The authors investigated whether organochlorine exposure is associated with prevalence of otitis media, pneumonia, pertussis, asthma, and increased immunoglobulin E levels in children. Organochlorine concentrations and histories of infection and atopic manifestation were available for 343 children, and immunoglobulin E levels were available for 340 children. The authors applied logistic and linear regressions and controlled for confounders. In general, the prevalence of infections in children was not related to organochlorine exposure. However, for the combined effect of dichlorodiphenyldichloroethene with polychlorinated biphenyls or hexachlorobenzene, a significantly increased relative risk (odds ratios = 3.70 and 2.38, respectively) was found for otitis media. Exposure to dichlorodiphenyldichloroethene resulted in a significantly higher odds ratio for asthma (odds ratio = 3.71; 95% confidence interval = 1.10, 12.56) and in immunoglobulin E concentrations above 200 kU/l (odds ratio = 2.28; 95% confidence interval = 1.20, 4.31). This is the first study in which dichlorodiphenyldichloroethene has been identified as a substantial risk factor for asthma and for increased immunoglobulin E blood levels.

Age Factors↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Toxicity of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB)--indoor air pollution by PCB-containing durable elastic sealants].

The widespread use of the persistent and lipophilic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) e.g. in electrical engineering, hydraulics and chemistry of the polymers, caused their ubiquitous distribution and accumulation in food chains. Chronic toxicity in humans is known from several incidents of PCB contaminated food. Dose-response experiences, however, remain uncertain due to the technical grade of PCB as a complex mixture of about 150 congeners and many impurities, like polychlorinated dibenzodurans. Some information on the toxicity of a few PCB congeners is available from animal experiments. Large differences in enzyme-inductive efficacy between the PCB congeners rendered the use of toxicity equivalent factors (related to 2,3,7,8-TCDD, "Seveso-Dioxin") necessary. For risk assessment, the use of "sum of PCB", calculated from questionable determinations of 6 minor toxic congeners, is insufficient. Serious problems arise from evaporation of PCB e.g. in technical rooms of telephone companies (in Germany: Telekom) and generally, from sealing materials in buildings. The German Federal Health Administration, BGA, recommends 300 ng total PCB/m3 indoor air as "precautionary value". Since neither the extreme differences in toxicity of the congeners nor bioaccumulation are taken into account, this recommendation of BGA can not be justified any longer.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Body burden of polychlorinated biphenyl compounds in whole blood of 7-10-year-old children in the area of a hazardous waste incineration facility].

Within the framework of a human biomonitoring project the distribution of foreign substances in the blood of children living in regions which were industrially polluted to differing extents was investigated. The results from children who lived in the neighbourhood of a hazardous waste incinerator plant (SVA) were compared with children from a control region with similar industrial pollution (Rhine Valley Control Region = RKR) and from a second control area with lower industrial pollution (Odenwald Control Region = OKR). PCB118, 138, 153, 170, 180, 183 and 187 were analysed in the blood of 348 children between 7 and 10 years of age. Indicators of exposure in the regression models, adjusted for age, sex and for other confounders, are the regions or places of residence (18 neigbourhoods). Children from the SVA area have for PCB170 (p = 0.02) and PCB180 (p = 0.007) higher average values (or for PCb with a low prevalence of detection) a greater relative chance of detection (PCB183: OR 2.00; 95%CI 1.08-3.69; PCB187: OR 1.99; 95%CI 0.97-4.09) than children in the OKR. Apart from gender of the child and sequential order of birth, behavioural characteristics, such as breast feeding, passive smoking and body-mass index, will contribute to explaining the variance of PCb. The results can presently be viewed only as a regional comparison of the three investigated groups. The effects seen here are small but statistically significant and indicate a regionally plausible pattern.

Air Pollutants↗