Background

Information on exposure levels to organochlorine compounds (OCs) in child population is limited, despite their greater vulnerability to the adverse health effects of these chemicals.

Objective

To determine serum concentrations of 10 OCs (including organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls –PCBs–) in children living in agricultural communities from Almería (South-Eastern Spain), and to identify the main predictors of exposure related to socio-economic characteristics, diet and lifestyle.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 133 children aged 6–11 years selected from public schools of the study area. OCs compounds were determined in serum samples by GC/ECD. Anthropometric measures were obtained during sample collection. Information on sociodemographic characteristics, parental occupation, residential history, lifestyle and frequency of food consumption, among other relevant factors, was obtained by questionnaires administered to the mothers.

Results

Geometric means of serum concentrations (ng/ml) were 0.11 for β-hexachloro-cyclohexane (β-HCH), 0.09 for endosulfan, 0.20 for endosulfan-ether, 0.51 for hexachorobenzene (HCB), 0.08 for mirex, 0.06 for oxychlordane, 0.36 for p,p'-DDE, 0.20 for PCB 138, 0.36 for PCB 153, and 0.45 for PCB 180. Percentage of samples above the limit of detection (0.05 ppb) ranged from 32 (β-HCH) to 100 (HCB). A high variability in OC levels depending on the compound was observed between our results and others found in similar studies carried out in children. Variables related to fish consumption were found to be the major dietary determinant of PCB 138, p,p´-DDE, endosulfan-α, β-HCH, mirex and oxychlordane levels.

Conclusions

Children participating in this study showed detectable levels of many OC, despite these compounds are no longer used. Their presence in children serum can be explained by their high lipophilicity and environmental persistence, leading to contamination of fatty food. In this line, fish consumption seemed to be the most relevant determinant of OC levels found in our study.

中文翻译：

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西班牙东南部农业社区儿童的血清有机氯化合物浓度和暴露预测因素

背景

尽管儿童易受这些化学物质的不利健康影响，但有关儿童中有机氯化合物（OCs）暴露水平的信息有限。

客观的

确定生活在来自阿尔梅里亚（西班牙东南部）农业社区的儿童中的10种OCs（包括有机氯农药和多氯联苯-PCBs）的血清浓度，并确定与社会经济特征，饮食和环境有关的主要暴露指标生活方式。

方法

从研究区的公立学校中选出的133名6-11岁儿童进行了横断面研究。通过GC / ECD测定血清样品中的OCs化合物。在样品采集过程中获得了人体测量指标。有关社会人口统计学特征，父母职业，居住历史，生活方式和食物消费频率以及其他相关因素的信息，是通过向母亲发放的问卷获得的。

结果

血清浓度（ng / ml）的几何平均值为β-六氯环己烷（β-HCH）0.11，硫丹0.09，硫丹醚0.20，六氯苯（HCB）0.51，灭蚁灵0.08，氧氯丹0.06，0.36对于p， p'-DDE，对于PCB 138为0.20，对于PCB 153为0.36，对于PCB 180为0.45。高于检测限（0.05 ppb）的样品百分比范围为32（β-HCH）至100（HCB）。在我们的研究结果与在儿童中进行的类似研究中发现的其他结果之间，观察到OC水平的高差异取决于化合物。发现与鱼类消费有关的变量是PCB 138，p，p´ -DDE，硫丹-α，β-六氯环己烷，灭蚁灵和氯丹水平的主要饮食决定因素。

结论

尽管不再使用这些化合物，但参加这项研究的儿童显示出许多可检测到的OC含量。它们在儿童血清中的存在可以通过其高亲脂性和环境持久性来解释，从而导致脂肪食物的污染。在这一方面，鱼类消费似乎是我们研究中OC水平最相关的决定因素。