Organochlorine Pesticides in Human Serum

Abstract

Organochlorine pesticides are a group of chlorinated compounds that persist in the environment. They were used mainly in agriculture and for pest control in cities for several decades. Their widespread use has resulted in their ubiquitousness in various environments and bioaccumulation throughout the food chain. Although many organochlorine pesticides are banned, their accumulation can have adverse effects on human health and the environment. In this chapter, we emphasize the organochlorine pesticides listed by the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants: aldrin, chlordanes, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), mirex, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), toxaphene, and hexachlorcyclohexanes (HCHs). As these organochlorine pesticides have similar physicochemical properties, they can be analyzed by using the same analytical procedures, which are composed of extraction, cleanup, and selective and sensitive detection via gas chromatography with an electron capture detector, mass spectrometry, and high resolution mass spectrometry. The application of gas chromatography and high resolution mass spectrometry with an isotope dilution method provides highly accurate and reliable data. We describe a comprehensive extraction and purification method for analysis of target organochlorine pesticides and a measurement method using several equipments later in this chapter. Many studies have revealed that the general population (including neonates), who lack occupational exposure to organochlorine pesticides, is exposed to background environmental levels of these chemicals. Among the organochlorine pesticides investigated, p,p’-DDE, d-HCH, hexachlorobenzene, p,p’-DDT, oxychlordane, and trans-nonachlor were frequently detected in human serum which are comparatively convenient human biological specimens obtained from all individuals. Epidemiologic research has revealed that these chemicals are associated with several health disorders. Therefore, we conclude this chapter with a summary and critical review on the status of organochlorine pesticides in serum of the general human population.