1 Serum polychlorinated biphenyl and organochlorine insecticide concentrations in a Faroese birth cohort

• Main Authors: Dana B. Barr, Pál Weihe, Mark D. Davis, Larry L. Needham
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Faroe Islands
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.542.1172; http://www.chef-project.dk/PDF/A_153_Barr.pdf

A prospective birth cohort of 1,022 participants was established in the Faroe Islands over a 21-month period during 1986–1987. We collected questionnaire data on potential persistent organic pollutant (POP) concentration predictors, such as duration of breastfeeding and blubber consumption. To assess the participants ’ exposure from in utero to 14 years of age to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and the insecticide p,p’-DDT and its primary degradate p,p’-DDE, we measured 37 PCB congeners in 316 umbilical cord samples taken from participants at birth, in 124 serum samples collected from participants at approximately 7 years of age, and in 795 serum samples collected from participants at 14 years of age. Measurements of higher chlorination PCB congeners made on individuals ’ serum samples collected at 7 years and 14 years were highly correlated (typically r>0.5, p>0.01), although their concentrations at 7 years were generally two to three times higher than at 14 years. Similarly, umbilical cord PCB concentrations were correlated with PCB concentrations in both 7- and 14-year serum samples. Sex-specific differences in higher chlorination PCB and p,p’-DDE