Monitoring of organohalogens Monitoring of organohalogens body burdens of the Czech body burdens of the Czech

populationpopulation

M. ČernáM. Černá1,21,2, R. Grabic, R. Grabic33, A. Batáriová, A. Batáriová1,21,2, B. Beneš, B. Beneš11,,J. ŠmídJ. Šmíd22, V. Bencko, V. Bencko44

1 1 Nat. Inst. Publ. Health, PragueNat. Inst. Publ. Health, Prague

22 Charles Univ., 3 Charles Univ., 3rdrd Fac.Med. Prague Fac.Med. Prague33 Institute of Public Health, Ostrava Institute of Public Health, Ostrava44 Charles Univ., 1 Charles Univ., 1stst Fac.Med. Prague Fac.Med. Prague

The Czech Republic belongs to the countries The Czech Republic belongs to the countries with a relatively high body burden of with a relatively high body burden of PCBsPCBs in in the past, due to the production of commercial the past, due to the production of commercial PCB mixtures in the Slovak part of former PCB mixtures in the Slovak part of former Czechoslovakia up to 1984 when the Czechoslovakia up to 1984 when the production was abolished.production was abolished.

Chlorinated pesticidesChlorinated pesticides were used in the were used in the agriculture in 60ties – 70ties when they were agriculture in 60ties – 70ties when they were abolished, but their residua in the food chain abolished, but their residua in the food chain and the dietary exposure of the Czech and the dietary exposure of the Czech population are still existing.population are still existing.

PCDDs and PCDFsPCDDs and PCDFs as unwanted by-products as unwanted by-products of industrial and thermal processes can be of industrial and thermal processes can be detecteddetected in the vicinity of chemical industrial in the vicinity of chemical industrial plants or plants or hazardous waste hazardous waste incinerators.incinerators.

IntroductionIntroduction

EExposure data are essential for health risk xposure data are essential for health risk assessment and assessment and for for the efficient regulation of the efficient regulation of these pollutants.these pollutants.

Human biomonitoring is the most Human biomonitoring is the most appropriate appropriate approach to define body burden of approach to define body burden of lipophilic lipophilic POPsPOPs..

Concentrations of POPs are measured in human Concentrations of POPs are measured in human body fluids and tissues body fluids and tissues containing lipids; human containing lipids; human milk, blood serum or adipose tissue milk, blood serum or adipose tissue are most are most often used matricesoften used matrices..

Systematic Biological Monitoring Programs Systematic Biological Monitoring Programs have been conducted in several countries to have been conducted in several countries to determine determine the current levels and long-term time the current levels and long-term time trends.trends.

Introduction Introduction (cont.)(cont.)

Biomonitoring projects realizedBiomonitoring projects realized in the in the Czech RepublicCzech Republic within the last 15 years within the last 15 years

1. CZ-HBM within the nationalwide Environmental Health Monitoring System operated in the Czech Republic since 1994 (human milk, subcutaneous fat, blood serum and others)

2. Participation in the 2nd (1992), 3rd (2000/01) and 4th (2005) round of the international WHO-coordinated Exposure Study of PCBs, PCDDs, and PCDFs concentrations in human milk.

3. Cross-sectional study of the individual levels of PCDDs/PCDFs/PCBs in altogether 81 human milk samples collected in seven regions of the CR (1999-2001).

5. Studies targeted at the residents living in the vicinity of a chemical plant or of a solid waste incinerator.

6. Retrospective study of the levels of PCBs and chlorinated pesticides in the pooled blood serum samples from Serum Biobank (1970-2000) supported by Ministry of Health (IGA NR/9015-3).

CZ-HBM – monitored areas in the 1st and 2nd CZ-HBM – monitored areas in the 1st and 2nd periodperiod

Concentrations of selected Concentrations of selected chlorinated pesticides in chlorinated pesticides in human body of the Czech human body of the Czech

populationpopulation

I.I. Human milkHuman milk

II.II. Blood serumBlood serum

A

Levels of DDT and HCB in human milk of the Czech population in the period 1978 to 1991

(data published in local journals)

9645

4898

1802

540

6011

3782

1389 1460

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

1978 1982 1987 1991

ng/g

fat

HCB DDT sum

Chlorinated pesticides in human milkChlorinated pesticides in human milk

(medians, ng/g fat)(medians, ng/g fat)

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Hexachlorobenzene

Sum of DDT

Retrospective study – levels of Retrospective study – levels of HCBHCB in the in the pooled serum samples from Ostravapooled serum samples from Ostrava

0-20-2 y

5-6

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

19701970 19801980 19901990 20052005

ng

/g f

at

age (y) HCB

0-2 y0-2 y

5-6 y5-6 y

15-19 y15-19 y

30-39 y30-39 y

0-2 y0-2 y

5-6 y5-6 y

15-19 y15-19 y

30-39 y30-39 y

0-2 y0-2 y 5-6 y5-6 y

15-19 y15-19 y 30-39 y30-39 y

Retrospective study – levels of DDTDDT in the pooled serum samples from Ostrava

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

19701970 19801980 19901990 20052005

ng

/g f

at

age (y) DDT

0-20-2 y0-2 y

5-6 y5-6 y15-19 y15-19 y

30-39 y30-39 y

0-2 y0-2 y

5-6 y5-6 y

15-19 y15-19 y

30-39 y30-39 y

0-2 y0-2 y 5-6 y5-6 y

15-19 y15-19 y 30-39 y30-39 y

M edian 25% -75% 5% -95%

86 110

541

443

86 110

541

443

M en W om en M en W om en0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

µg/k

g f

at

HCB DDE

Levels of HCB and DDE in human blood serum Levels of HCB and DDE in human blood serum (µg/kg fat) in 2005(µg/kg fat) in 2005

Concentrations of Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyles polychlorinated biphenyles in human body of the Czech in human body of the Czech

populationpopulation

I.I. Human milkHuman milk

II.II. Blood serumBlood serum

B

CZ-HBM: time-related median values of CZ-HBM: time-related median values of PCB congener 153 iPCB congener 153 inn human milk human milk

352

323

201

165 165 164 168

139 137

174185

219

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006

ng

/g f

at

New locations

1994+1995 2002+2003

Years

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

µg

/kg

fat

M e dian 25%-75% 5%-95%

Levels of indicator PCB 153 in human milk fat: Levels of indicator PCB 153 in human milk fat:

differences in reference values throughout the differences in reference values throughout the yearsyears

646

476

343

302 288

177142

97.5

168202

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

UherskéHradiště I

Praha UherskéHradiště II

Kolín Liberec Kladno Telč CZ-HBM2000

3rd WHOstudy 2000

ng

/g f

atMedian levels of PCB 153 in human milk analyzed in Median levels of PCB 153 in human milk analyzed in cross-sectional study in 2000 - comparison with the cross-sectional study in 2000 - comparison with the

CZ-HBM and the 3CZ-HBM and the 3rdrd WHO-study data WHO-study data

Ústí n. L.

215

425

201

379

202

156 164185

219

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Kladno1992

Uh.Hradiště

1992

Kladno2000

Uh.Hradiště

2000

Liberec2000

Pooledsample

2005 - ref.lab. SRN

WHO2005 -NRL

(median)

2005 -median

2006 -median

2nd WHO study 3rd WHO study 4th WHO study CZ-HBM

ng

/g f

at

WHO – coordinated studies: levels of PCB 153 in WHO – coordinated studies: levels of PCB 153 in human milkhuman milk

44thth international WHO coordinated study: levels international WHO coordinated study: levels of PCB 153 in pooled samples of human milkof PCB 153 in pooled samples of human milk

7.9811.7

21.530.5

52.9

107.2

155.6

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

Hungary Cyprus Sudan Norway Luxembourg Slovakia CR

ng

/g t

uk

u

M edian 25% -75% 5% -95%

496401 364

672

483

669

332272

342 341 369

613496

401 364

672

483

669

332272

342 341 369

613

Tota

l

Pra

gue

Lib

ere

c

Ostra

va

Kro

měříž

Uhers

ké H

radiš

tě

Tota

l

Pra

gue

Lib

ere

c

Ostra

va

Kro

měříž

Uhers

ké H

radiš

tě

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2400

µg/k

g fa

t

M en W om en

Levels of PCB congener 153 in human blood Levels of PCB congener 153 in human blood serum (µg/kg fat) in 2005serum (µg/kg fat) in 2005

Retrospective study – levels of Retrospective study – levels of PCB 153PCB 153 in the in the pooled serum samples from Ostravapooled serum samples from Ostrava

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

19701970 19801980 19901990 20052005

ng

/g f

at

age (y) PCB153

0-2 y0-2 y

5-6 y5-6 y

15-19 y15-19 y

30-39 y30-39 y0-2 y0-2 y

5-6 y5-6 y

15-19 y15-19 y

30-39 y30-39 y

0-2 y0-2 y

5-6 y5-6 y

15-19 y15-19 y

30-39 y30-39 y

Concentrations of PCDDs, Concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs, and dioxin-like PCBs in PCDFs, and dioxin-like PCBs in

human body of the Czech human body of the Czech populationpopulation

C

WHO studies - WHO studies - TEQ TEQ levels of PCDDs/PCDFs in levels of PCDDs/PCDFs in human milk of the Czech populationhuman milk of the Czech population

13.1

19.8

7.43

10.7

7.788.31

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

Kladno 1992 Uh. Hradiště 1992 Kladno 2000 Uh. Hradiště 2000 Liberec 2000 Pooled sample2005 - ref. lab.

SRN

2nd WHO study 3rd WHO study 4th WHO study

TE

Q p

g/g

fat

3.68 5.512.4 3.32 2.74 2.65

9.37

14.3

5.037.41

5.04 5.66

18.3

39.5

15.2

28.5

14.3 14.4

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Kladno 1992 Uh. Hrad. 1992 Kladno 2000 Uh. Hrad. 2000

Liberec 2000 Pooled sample 2005 –ref. lab. SRNref. lab. SRN

2nd WHO study 3rd WHO study 4th WHO study

WH

O-T

EQ

pg

/g f

at

PCDD PCDF PCB

WHO -TEQ values obtained in WHO-WHO -TEQ values obtained in WHO-coordinated studies in the Czech Republiccoordinated studies in the Czech Republic

Pooled sample 2005 – ref. lab. SRN

4.44 4.92 5.61 6.19 6.468.31

10.781.13 0.81

3.212.88

6.36

9.02 4.78

1.51 1.62

2.41 1.3

3.72

5.39

5.5

0

5

10

15

20

25

Cyprus Hungary Norway Sudan Slovakia CR Luxembourg

WH

O-T

EQ

PCDD/DF mono-ortho PCB non-ortho PCB

WHO -TEQ values obtained in the 4WHO -TEQ values obtained in the 4thth WHO- WHO-coordinated study – comparison with other coordinated study – comparison with other

countriescountries

Conclusions

Sufficient data on the POPs body burden of the Czech population are available.

Significant local differences, individual variability and increased levels of POPs with age are observed.

Despite the significant declining trend (by around 50 %) of PCB in human milk over the 90-ties, Czech population is still at an increased exposure risk.

Long-term declining trends are observed for HCB and DDT sum.

Our results confirmed the existence of hot-spot locations within the country.

The levels of PCDDs/PCDFs in human mílk of the Czech population are comparable with those in EU countries.

Dioxin-like PCBs (mostly 126, 156) contribute more than 60% to WHO-TEQ value.

Future plans

The data presented can be used for estimation of the Czech The data presented can be used for estimation of the Czech background exposurebackground exposure (as related to Stockholm convention) (as related to Stockholm convention)..

Reference values for POPs components will be assessed with respect Reference values for POPs components will be assessed with respect to time period, population group and age.to time period, population group and age.

Long-term time trends in body burden will be followed-up.Long-term time trends in body burden will be followed-up.

The health consequences of the temporary elevation of infant body The health consequences of the temporary elevation of infant body burdens are uncertain.burdens are uncertain.

Further Further health-related health-related studies in this field are to be recommended.studies in this field are to be recommended.

Thank you for your attentionThank you for your attention

Acknowledgement: Acknowledgement:

Partially funded by the Research grant IGA NR/9015-3 of the Czech Ministry of Partially funded by the Research grant IGA NR/9015-3 of the Czech Ministry of HealthHealth