Polychlorinated dibenzo- p-dioxins, dibenzofurans, and biphenyls in the general population in Finland

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 60; no. 7; pp. 854 - 869
• Main Authors: Kiviranta, Hannu, Tuomisto, Jouni T., Tuomisto, Jouko, Tukiainen, Erkki, Vartiainen, Terttu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2005; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue - chemistry; Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Agnatha. Pisces; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Benzofurans - analysis; Biological and medical sciences; Body burden; Clupea harengus membras; Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; Dietary exposure; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollutants - analysis; Female; Finland; Fish consumption; Fishes; Food Contamination; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; General population; Humans; Linear Models; Male; Middle Aged; Modelling TEQ; Models, Biological; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - analysis; Polychlorinated dibenzo- p-dioxins and furans; Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins - analogs & derivatives; Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins - analysis; Risk Assessment; Seafood; The Baltic Sea; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; Europe; Baltic Sea; Finland; ANE, Baltic Sea; ANE, Finland; The Baltic Sea; Polychlorinated dibenzo- p-dioxins and furans; Modelling TEQ; Fish consumption; Polychlorinated biphenyls; General population; Body burden; Dietary exposure; Dioxin derivatives; Ecotoxicology; Toxicity; Polychlorobiphenyl; Modeling; Marine environment; Persistent organic pollutant; Vertebrata; Organochlorine compounds; Chlorine Organic compounds; Pisces; Biphenyl; Toxic equivalency factor; Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans; Organic compounds
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2005.01.064

We measured adipose tissue concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo- p-dioxins, dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in 420 general Finns living in southern Finland. The mean (median) concentrations of WHO PCDD/F-TEQ and WHO PCB-TEQ were 29.0 (24.1) and 20.7 (16.7) pg g −1 fat, respectively. The concentrations clearly correlated with age. Expressing the concentrations as a function of subject’s ages revealed that the exposure of Finns has declined over the last 30 years. A downward gradient was found in the concentrations from the Baltic Sea coast to inland areas in Finland, and this was assessed to be due to consumption of the Baltic Sea fish, especially Baltic herring. Linear regression models for natural logarithm WHO PCDD/F-TEQ, natural logarithm WHO PCB-TEQ, and natural logarithm WHO total-TEQ, explained 70%, 69%, and 72% of the variability, respectively. Age, lactation, place of residence, and fish consumption frequencies were significant predictors in the models.