Concentrations of dioxins and related compounds in the blood of Fukuoka residents

Blood samples of 152 residents (male 75 and female 77) aged 20-60 years in Fukuoka, Japan, were analyzed for dioxin toxic compounds of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), non-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls (non-ortho PCBs) and mono-ortho polychlorinated biphenyls (mono-ortho PCBs) as well as 35 PCB congeners and 12 chlorinated pesticides by high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry. Average concentrations of dioxin toxic equivalents (TEQ) from PCDDs, PCDFs, non-ortho PCBs, mono-ortho PCBs and their total in the blood of 152 residents were 10.28, 5.56, 7.75, 4.57 and 28.15 ppt in lipid, respectively. These total TEQ levels were comparable to the blood TEQ levels of normal Japanese (n = 735). Lipid basis total TEQ levels progressively increased in the males from 17.1 ppt at age 20s to 47.5 ppt at age 50s and in the females from 19.5 ppt at age 20s to 54.5 ppt at age 50s. Dioxin toxic contribution of PCBs to total TEQ was increased from 31% at age 20s to 55% at age 50s. Average concentrations of total 35 PCBs and total 12 pesticides in the blood of 151 residents were 386 and 1079 ppb in lipid, respectively. Average concentrations (ppb in lipid) of total PCBs and total pesticides also progressively increased in the males from 213 and 444 at age 20s to 868 and 2140 at age 50s, respectively, and in the females from 199 and 588 at age 20s to 550 and 1977 at age 50s, respectively. The levels of TEQ, PCBs, hexachlorobenzene, beta-hexachlorocyclohexane, dieldrin, pp'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, pp'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, trans-nonachlor and cis-nonachlor were positively correlated with each other in most of the combinations, and the highest correlations (r > 0.8) were observed between total TEQ and PCBs in both sexes. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.