Abstract
Humans are exposed to the environmental pollutants 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) and 2,5-dichlorophenol (2,5-DCP) through air, the use of water and the consumption of products. In this study, we evaluated the urinary concentrations of these compounds in Korean people between the ages of 18 to 69 years, by making use of data from the Korean National Human Biomonitoring Survey that was completed in 2009. Of 1865 representative Koreans, 63.4% and 97.9% were found to have concentrations of 2,4-DCP and 2,5-DCP > 0.05 μg/L (limit of detection) in their urine, respectively. The geometric mean of urinary concentrations was 0.14 μg/L (confidence interval of 95% = 0.13–0.16) and 0.44 μg/L (confidence interval = 0.41–0.48), respectively. It was found that the adjusted proportional changes in 2,4-DCP concentrations were significantly associated with body mass index, whereas those of 2,5-DCP concentrations were influenced by place of residence. From these findings, it is evident that most adults in Korea have levels of 2,4-DCP and 2,5-DCP that are detectable in their urine and the burden of these compounds on their bodies varies depending on numerous demographic factors.
Highlights
The presence of toxic chemicals in consumer products, water, and air pose a wide range of health risks to the general population
It is evident that most adults in Korea have levels of 2,4-DCP and 2,5-DCP that are detectable in their urine and the burden of these compounds on their bodies varies depending on numerous demographic factors
It is evident that 63.4% of the samples had levels of 2,4-DCP above the limit of detection (LOD)—ranging from above
Summary
The presence of toxic chemicals in consumer products, water, and air pose a wide range of health risks to the general population. Biomonitoring studies of potentially toxic substances are crucial for establishing the level of exposure a population has to these substances, identifying groups that are at high risk, describing differences in geography, and evaluating the health risks that a population faces [1]. It is for these purposes that many countries, including the U.S and Germany, have carried out national biomonitoring studies, including analyses of organochlorine compounds. Both 2,4-DCP and 2,5-DCP in drinking and waste water are byproducts of water treatment by chlorination [3]
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