Organochlorine insecticides
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- The text on this page is taken from an equivalent page of the IEHIAS-project.
- The use of organochlorine insecticides was discontinued after the 1960s due to their persistent contamination.
- However, they can still be detected in biological samples.
- Nine organochlorines (aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene, mirex and toxaphene) are subject of the Stockholm Convention on POPs
Organochlorine insecticides as biomarkers
Sample collection and storage
Matrix:
- Biological monitoring can be carried out in blood, fatty tissue and urine
Kinetics:
- Uptake through inhalation, dermal uptake or ingestion
- Detoxification through induction of cytochrome P450 activates organochlorines to genotoxic species
Sampling conditions:
- Standard sampling procedures should be taken into account
- Since a significant number of compounds may be present in the general “unexposed” population, pre-exposure sampling is recommended for comparison with post-exposure levels
Sample measurement
Analytical aspects:
- Serum or plasma is extracted using liquid or solid-phase extraction and analyzed using GC and ECD or MS
- Comparable methods are used for other lipid rich matrices such as adipose tissue or breast milk
- Metabolites in urine can be detected in the ng/l level in urine using SPE and GC-MS-MS
Performance characteristics:
No data available
Validation:
No data available
Confounding factors:
No data available
Data interpretation
Concentrations reported in literature:
No data available
Dose-response/effect relationships:
- Organochlorine insecticides are linked with STS, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia and, less consistently, with lung and breast cancers.
- They may also affect fertility mechanisms at relatively low levels (0.41 ng/ml)
Time trend, geographical variation, susceptibel groups:
No data available