Levels, tissue distribution and isomer stereoselectivity of Dechlorane Plus in humans: A critical review

Exposure of human tissues to Dechlorane Plus (DP) has raised public concern because of the multiple health threats it may pose to humans. Therefore, it is important to summarize the main findings of previous studies on DP in human tissues and to provide potential guidance for future studies. In this paper, DP levels in different populations and human tissues worldwide since 2009 were systematically reviewed. DP levels in human tissues of workers in e-waste dismantling sites in Guangdong Province, China (median 190 ng center dot g (-1) lw in serum) and DP manufacturing plants in Jiangsu Province, China (mean 857 ng center dot g (-1) lw in whole-blood) are the highest reported worldwide. DP levels in tissues of the general population in recent studies are close to those of residents near ewaste dismantling sites, which should be of concern. DP levels in different human tissues were found to be positively correlated with a pattern of blood > breast milk > adipose tissue. The distribution of DP in different human tissues is mainly lipid-driven and may also be influenced by the interaction of DP with proteins such as human serum albumin. Most of the past studies determined the isomer stereoselectivity of DP in human tissuesonly by comparing the composition of DP in commercial DP products and human tissues, which lacks evidence of mechanism. Recently, a significantly different affinity of DP isomers for proteins was found, which seems to confirm the isomer selectivity of DP in human tissues. We simulated the binding of DP to human serum albumin and DP to thyroid hormone receptor ss by molecular docking and found differences in the binding behavior of synDP and anti-DP to the selected proteins. Molecular docking seems to be a feasible approach for future studies to predict and reveal the mechanisms of DP behavior and health effects in human tissues.

Automated summary

This paper summarizes the main findings of studies on Dechlorane Plus (DP) in human tissues and provides potential guidance for future studies. The highest levels of DP were found in workers at e-waste dismantling sites in China, followed by the general population. DP levels in different human tissues were positively correlated, with the highest levels found in blood, followed by breast milk and adipose tissue. The distribution of DP in human tissues is mainly lipid-driven and may be influenced by its interaction with proteins. Molecular docking appears to be a feasible approach for future studies to predict and reveal the mechanisms of DP behavior and health effects in human tissues.