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3.12 Organophosphorus pesticides
- Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) of
pentafluorodibromide derivatives, determination limit (S/N = 10)
1.0 μg/l for DMP and 0.3 μg/l for DEP, DMTP and DETP, detection
limit (S/N = 3) 0.3 μg/l for DMP, 0.1 μg/l for DEP, DMTP and
DETP:
Urinary concentration of four dialkyl phosphates as
representative metablolites were measured for a group of
occupationally exposed workers and a non-exposed control group.
The exposed workers (n = 52) showed 76.4 ± 164.4 μg/l DMP (range
below determination limit to 880 μg/l, median 17.2 μg/l), 3.7 ±
15.7 μg/l DEP (below determination limit - 112 μg/l, 0.4 μg/l),
21.8 ± 47.5 μg/l DMTP (below determination limit - 216 μg/l, 2.2
μg/l) and 2.7 ± 5.4 μg/l DETP (below determination limit - 22
μg/l, 0.2 μg/l), while the control group (n = 18) showed 35.4 ±
37.7 μg/l DMP (below determination limit - 127 μg/l, 20.1 μg/l),
6.0 ± 9.3 μg/l DEP (below determination limit - 31 μg/l, 1.3 μg/l), 20.6
± 47.4μg/l DMTP (below determination limit - 191
μg/l, 2.7 μg/l) and 4.3 ± 7.8 μg/l DETP (below determination
limit - 33 μg/l, 1.4 μg/l). In short, the four dialkyl
phosphates were present in both workers and control group at
approximately the same levels, except for higher levels of DMP
in some workers. The DMP level in the control group was somewhat
higher than the counterpart in the U.S., suggesting a need for
more extensive measurements for exposure estimation.7)
3.13 Organochlorine compounds (DDTs, PCBs and dioxins)
- The levels of residual organochlorine compounds in fat tissues
(45 samples) were DDTs > PCBs > HCHs1 > CHLs2 > HCB3 > TCPMe4 >
TCPMOH5. The concentrations of TCPMe and TCPMOH in the fat
tissues were 2.7-44 ng/g fat (average 18) and 0.28-31 ng/g fat
(average 12), respectively, which were lower by two orders of
magnitude than DDT concentrations. The level of these compounds
in the liver were 1.1-20 (average 7.0) and <4.0-38 (average 19)
ng/g lipid, respectively. In bile, TCPMe level was <5.0-62
(average 17) ng/g lipid, i.e. somewhat higher than in the liver,
but TCPMOH was under the detection limit. DDTs were present in
fat at a level of 160-8100 ng/g lipid (average 2300), the
highest among the compounds studied. The levels of HCHs, CHLs
and HCB in the fat tissue were approximately the same as
previously reported. The concentrations of HCHs in the fat
tissue were 47-3200 ng/g lipid (average 680), which were higher
than the levels of CHLs (average 310 ng/g lipid) and HCB
(average 60 ng/g lipid).5)
- In order to investigate effects on children, a project for
estimation of background exposure to PCBs and dioxins in the
fetal and infantile stages was started in Hokkaido. Non-ortho
PCBs, mono-ortho PCBs, Coplanar PCBs and total TEQ were low in
pregnant women under 30; PCDDs-TEQ, PCDFs-TEQ, DDDF and total
TEQ were high in primigravidas. The blood dioxin levels in this
study were generally lower than those found in other areas
studied in the past.8)
- Analysis of dioxins, PCBs and organochlorine-based pesticides
for 80 women with chief complaint of infertility (26-43 years of
age) resulted in a median of 25.1 pg/g lipid of the total TEQ.
2,3,7,8-TCDD was found in 7 patients (9%) in a range of 1.7-4.2
pg/g lipid (cf. determination limit 1.7-12.2 pg/g lipid). The
level in serum of dioxins, PCBs and organochlorine pesticides
tended to increase with the intake frequency of fish. Such
correlation was not observed for other foods.3)
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