, the air-water exchange of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) was studied using passive air samplers at an urban lake, which receives the effluents from a MSTP in Beijing, China. The concentrations of PCBs and PBDEs in atmosphere were in the range 15.5-108 ng sample⁻¹ and 2.37-27.8 ng sample⁻¹, respectively, during the sampling period (August, 2007-July, 2008). The predominant PCBs and PBDEs were lowly halogenated congeners. The calculation for the exchange fluxes of PCBs and PBDEs using fugacity model showed that, the net exchange fluxes in different seasons were closely related to the halogen number of different congeners. Except for CBs-28 and 52, the net exchange fluxes was mainly directed from air to water for most of predominant congeners, which implied that the lower chlorinated CBs were dominated by volatilization process rather than the dry/wet depositions and diffusion between air-water interface, additionally, for heavy congeners, the dry/wet deposition process was an important source of PCBs and PBDEs in this lake.     

A rapid method for screening of the Stockholm Convention POPs in small amounts of human plasma using SPE and HRGC/HRMS

A rapid analytical screening method allowing simultaneous analysis of 23 persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in human plasma was developed. Sample preparation based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) with additional clean-up using small multilayer silica gel columns. SPE was performed using a custom made polystyrene-divinylbenzene sorbent for the extraction of chlorinated and brominated POPs. Special efforts to reduce sample volume and improve speed and efficiency of the analytical procedure were made. Determination of 16 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 5 organochlorine (OC) pesticides, octachlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (BDE #47) in 0.5 mL human plasma was performed by using high resolution gas chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS). Recovery of POPs ranged between 46% and 110%, and reproducibility was below 25% relative standard deviation (RSD) for all target compounds, except for trans-nonachlor and OCDD, which were present only at low levels. Limits of detection (LOD) were for the PCBs between 0.8 and 117.7 pg mL⁻¹ plasma and for the OC pesticides between 5.9 and 89.1 pg mL⁻¹ plasma. The LOD for OCDD and BDE #47 were 1.4 pg mL⁻¹ plasma, and 9.2 pg mL⁻¹ plasma, respectively. The presented method was successfully applied to 1016 human plasma samples from an epidemiological study on cardiovascular disease.     

Comparison of organohalogen compounds in a white-tailed sea eagle egg laid in 1941 with five eggs from 1996 to 2001

Eggs laid by white-tailed sea eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla), one in 1941 and five eggs between 1996 and 2001, all from the same geographical region of the Baltic Sea, were screened for organohalogen substances. The 1941 egg contained hexachlorobenzene (HCB), but did not contain either of the pesticides hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) or p,p′-DDT, nor any metabolites of the latter. In contrast, the more recent eggs (REs) contained all of these compounds. Of the seven polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) analyzed (CB28, −52, −101, −118, −138/−163, −153 and 180), only the more highly chlorinated congeners were detected in the 1941 sample, with CB153 followed by CB180 showing the highest concentrations. All eggs demonstrated the same congener pattern with respect to the more highly chlorinated PCBs, but concentrations were approximately 70-230 times higher in the REs. All of the polychlorinated-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran (PCDD/Fs) congeners analyzed were detected in the eggs, with the dominant congener being 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF (1250 pg/g l.w. in 1941 and 1540 pg/g l.w. (GM) for the REs, respectively). None of the other congeners exceeded 400 pg/g l.w., and the concentrations of 2,3,7,8-TCDD, 2,3,7,8-TCDF and 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDF were all lower in the REs. None of five congeners of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) found in the REs was detected in the egg from 1941. The three methoxylated brominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-BDEs) analyzed were found at similar levels and with a similar congener pattern in REs as in the egg from 1941.In conclusion, this study has shown the absence of DDE and PBDE and the presence of HCB and PCBs in a white-tailed sea eagle egg laid in 1941, and a strong increase of PCBs, DDE and PBDE in white-tailed sea eagle eggs from the same area in 1996-2001. The MeO-BDEs were found in similar concentrations in the analyzed eggs. The 1941 sample shows substantial concentrations of PCDD/Fs, noteworthy in the same magnitude as in the recent samples, illustrating the historical and recent exposure of these compounds.     

Determination of chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in human milk from Bizerte (Tunisia) in 2010

Thirty persistent organohalogen compounds including organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were determined in breast milk samples (n = 36) of primipara and multipara mothers from Bizerte in 2010. The analytical procedure involved the application of liquid-liquid extraction and gas chromatography with electron capture detector (GC-ECD) or mass spectrometry detector (GC-MS) for identification and quantification. Organohalogen compounds were found in all the analyzed samples, with predominance of p,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDD, HCB and PCBs. The mean concentration of ∑DDTs in breast milk was 1163.9 ng g⁻¹ lipid wt. The ratio of p,p′-DDE/p,p′-DDT was low, suggesting that there is fresh intake of commercial DDT products in Bizerte. The mean levels of HCB and PCB were 286.8 and 331.2 ng g⁻¹ lipid wt respectively. These results were compared with the levels obtained in a previous study carried out in the same area in 2003. A general decrease of ∑DDTs levels and an increase of PCB levels were observed. Among the 10 PBDE congeners evaluated, BDE-28, BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-66, BDE-138, BDE-100, BDE-154, BDE-153, and BDE-183 were detected in the analyzed samples at different frequency. The total PBDE concentrations ranged from 2.5 to 22.6 ng g⁻¹ lipid wt in the samples, with a mean and median value of 10.7 and 9.8 ng g⁻¹ lipid wt respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first data of PBDEs in Tunisian human milk. The present study shows that age and parity are factors influencing the levels of some organohalogen compounds in human milk.