Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in human adipose tissue from northern Tunisia: Current extent of contamination and contributions of socio-demographic characteristics and dietary habits.

The aims of the present study were to investigate the current exposure levels of persistent organochlorine compounds (OCs) in adipose tissues intraoperatively collected from 40 patients over 20 years undergoing non-cancer-related surgery residing in Northern region of Tunisia (Bizerte), which constitutes an exemplary case, and examined association between levels of contamination and both socio-demographic characteristics and dietary habits. Concentration of hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (α-HCH, β-HCH, γ-HCH and δ-HCH), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane isomers (p,p'-DDT and o,p'-DDT) and metabolites (p,p'-DDE, o,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDD and o,p'-DDD) and 12 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) congeners were measured using capillary gas chromatography with electron capture detector. Overall, residue levels of OCs followed the decreasing order of DDTs > PCBs > HCB > HCHs. DDTs levels ranged from 74.49 to 1834.76ngg-1 lipid and contributing to more than 90% to the sum of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). p,p'-DDE was the most abundant in all samples and the p,p'-DDT/p,p'-DDE ratio (range between 1.85% and 58.45%) suggesting recent and ongoing exposure to banned commercial DDT products. PCB concentrations varied from 29.27 to 322.58ngg-1 lipid and PCB-180, PCB-153 and PCB-138 were the dominant congeners accounting for 70% of total PCBs. We did not find significant correlations between OC exposure levels and sex, parity, habitat areas and smoking habits. In females, the adipose tissue concentrations of DDTs, HCB and PCB-118 were positively correlated with age. There was statistically significant relationship between body mass index (BMI) changes and the adipose tissue levels of HCB and HCHs. No association was found between OCPs levels and dietary factors. However, our study suggests that fish consumption may be an important contributor of PCBs adipose tissue content of PCBs in Tunisian people. The presented work is highly significant, being the first study pointing out the chronic exposure to OCs in Bizerte.

Achour A ，Derouiche A ，Barhoumi B ，Kort B ，Cherif D ，Bouabdallah S ，Sakly M ，Rhouma KB ，Touil S ，Driss MR ，Tebourbi O ... -  《-》

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in adipose tissue of women from Grand Tunis and their association with demographic factors and dietary habits.

Dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and polychloronated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in 25 woman adipose tissues collected in 2016 from Grand Tunis, Tunisia. p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDT, HCB and β-HCH were the dominant organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in decreasing order in all samples. The total OCP levels varied from 79 to 343 ng g-1 lipid with a median value of 189 ng g-1 lipid and DDTs contributed approximately 88% to sum OCP. The ratio of p,p'-DDT/p,p'-DDE across all samples is below one, which suggests mainly historic exposure but may indicate some recent exposure to the banned pesticide. The median concentration of PCBs was 109 ng g-1 lipid and ranged between 27 and 204 ng g-1 lipid. PCB-153, PCB-180, PCB-138 and PCB-170 were the most abundant congeners, which contributed about 78% of the total PCBs. Spearman analysis showed that dominant organochlorine compounds (OCs) are highly positive correlated except for PCB-28/31, indicating that women from Tunis are exposed via similar routes. Inhalation exposure could be a possible pathway for the uptake of the less chlorinated congeners. We found positive and statistically significant association with subjects age for HCB (r = 0.517; p = 0.009) and PCBs (r = 0.65; p = 0.001) levels and a weak age-dependent accumulation was found for HCHs (r = 0.375; p = 0.065) and DDTs (r = 0.388; p = 0.056). The concentrations of OC subgroups were not associated with BMI, parity and residence. No association was observed between fish, red/white meat, milk and dairy products consumption and levels of HCB, HCHs and PCBs. DDTs levels were significantly correlated only with milk (p = 0.048) and milk products (p = 0.047) intake.

Achour A ，Derouiche A ，Driss MR ，Tebourbi O ... -  《-》

Concentrations of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in human serum and their relation with age, gender, and BMI for the general population of Bizerte, Tunisia.

Ben Hassine S ，Hammami B ，Ben Ameur W ，El Megdiche Y ，Barhoumi B ，El Abidi R ，Driss MR ... -  《-》

Determination of chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in human milk from Bizerte (Tunisia) in 2010.

Thirty persistent organohalogen compounds including organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were determined in breast milk samples (n=36) of primipara and multipara mothers from Bizerte in 2010. The analytical procedure involved the application of liquid-liquid extraction and gas chromatography with electron capture detector (GC-ECD) or mass spectrometry detector (GC-MS) for identification and quantification. Organohalogen compounds were found in all the analyzed samples, with predominance of p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD, HCB and PCBs. The mean concentration of ∑DDTs in breast milk was 1163.9 ng g(-1) lipid wt. The ratio of p,p'-DDE/p,p'-DDT was low, suggesting that there is fresh intake of commercial DDT products in Bizerte. The mean levels of HCB and PCB were 286.8 and 331.2 ng g(-1) lipid wt respectively. These results were compared with the levels obtained in a previous study carried out in the same area in 2003. A general decrease of ∑DDTs levels and an increase of PCB levels were observed. Among the 10 PBDE congeners evaluated, BDE-28, BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-66, BDE-138, BDE-100, BDE-154, BDE-153, and BDE-183 were detected in the analyzed samples at different frequency. The total PBDE concentrations ranged from 2.5 to 22.6 ng g(-1) lipid wt in the samples, with a mean and median value of 10.7 and 9.8 ng g(-1) lipid wt respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first data of PBDEs in Tunisian human milk. The present study shows that age and parity are factors influencing the levels of some organohalogen compounds in human milk.

Hassine SB ，Ameur WB ，Gandoura N ，Driss MR ... -  《-》

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzo furans (PCDD/Fs) in edible fish from Lake Volta, Lake Bosumtwi and Weija Lake in Ghana.

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzo furans (PCDD/Fs) were measured by a high resolution gas chromatograph-high resolution mass spectrometer (HRGC/HRMS) in selected edible fish from three freshwater bodies, Lake Volta, Lake Bosumtwi and Weija Lake in Ghana. The levels of organochlorine pesticides measured in this study were generally low. The highest concentration of OCPs was measured for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane compounds (DDTs) (p,p'-DDT, o,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE, o,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDD and o,p'-DDD), followed by chlordane compounds (CHLs) (trans-chlordane, cis-chlordane, trans-nonachlor and cis-nonachlor), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCH). The relatively high ratio of p,p'-DDT/p,p'-DDE in tilapia and catfish with an extremely high value in catfish purchased from a local market at Madina, a suburb of Accra, however, suggests the fresh contamination of technical DDT in Ghana. Although PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs showed relatively low levels, the concentrations are, however, comparable with recent data of some developed countries. There is a potential health risk from DDTs, PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs for the general population of Ghana because fish is one of their important protein sources. It is therefore necessary to estimate the total intake of DDTs, PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs, and to assess the health risks for the general population of Ghana.

Adu-Kumi S ，Kawano M ，Shiki Y ，Yeboah PO ，Carboo D ，Pwamang J ，Morita M ，Suzuki N ... -  《-》