Exposure to 27 Polychlorinated Biphenyls in the Indoor Environment of a Workplace: a Controlled Bio-monitoring Study

Overview

Journal Int Arch Occup Environ Health

Specialty Environmental Health

Date 2015 Apr 21

PMID 25893464

Citations 5

Authors

Ellen Botker Pedersen

N E Ebbehoj

T Goen

H W Meyer

P Jacobsen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the exposure to a broad-spectrum of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (PCBs) from the indoor environment through bio-monitoring of people working in a building with PCB-containing materials and elevated PCB levels in the indoor air.

Methods: A cross-sectional study comparing the plasma concentration of 27 PCB congeners in 15 people working in a PCB-contaminated building and 30 matched controls.

Results: Median concentration of eight low-chlorinated PCB congeners was significantly higher in the exposed than in the control group. The sum of median concentrations of tri + tetra-chlorinated PCB was almost ten times higher in the exposed group than in the unexposed, and sums of dioxin-like and non-dioxin-like PCB were both relatively increased by 60 % in the exposed group.

Conclusions: The occupational indoor environment may significantly add to PCB exposure, especially to the lower-chlorinated congeners. Health effect from this little-acknowledged exposure has not yet been documented, but data supporting lack of effect are sparse and research generating information on effect of exposure to specific congeners including at levels relevant for the indoor environment should be encouraged.

Citing Articles

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in the Environment: Occupational and Exposure Events, Effects on Human Health and Fertility.

Montano L, Pironti C, Pinto G, Ricciardi M, Buono A, Brogna C Toxics. 2022; 10(7).

PMID: 35878270 PMC: 9323099. DOI: 10.3390/toxics10070365.

Hydroxylated and sulfated metabolites of commonly observed airborne polychlorinated biphenyls display selective uptake and toxicity in N27, SH-SY5Y, and HepG2 cells.

Rodriguez E, Vanle B, Doorn J, Lehmler H, Robertson L, Duffel M Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2018; 62:69-78.

PMID: 29986280 PMC: 6092199. DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2018.06.010.

Persistent Threats by Persistent Pollutants: Chemical Nature, Concerns and Future Policy Regarding PCBs-What Are We Heading For?.

Hens B, Hens L Toxics. 2017; 6(1).

PMID: 29267240 PMC: 5874774. DOI: 10.3390/toxics6010001.

Sulfation of Lower Chlorinated Polychlorinated Biphenyls Increases Their Affinity for the Major Drug-Binding Sites of Human Serum Albumin.

Rodriguez E, Li X, Lehmler H, Robertson L, Duffel M Environ Sci Technol. 2016; 50(10):5320-7.

PMID: 27116425 PMC: 4883002. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b00484.

Absorption of PCB126 by upper airways impairs G protein-coupled receptor-mediated immune response.

Shimada A, Cruz W, Loiola R, Drewes C, Dorr F, Figueiredo N Sci Rep. 2015; 5:14917.

PMID: 26449762 PMC: 4598834. DOI: 10.1038/srep14917.

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