Strong correlation between the concentration of dioxins and total PCBs in current Japanese people

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to establish an economic and efficient method to screen total PCBs and total dioxins (PCDDs + PCDFs + Co-PCBs) in the highly exposed people in Japan. In this paper, we suggest use of total PCBs in human blood to represent other persistent organic pollutants, especially dioxins. Twenty blood samples were collected from Japanese volunteers. Total PCBs and total dioxins (PCDDs + PCDFs + Co-PCBs) were detected from all twenty blood samples. We carried out detailed analysis of correlation between concentration of total PCBs and each dioxin congener with both measured value and TEQ calculated value. The mean concentration of total PCBs was 250 ng g-fat −1, and the mean concentration of total dioxins was 37 ng g-fat −1 or 40 pg TEQ g-fat −1. Correlations between the total PCBs (ng g-fat −1) and the total measured dioxins (ng g-fat −1), and between the total PCBs (ng g-fat −1) and the total dioxin TEQ calculated value (pg-TEQ g-fat −1) were 0.95 and 0.90, respectively. It became clear that the concentrations of total PCBs in human blood is a good indicator of the concentrations of total dioxins in Japan. If a mass screening is conducted on women of reproductive age in order to detect highly exposed women, it is possible that women with the highest contamination may be treated in order to decrease the levels of these chemicals before pregnancy. In conclusion, measurement of total PCBs concentration is useful for exposure assessment of dioxins in human blood.