Organochlorine pesticide contaminations in human milk samples from women living in Amman,Jordan

Concentrations of 15 organochlorine pesticides were determined by capillary gas chromatography in 59 human milk samples collected from the general population during 1989/1990 in the Jordanian capital of Amman. In addition to hexachlorbenzene (HCB), three groups of organochlorine compounds namely, DDT and its metabolites, hexachlorcyclohexane (HCH-isomers) and the cyclopentadiene group (aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, and heptachlor epoxide) were analyzed.The results show that almost all samples contained HCB, -HCH, p,p-DDE and p,p-DDT, whereas p,p-DDD, heptachlor, -HCH, -HCH and o,pDDT were found in 42, 40, 33, 22 and 20 analyzed samples, respectively. The concentration of HCB, -HCH, p,p-DDE, p,p-DDT and heptachlor expressed on a milk-fat basis (median in mg/kg milk fat): 0.29, 0.4, 2.04, and 0.7 respectively.For the comparative purposes and in order to try to find the possible sources of mother-milk contaminations, different types of locally produced and imported cow milk samples were also analyzed for the same organochlorine compounds. Almost all types of tested milk were contaminated with p,p-DDE.     

Levels of β-HCH,HCB, p,p′-DDE,p,p′-DDT and PCBs in human milk from a continental town in Croatia,Yugoslavia

Summary Concentrations of -HCH, HCB, p,p-DDE, p,p-DDT and PCBs were determined by gas chromatography in 50 human milk samples collected from the general population during 1981/1982 in a continental town in Croatia (Yugoslavia). The samples were collected between one and 22 weeks after delivery from mothers breast-feeding one child only. The mothers' age was 18 to 31 years, and they were nursing their first or second child. All 50 samples contained -HCH, HCB, p,p-DDE and PCBs, whereas p,p-DDT was present in 37 samples. The concentrations of -HCH, HCB, p,p-DDE, p,p-DDT and PCBs expressed on a whole milk basis were (median in g/kg): 11, 7.1, 67, 7.3 and 22 respectively, and expressed on a fat basis (median in mg/kg): 0.28, 0.21, 1.9, 0.18 and 0.62 respectively. The fat content was 3.7% (median). PCBs were present in a mixture containing penta-, hexa- and heptachlorobiphenyls.     

Residual organochlorine pesticides in the fat of mutton birds of New Zealand

Summary The organochlorine insecticides pp-DDT, its metabolites pp-DDE and pp-DDD, -HCCH, HEOD and PCBs were identified in the fat of mutton birds of New Zealand. The mean levels for six adult birds were: total DDT 17.30 ppm (78% pp-DDE), pp-DDT 1.54 ppm, pp-DDE 13.50 ppm, pp-DDD 0,64 ppm, -HCCH 5.17 ppm, HEOD 0.93 ppm, PCBs 1.83 ppm. All the compounds found in the adult birds except -HCCH, were also present in a chick bird but in considerably smaller amounts.     

Disposition of β-hexachlorocyclohexane,p,p′-DDT,and trans-chlordane administered subcutaneously to monkeys (Macaca fascicularis)

To evaluate skin lipid analysis for the accumulation level of environmental pollutants, the correlations between organochlorine pesticide residues in adipose tissue, blood, and skin lipids of monkeys were studied. The mixture of -hexachlorocyclohexane (-HCH), p,p-DDT, and trans-chlordane was subcutaneously given to monkeys once weekly for 5 weeks at dose levels of 1 and 10 mg/kg. The chemicals distributed in adipose tissue, blood, and skin lipids were determined six times after the last dosing at intervals of 4 to 9 weeks.Oxychlordane and p,p-DDE were detected in all tissues together with the administered chemicals. In blood and adipose tissue, trans-chlordane decreased rapidly and oxychlordane and p,p-DDE increased gradually and then remained at constant levels. -HCH and p,p-DDT in adipose tissue increased until the 12th week and then decreased in all animals. The correlation coefficients between blood and adipose tissue regardless of dose level and collection time for each chemical ranged from 0.83 to 0.94. Correlation coefficients between skin lipids and adipose tissue varied with the chemical, namely, 0.31, 0.72, 0.81, 0.81, and 0.83 for p,p-DDE, tras-chlordane, p,p-DDT, -HCH, and oxychlordane, respectively. The results indicated that skin lipid analysis may be useful for the evaluation of specific pollutants in the body burden.     

DDT Residues in samples of human milk,and in mothers' and cord blood serum,in a continental town in Croatia (Yugoslavia)*

Summary Concentrations of p,p'-DDE, p,p-DDD, and p,p-DDT were determined in 34 samples of human milk obtained 3–5 days after delivery and in 37 samples obtained at later times of lactation (up to 55 weeks). All samples contained p,p-DDE, but only several contained p,p-DDD and p,p-DDT. The concentrations of p,p-DDE were 31 g/l in the beginning of lactation and 53 g/l at later time intervals. The concentration ranges in both groups overlap almost completely and the difference in the mean values is not significant.Serum samples from 35 mothers and cord blood were also analyzed. All samples contained p,p-DDE, the concentrations being 18 g/l and 6.8 g/l in the mothers' and cord blood serum, respectively. Serum samples of 24 nonpregnant women contained the same amount of p,p-DDE (20 pg/1) as mothers' sera.All samples were collected in a continental town of Croatia (Yugoslavia) between 1977 and 1979. The concentrations of DDT residues were determined by gas chromatography, and two methods for extraction from milk were used and compared.This work was supported in part by the Environmental Protection Agency (USA) and the World Health Organization (Geneva)     

Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in maternal adipose tissue,blood, milk,and cord blood from mothers and their infants living in Norway

Samples of maternal blood, milk, and umbilical cord blood were collected from mothers and their infants at Ullevål University Hospital in Oslo, Norway. All the mothers had lived in Oslo during the last two years. Of the Norwegian mothers, 16 were delivered by Caesarean operation, and samples of subcutaneous fat tissues were collected. Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs),p,p-DDE,p,p-DDT, and dieldrin were found in 157, 135, 168, 22, and 12, respectively, of the 168 samples analyzed, while , and -hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) were found in 93 and 26, respectively, of the 152 samples analyzed for these compounds. In the samples obtained from the Norwegian mothers and infants, PCBs andp,p-DDE were the major contaminants present. In contrast, only traces of PCBs were found in six immigrant samples, which, however, contained 4–6 times higher levels ofp,p-DDE plusp,p-DDT than the corresponding Norwegian samples. Of the HCH isomers, the -HCH was the predominant isomer present. Two to three times significantly higherp,p-DDE and PCBs levels were found in maternal serum than cord serum. No significant differences were found between the organochlorine residue levels in subcutaneous fat and milk fat. A significant positive linear correlation was found between the levels ofp,p-DDE and PCBs in maternal serum and in milk fat, and between the levels ofp,p-DDE in maternal serum and cord serum from Norwegian mothers giving birth normally.Significantly higher PCBs andp,p-DDE residues were found in the maternal and cord serum samples obtained after Caesarean operation than after normal delivery, while no other such differences were found in the milk samples 5 days post partum.The results demonstrate that organochlorines are transferred from mother to fetus and newborn babies through the placenta and milk and that human milk is a good indicator in monitoring human beings and their environment for organochlorine contamination. Possible toxicological implications of the present results are discussed.     

Temporal Trends of Organochlorine Pesticides in Prawn (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Macrobrachium nipponense</Emphasis>) from Lake Kasumigaura,Japan, During 1978–2000

Temporal trends of organochlorine pesticides such as -hexachlorocyclohexane (-HCH), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (p,p-DDE), were determined in freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense) collected from Lake Kasumigaura in 1978 to 2000. The organochlorine pesticides elucidated a 72.4% decrease in -HCH, from 42 (1978) to 11.6 ng/g fat (2000); an 89.6% decrease in HCB, from 1.64 (1978) to 0.17 ng/g fat (2000); and an 87.3% decrease in p,p-DDE, from 97.5 (1978) to 12.4 ng/g fat (1992). After organochlorine pesticide prohibition in 1971, the declining trend of -HCH, HCB, and p,p-DDE concentrations persisting in the prawns could be approximated by exponential equations.     

Polychlorobiphenyl congeners,p,p′-DDE,and sperm function in humans

170 seminal samples from fertile men, men with idiopathic oligospermia or azoospermia and men status post vasectomy were analyzed for 74 polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) congeners,p,p-DDE, mirex, and hexachlorobenzene using the technique of glass capillary gas chromatography with electron capture detection. Low concentrations of 32 PCB congeners were measured (mean total PCB residue of 5.8 ng/g wet weight). The application of multiple linear regression analysis to the data is described and the result is critically evaluated. There is a correlation between sperm motility and count. There are indications that the concentrations of three PCB congeners (2,4,5,245- and 2,4,5,234-hexachlorobiphenyl and 2,4,5,34-pentachlorobiphenyl) are inversely correlated with sperm motility index in samples with a sperm count less than 20 million cells/ml. The implications of the discerned associations are discussed.     

Polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (PCBs),p,p′-DDE and hexachlorobenzene in human milk in three areas of upstate New York

Forty human milk samples from women in an urban and a rural vicinity on Lake Ontario (Rochester and Oswego) and a mixed urban and rural location on the Hudson River (Albany), New York, were analyzed for 74 PCB congeners,p,p-DDE, hexachlorobenzene, and mirex in order to determine the intake of breast-fed infants. All of the compounds were detected in the samples, but only eight PCB congeners andp,p-DDE accounted for 88% of the chlorinated hydrocarbons detected.p,p-DDE was the predominant pollutant (mean 78 ng/g wet weight), but the levels detected were low compared with the results from other parts of North America. Eight individual PCB congeners comprise 52% of the total PCB residue (mean 26.5 ng/g of whole milk); they ranged in mean concentration from 3.2 ng/g (2,4,5,2,4,5-hexachlorobiphenyl) to 1 ng/g (2,3,4,3,4-pentachlorobiphenyl). Statistical correlation analysis among PCB congeners indicates a possible higher exposure to less chlorinated congeners at Oswego than at Albany.     

Presence of PCB,DDE and DDT in human milk in the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia,Canada

Summary PCB, p,p-DDE and p,p-DDT residue levels were measured in human milk from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Preliminary results indicate that the levels of p,p-DDT and p,p-DDE are higher in the former area, possibly because of the wider use of insecticide sprays in the past. It should be emphasized that because of the limited number of samples analyzed, further work must be done before a significant difference in these areas can be established.     

Congener-specific data on polychlorinated biphenyls in tissues of common porpoise from Puck Bay,Baltic Sea

Individual congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), including the highly toxic non-ortho coplanar 3,3,4,4-tetrachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC No. 77), 3,3,4,4,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC No. 126), and 3,3,4,4,5,5-hexachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC No. 169), and their mono- and di-ortho analogs, have been identified and quantified in the blubber, liver, and muscles of three female common porpoise Phocoena phocoena collected from the Puck Bay (inner Gulf of Gdask, Poland) in 1989–1990, to elucidate actual concentrations and toxic potential. The total 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin toxic equivalent for 13 coplanar PCBs in blubber was 1,500±470 pg/g wet wt. 2,3,4,4,5-Pentachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC No. 118) was the most contributing individual and occupied between 57 and 67% in total toxic equivalent of coplanar PCBs in blubber, while 2,2,4,4,5,5-hexachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC No. 153), 2,3,3,4,4-pentachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC No. 105) and 2,2,3,4,4,5-hexachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC No. 138) comprised between 9.5–14, 7.6–11.5, and 7.2–11.0%, respectively (totally 82–95%), and 2,3,3,4,4,5-hexachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC No. 156) was absent. A potentially most toxic non-ortho PCB members such as 3,3,4,4,5-pentachlorobiphenyl, 3,3,4,4,5,5-hexachlorobiphenyl and 3,3,4,4-tetrachlorobiphenyl were only minor contributors, altogether occupying between 1.0 and 14.5% in total TEQ of coplanar PCBs. Concentrations of total PCBs in lipids of the blubber ranged from 26 to 47 g/g and were comparable or lower than reported earlier for common porpoises from the Baltic Sea, North Sea, and North Atlantic by other authors.     

Polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in milk and blood of Canadian women during lactation

Blood and breast milk samples of 16 women were analyzed for PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and some organochlorine pesticides during eight intervals of a 98 day lactation period. Although a general downward trend in residue levels of blood and breast milk was evident, this trend was interrupted by sporadic increases. Most residues in breast milk showed an apparent increase during the first 30 days of lactation, which was not statistically significant. However, during lactation a statistically significant decrease was observed for the following residues, expressed on a milkfat basis: HCB (hexachlorobenzene), oxychlordane, transnonachlor (1-exo, 2-endo, 3-exo-4,5,6,7,8,8-nonachloro-3a,4,7,7a-tetrahydro-4,7-methanoindene), HCH (hexachlorocyclohexane),p,p-DDE andp,p-DDT. Average milk/blood ratios for PCBs, HCB, oxychlordane(1-exo,2-endo-4,5,6,7,8,8-oc-tachloro-2,3-exo-epoxy 2,3,3a,4,7,7a-hexa-hydro-4,7-methanoindene),p,p-DDE (2,2-bis-(p-chlorophenyl)- 1, 1-dichloroethylene), dieldrin (1,2,3,4, 10,10-hexachloro-exo-6,7-epoxy-1,4,4a,5,6,7,8,8a-octahydro- 1,4-endo- exo- 5,8-dimethanonaphthalene) and p,p-DDT (1,l-bis-(p-chlorophenyl)-2,2,2-trichloroethane) levels were 23, 20, 9, 19, 5 and 30 respectively. Milk/blood ratios for PCB andp,p-DDE levels remained relatively constant during lactation (coefficient of variation 20). Accumulation of residues in infant body fat were theoretically estimated     

Hexachlorocyclohexane Use in the Former Soviet Union

Because of the large size of the former Soviet Union (FSU) and the heavy use of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the FSU, usage information regarding OCPs in the FSU is important in compiling global emission inventories and thus in studying the transport of OCPs among different environmental compartments worldwide. The availability of such information is limited. By analyzing the available 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) data in the FSU, this article presents estimates of HCH usage in this region from 1950 to 1990, when HCH was officially banned for agricultural use by the FSU government. The creation of HCH usage inventories for the FSU has paved the way to produce HCH emission inventories for this region. Total HCH usages for agricultural purposes in the FSU from 1950 to 1990 were estimated to be 1,960 kt for technical HCH and 40 kt for lindane. The total usage for the isomers was 270 kt for -HCH, 1,270 kt for -HCH, and 170 kt for -HCH. Use of HCH reached a peak in 1965: 130 kt for technical HCH, 2.7 kt for lindane, 18 kt for -HCH, 86 kt for -HCH, and 11 kt for -HCH. Gridded usage data sets in the FSU of technical HCH and lindane—and the -HCH, -HCH and -HCH isomers—on a 1^o × 1^o longitude and latitude grid system for 1980 are freely available to all users at .     

Interaction behavior of organochlorine pesticides with dissolved Jordanian humic acid

The interaction behavior of Jordanian humic acid isolated from the sediment of King Talal Dam with some chlorinated pesticides (tetradifon, p,p-DDE and p,p-DDT) was studied under different experimental conditions, namely: humic acid concentration, pH, and temperature. The synergistic effect was also studied. The amount of pesticide that did not interact was determined by extraction and analysis by gas chromatography.The interacted amount of pesticide was directly proportional to the concentration of soluble humic acid and inversely proportional to pesticide polarity. There was no significant change in the interacted amount of pesticide with respect to change in temperature. With pH increase, there was a small decrease in the interacted amount of tetradifon, while no changes were detected for p,p-DDE and p,p-DDT.     

Polychlorobiphenyls, ΣDDT,and hexachlorocyclohexane isomers in the western North Pacific ecosystem

Polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), DDT (p,p-DDT,p,p-DDD, andp,p-DDE and HCH isomers (hexachlorocyclohexanes including , , and isomers) were determined in a marine food chain, including seawater, zooplankton, myctophid, squid and striped dolphin collected from the western North Pacific waters. The concentrations of these pollutants increased in higher trophic levels, where the highest bioconcentration factors (concentration ratio in organisms to water), as much as 10⁷, were obtained from both PCBs and DDT in striped dolphin. The proportions of highly chlorinated biphenyls,p,p-DDE and -HCH increased in higher-ranking predators. These observations suggest that the bioaccumulation mechanisms in lower trophic levels depend primarily on the physicochemical properties of pollutants, whereas those in higher trophic levels are affected by the biodegradability of the pollutants and the metabolic capacity and life-span of the organisms.     

Metabolism and storage ofp,p′ dicofol in American kestrels (Falco sparverius) with comparisons to Ring Neck Doves (Streptopelia risoria)

Residues ofp,p dicofol,p,p dichlorobenzophenone (p,p DCBP),p,p dichlorobenzhydrol (p,p DCBH), 1,1-bis (4-chlorophenyl)-2,2-dichloroethanol (p,p DCD) and 1,1-bis (4-chlorophenyl)-2,2 dichloroethylene (p,p DDE) are reported in liver, fat, brain and oviducts of American kestrels exposed top,p dicofol. Breeding female kestrels were exposed to oral gavage dosages of 3.0 and 0.3 mg dicofol/kg body weight per day, equivalent to 1 or 10 mg dicofol/kg diet, for 39 days. Kestrels exhibited an eggshell thinning response similar to that produced by DDE, under these exposures. The major hepatic metabolite of dicofol in kestrels was DCD, but most organochlorine stored in tissues was in the form of dicofol. DDE was not a major metabolite of dicofol in kestrels. Compared with doves, kestrels had a significantly reduced metabolic capacity to transform dicofol to DCBP and DCBH, and had a steeper dose-response curve for dicofol-induced eggshell thinning.     

Organochlorines including polychlorinated biphenyls in muscle,liver, and ovaries of cod,Gadus morhua

Twenty-three specific organochlorine contaminants and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), measured as three Aroclor^® standards were analyzed in muscle, liver, and ovaries of cod, Gadus morhua, collected in the Northwest Atlantic. In general, contaminants were undetectable in muscle tissue, while concentrations were 10 times lower in ovaries than liver (wet weight). Comparison of results to other locations indicated a similarity between the ratio of the concentrations of p,p-DDE, p,p-DDD and p,p-DDT, in liver of cod from the northern North Sea and from the Northwest Atlantic, although with lower levels in the present study. The ratio of -HCH and -HCH was between that of the central and northern North Sea. Similar ratios tend to indicate similar residence times in the atmosphere, from source to sampling area. Comparison of PCB and DDT in the liver of cod from various geographical locations showed the following general trend in concentrations: Arctic, Northwest Atlantic, West Atlantic, Norway < North Baltic, Nova Scotia, North Sea < South Baltic. It was observed that if the liver concentration of one compound was low (high), there was a tendency for all compounds to be low (high). Cluster analysis of organochlorines in liver pointed to the presence of four basic clusters, which could reflect similar physical chemical properties within a group. Concentrations of organochlorines in ovaries were below levels expected to affect egg and larval viability.     

DDT,DDD, and DDE contamination of sediment in the Newark Bay estuary,New Jersey

Two hundred and forty-six surface and buried sediment samples from Newark Bay, New Jersey, and its major tributaries (Passaic River, Hackensack River, Newark Bay, Arthur Kill, Elizabeth River, and Kill Van Kull) were assayed for p,p-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (p,p-DDT), p,p-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (p,p-DDD), and p,p-dichlorodiphenylchloroethylene (p,p-DDE) between February 1990 and March 1993. Chronological profiles in sediments from pre-1940 to the present were determined by radioisotope activities of ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs. The concentrations of these chemicals were compared to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) benchmark sediment values (Long and Morgan 1991). The objectives were to (a) determine the spatial and temporal distributions of DDT compounds in sediments, (b) identify possible sources, and (c) assess the potential for sediment toxicity within the estuary. Mean concentrations in surface sediments in individual waterways ranged from 5 to 473 g/kg for p,p-DDT, 18 to 429 g/kg for p,p-DDD, and 5 to 111 g/kg for p,p-DDE. A regional background mean concentration of approximately 100–300 g/kg p,p-DDT (sum of p,p-DDT, p,p-DDD, and p,p-DDE) was measured in surface sediments throughout the estuary, with the exception of the Arthur Kill, where mean concentrations exceeded 700 g/kg. The elevated concentrations found in recently deposited surface sediments in the Arthur Kill may be due to the presence of ongoing sources. The highest concentrations in buried sediments occurred in the lower Passaic River at depths corresponding to historical deposits from 1940 to 1970, the peak time period for production and usage of DDT in the United States. Comparisons to NOAA benchmark sediment toxicity values indicate that p,p-DDT, p,p-DDD, and p,p-DDE concentrations in surface sediments may pose a potential hazard to fish, shellfish, and other benthic and demersal organisms in some portions of the estuary, particularly in the upper and lower Arthur Kill.     

DDT residues in cod livers from the maritime provinces of Canada

The residues of DDT and its analogs were estimated in a number of cod liver samples (Gadus morhua) collected at six sampling sites off the Atlantic Coast of the Maritime Provinces of Canada during the summer of 1971. The residue levels indicated widespread distribution of DDT over the entire region sampled. Variations in the relative contributions of p, p-DDE and p,p-DDT to the total DDT residues (DDT) were noted and the tendency for these residues to preferentially accumulate in lipid rich tissues was demonstrated. The residue levels found in cod livers were compared to the residue levels determined in cod flesh taken from some of the same specimens and also to residue levels in commercially refined cod liver oils. Samples of each of these types were stored at –29°C and analyzed in 1973 for DDT and PCB simultaneously. The IDDT residues determined by both methods of analysis were compared.     

Levels of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in mothers' milk collected in Osaka prefecture from 1969 to 1976

Long-term investigations of polychlorinated hydrocarbon levels in mothers' milk were made from 1969 to 1976. The levels ofp,p-DDE, p,p DDT, dieldrin and PCB in mothers' milk were within the range reported by others. However, -BHC(Hexachlorocyclohexane) levels in the milk were 10 times that found in non-Japanese. A gradual decrease in the -BHC level in the milk was observed during this period. In contrast, the levelsof p,p-DDE,p,p-DDT, dieldrin and PCB were consistent for the 7-year period. A significant correlation between the levels of PCB andp,p-DDE in mothers' milk and blood was observed in the 1974–1976 samples. However, after prohibition of the use of chlorinated hydrocarbons, this relationship was less apparent in the 1972–1973 samples.