Metabolite Of Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane Research Articles

Organochlorine contamination in deep-sea fish from the davis strait

Eight species of deep-sea fish caught at various depths off the west coast of Greenland exhibited low to moderate organochlorine (OC) contamination. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane metabolites (DDTs) were the dominating organochlorines. Hepatic levels of sum-PCB (19 individual PCB congeners) ranged from 110 ng g −1 lipid weight in jelly wolf-fish ( Anarhichas denticulatus) to 1156 ng g −1 in blue hake ( Antimora rostrata). Sum-DDT (p,p′-DDE, o,p′-DDD, p,p′-DDD, multiplied by a factor (1.11), and p,p′-DDT) ranged from 70 ng g −1 in jelly wolf-fish to 1446 ng/g in blue hake. Sum-chlordanes (oxychlordone and trans-nonachlor) ranged from 28 ng g −1 in jelly wolf-fish to 309 ng g −1 in roughhead grenadier ( Macrourus berglax). HCB (hexachlorobenzene) ranged from 3.6 ng g −1 in smalleyed rabbit-fish ( Hydrolagus affinis) to 73 ng g −1 in tusk ( Brosme brosme). Sum-HCH (hexachlorocyclohexanes α-HCH, β-HCH and γ-HCH) was of minor importance with levels ranging from 9.3 ng g −1 in Greenland halibut ( Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) to 22 ng g −1 in tusk. The levels are lower than most of the corresponding published data from deepsea fish and probably reflect a moderately contaminated area. No simple relationship was found between organochlorine contamination and depth range of the investigated species.

Chlorinated hydrocarbons in the bone marrow of children: studies on their association with leukaemia.

Concentrations of chlorinated hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) were determined by capillary column gas chromatography in samples of bone marrow from 38 children with leukaemia (16 samples/pools) and 15 control (5 pools). The highest mean and median concentrations were detected for total PCB (mean = 3.568 mg/kg fat basis/median 2.904 mg/kg) followed by the sum of the dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane metabolites (1.775/1.059 mg/kg), hexachlorobenzene 0.354/0.260 mg/kg), the sum of the hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (0.133/0.093 mg/kg) and dieldrin (0.109/0.063 mg/kg). The CHC and PCB concentrations in bone marrow were two- to threefold higher than in fat tissue. Comparing children with and without leukaemia similar concentrations of CHC and PCB were found.

Tissue Burdens of Toxic Pollutants

An article in this issue ofThe Journal(p 2112) presents new information on the tissue burden of polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) of Michigan residents and relates this to the tissue burdens of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 2,2′-<i>bis</i>-(<i>p</i>-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethylene (DDE), a metabolite of dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane (DDT). The finding that 70% of a random sample of the population have detectable levels of PBB in serum and 9796 have PBB in adipose tissue is a dramatic one. It is another reminder of our vulnerability to the increasing number and volume of potentially toxic chemicals used in manufacturing, agriculture, pest control, and food processing. The concomitant tissue burdens of PCB, PBB, and DDE may have greater biologic significance than each considered separately. The nature and extent of environmental contamination by the three chemicals vary greatly. The oldest is PCB, which was introduced in the United States in 1930. Its use in manufacturing