Arnold Schecter

Publications (54)168.32 Total impact

• Article: Are Vietnamese food exports contaminated with dioxin from Agent Orange?

  Arnold Schecter, Marian Pavuk, Rainer Malisch, John Jake Ryan
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  ABSTRACT: In this study the levels of dioxins and dioxinlike compounds, dibenzofurans, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in food exported from Vietnam to the United States. In the past, some Vietnamese fish was found to be contaminated with dioxin, 2,3,7,8-TCDD, or TCDD, from Agent Orange. U.S. commercial catfish farmers recently claimed that exported Vietnamese food, especially catfish, was contaminated with dioxin from Agent Orange and was thus a matter of concern to the U.S. Congress. In 2001, twenty-two exported Vietnamese food samples (mostly fish) were purchased in the United States and Laos to evaluate possible contamination with dioxin from Agent Orange. Dioxin, dibenzofuran, and coplanar PCB congeners were measured by high-resolution gas chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry by laboratories in Germany and Canada certified for dioxin analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO). In the current study, only low levels of dioxins and dioxinlike compounds were present in all exported Vietnamese food analyzed, despite recent findings of elevated levels of one dioxin, 2,3,7,8-TCDD, from Agent Orange exposure in some Vietnamese individuals, presumably due to food consumption. It appears unlikely that exported Vietnamese food is, in general, contaminated with large amounts of dioxin (TCDD) from Agent Orange or other sources. Further food sampling from areas of heavy Agent Orange spraying in Vietnam is warranted to map out where the source of TCDD contamination of food may be originating.
  Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A 09/2003; 66(15):1391-404. · 1.83 Impact Factor
• Article: Dioxins in commercial United States baby food.

  Arnold Schecter, Deborah Wallace, Marian Pavuk, Amanda Piskac, Olaf Päpke
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  ABSTRACT: This is the first known study of dioxins, dibenzofurans, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in commercial American bottled baby foods purchased in the United States. Dioxins, persistent chlorinated organics, are inadvertent by-products of chemical synthesis or combustion and are toxic to humans and other animals. Almost all dioxins enter the body through food consumption, specifically from food products containing animal fat. Major-brand bottled baby food containing meat was purchased at U.S. supermarkets and 12 pooled samples were analyzed for dioxins using high-resolution gas chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry. Low levels of dioxins were found in these products. The range was from 28 to 226 parts per quadrillion (ppq) dioxin toxic equivalents (TEQ). This is reported on a whole or wet weight (as eaten) basis. As a comparison, findings of dioxins in U.S. supermarket meat ranged from 28 to 540 ppq. Although dioxin levels are generally lower in these baby foods than in meat or poultry, the presence of dioxins in commercial baby food containing meat is cause for concern.
  Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A 01/2003; 65(23):1937-43. · 1.83 Impact Factor
• Article: A follow-up: high level of dioxin contamination in Vietnamese from agent orange, three decades after the end of spraying.

  Arnold Schecter, Marian Pavuk, John D Constable, Le Cao Dai, Olaf Päpke
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 04/2002; 44(3):218-20. · 2.06 Impact Factor
• Article: Decrease in levels and body burden of dioxins, dibenzofurans, PCBS, DDE, and HCB in blood and milk in a mother nursing twins over a thirty-eight month period

  Arnold Schecter, John Jake Ryan, Olaf Päpke
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  ABSTRACT: This paper presents measured dioxin, dibenzofuran, PCB, DDE and HCB blood and milk levels and estimated body burdens in a mother who nursed twins for thirty-eight months. A total of thirteen milk samples and three blood samples were collected and analyzed. Measured PCDD and PCDF levels in milk decreased from 309 and 21 ng/kg (ppt) to 173 and 9 ng/kg, respectively, between March 1993 and September 1995. Based on the decrease in breast milk dioxin levels, we estimate that the nursing mother reduced her dioxin body burden from 310 to 96 ng dioxin toxic equivalents (TEQs), or approximately 69%. In two and one half years the level of HCB in the mother's milk decreased from 10.7 to less than 1.8 ng/g (ppb), the level of DDE decreased from 246 to 46 ng/g and the total level of non-coplanar PCBs decreased from 285 to 63 ng/g, on a lipid basis. We estimate that the twin's consumption of dioxins, dibenzofurans, and coplanar PCBs from breast feeding was approximately 115 ng TEQ per twin.
  Chemosphere.
• Article: Partitioning of dioxin and dibenzofuran congeners between plasma and cell fractions of blood from 10 adult male patients

  Arnold Schecter, John J. Ryan, John D. Constable
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  ABSTRACT: We previously characterized levels of dioxin and dibenzofuran congeners in adipose tissue and plasma fraction of blood collected from 20 adult males, using paired speciments. It has been found that the 2,3,7,8-TCDD level reported on a lipid basis was similar, although not identical, in plasma lipid and in adipose tissue lipid from the same patients, however, higher levels of the more chlorinated dioxins and dibenzofurans existed in plasma lipid as compared to adipose tissue lipid. This study reports measurements from ten individuals' blood cell fraction and compares this to the plasms fraction and to adipose tissue lipid. In all cases where readily detectable amounts of PCDD/Fs were found, a minimum of 85% was in the plasma fraction and less than 15% in the cellular component. Congeners varied in percentage for each component.
  Chemosphere.
• Article: Brominated and chlorinated dioxin blood levels in a chemist 34 years after exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin and 2,3,7,8-tetrabromodibenzodioxin

  Arnold Schecter, John J. Ryan
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  ABSTRACT: This paper reports, for the first time, 2,3,7,8-tetrabromodibenzodioxin (TBDD) detected in human tissue, a new potential health hazard for dioxin chemists. The patient had a co-existing, but much lower elevation of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD). The exposure thirty-four years ago caused acute illness and hospitalization at that time. The chemist had synthesized 20 to 30 grams of TCDD and a similar amount of TBDD1 and became ill with chloracne, headaches, back and leg pain. Because of leg pain on exertion he experienced marked difficulty walking, and was hospitalized for these conditions. His measured 2,3,7,8-TBDD was 1100 ppt in serum lipid, 34 years after initial exposure. We estimate 11,606 or 122,450 ppt TBDD lipid blood level at time of exposure, assuming 10 or 5 year half-lives. We estimate a body burden of approximately 128-1,350 micrograms TBDD at time of exposure. This is the first report of a brominated dioxin in human tissue. We found 20 parts per trillion (ppt) TCDD in a blood sample taken 34 years after initial exposure, in comparison to the mean 2,3,7,8-TCDD level in the general U.S. population which is 5 ppt. We estimate a possible blood TCDD level of between 158 and 1670 ppt at time of exposure, assuming first order kinetics, a single compartment model, and using half lives of 10 or 5 years respectively. This corresponds to approximately 2 to 20 micrograms of 2,3,7,8-TCDD.
  Chemosphere.
• Article: Recent dioxin contamination from Agent Orange in residents of a southern Vietnam city

  Arnold Schecter, Le Cao Dai, Olaf Päpke, Joelle Prange, John D Constable, Muneaki Matsuda, Vu Duc Thao, Amanda L. Piskac
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  ABSTRACT: Marked elevation of dioxin associated with the herbicide Agent Orange was recently found in 19 of 20 blood samples from persons living in Bien Hoa, a large city in southern Vietnam. This city is located near an air base that was used for Agent Orange spray missions between 1962 and 1970. A spill of Agent Orange occurred at this air base more than 30 years before blood samples were collected in 1999. Samples were collected, frozen, and sent to a World Health Organization-certified dioxin laboratory fm congener-specific analysis as part of a Vietnam Red Cross project. Previous analyses of more than 2200 pooled blood samples collected in the 1990s identified Bien Hoa as one of several southern Vietnam areas with persons having elevated blood dioxin levels from exposure to Agent Orange. In sharp contrast to this study, our previous research showed decreasing tissue dioxin levels over time since 1970. Only the dioxin that contaminated Agent Orange, 2,3, 7, 8-tetrachlmodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), was elevated in the blood of 19 of 20 persons sampled from Bien Hoa. A comparison pooled sample from 100 residents of Hanoi, where Agent Orange was not used, measured blood TCDD levels of 2 parts per trillion (ppt). TCDD levels of up to 271 ppt, a 135-fold increase, were found in Bien Hoa residents. TCDD contamination was also found in some nearby soil and sediment samples. Persons new to this region and children born after Agent Orange spraying ended also had elevated TCDD levels. This TCDD uptake was recent and occurred decades after spraying ended. We hypothesize that a major route of current and past exposures is from the movement of dioxin from soil into river sediment, then into fish, and from fish consumption into people.
• Article: Dioxin and dibenzofuran levels in blood and adipose tissue of Vietnamese from various locations in Vietinam in proximity to Agent Orange Spraying

  Arnold Schecter, Olaf Päpke, Michael Ball, Hoang Dinh Cau, Le Cao Dai, Nguyen Quang Ming, Hoang Trong Quynh, Nguyen Ngoc Thi Phuong, Pham Hoang Phiet, Huynh Kim Chi, Dieu Thieu Vo, John D. Constable, James Spencer
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  ABSTRACT: Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are of concern in Vietnam because of contamination from Agent Orange and other dioxin-containing chemicals. To map out levels of dioxins in Vietnam, between 1987 and 1991 pooled samples were collected in hospitals from discarded blood of adults and analyzed for dioxin content. Locations represented include Hanoi in the north, and thirteen areas in southern and central Vietnam. Because humans are at the top of the food chain, human blood dioxin levels can be used to monitor the environment and to acquire data of public health concern. Vietnamese adults, usually over the age of 40, were selected to increase the probability that 2,3,7,8-TCDD from Agent Orange, sprayed from 1962–1970 over 10% of the south, would be detected. One special group was included, veterans of the North Vietnam Army who served in the jungles of the south where Agent Orange was used. In general, considerable variation in TCDD level was observed, with elevated levels from certain areas in the south and also in the soldiers from the north of Vietnam who had served in the south. Seven hundred and twenty-one Vietnamese tissue samples were collected and are reported from twenty dioxin analyses.
  Chemosphere.
• Source

  Available from: bimedia.net

  Article: Contamination of US butter with PBDEs from wrapping paper

  Arnold Schecter, Sarah Smith, Justin Colacino, Noor Malik, Matthias Opel, Olaf Paepke, Linda Birnbaum
  2.
• Article: Comparison of PCDDs and PCDFs in the tissues of Yusho patients with those from the general population in Japan and China

  John J. Ryan, Arnold Schecter, Yoshito Masuda, Masahiro Kikuchi
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  ABSTRACT: Human tissue samples from (i) China, (ii) Japan and (iii) two Japanese Yusho patients were analyzed for PCDDs and PCDFs. Chinese adipose tissue contained the lowest residue with PCDF concentrations similar in many cases to PCDDs and less than 30 pg/g. Levels and patterns of PCDDs and PCDFs in Japanese adipose tissue were similar to those found in other industrialized countries such as North America and Europe. Samples of tissue from a Yusho patient nine years after exposure contained about 50 times more of the toxic PCDF isomers than current Japanese tissues at a concentration which was still near that associated with an adverse effect. The remarkable persistence of PCDFs in humans was further illustrated by the finding of elevated levels of PCDFs in a specimen of uterus tissue some 17 years after exposure to the toxic Yusho oil.
  Chemosphere 16:2017-2025. · 3.21 Impact Factor
• Article: Chlorinated dioxins and dibenzofurans in human milk from Japan, India, and the United States of America

  Arnold Schecter, John J. Ryan, John D. Constable
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  ABSTRACT: Human milk samples from two highly industrialized countries, Japan and the United States of America, and one developing country, India, were analyzed for dioxins and dibenzofurans. Higher levels of polychlorinated dioxins and dibenzofurans were found in human milk specimens from Japan and the USA than from India. Milk was analyzed from six Japanese women, five from India and two from the United States.
  Chemosphere.
• Article: A comparison of dioxins, dibenzofurans and coplanar PCBS in uncooked and broiled ground beef, catfish and bacon

  Arnold Schecter, Michael Dellarco, Olaf Päpke, James Olson
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  ABSTRACT: The primary source of dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and coplanar PCBs for the general population is food, especially meat, fish, and dairy products. However, most data on the levels of these chemicals is from food in the raw or uncooked state. We report here the effect of one type of cooking (broiling) on the levels of PCDDs, PCDFs, and coplanar PCBs in ground beef (hamburger), bacon and catfish. Samples of hamburger, bacon, and catfish were broiled and compared to uncooked samples in order to measure changes in the amounts of dioxins in cooked food. The total amount of PCDD, PCDF, and coplanar PCB TEQ decreased by approximately 50% on average for each portion as a result of broiling the hamburger, bacon and catfish specimens. The mean concentration (pg TEQ/kg, wet weight) of PCDDs, PCDFs, and coplanar PCBs, however, remained the same in the hamburger, increased by 83% in the bacon, and decreased by 34% in the catfish. On average, the total measured concentration (pg/kg) of the congeners of PCDDs, PCDFs, and coplanar PCBs increased 14% in the hamburger, increased 29% in the bacon, and decreased 33% in the catfish.
  Chemosphere.
• Article: Tissue distribution of dioxins and furans in humans from the general population

  John J. Ryan, Arnold Schecter, Raymonde Lizotte, Wing-F. Sun, Lawrence Miller
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  ABSTRACT: The distribution of tetra- to octa-chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and-furans in the human body was studied in two autopsy subjects from the general population. Analysis of tissues was carried out by extraction, acid defatting, chromatography, and measurement by gas chromatography (GC) — mass spectrometry (MS). Many 2,3,7,8-chlorine substituted dioxins and furans in the same relative proportion were detected in all five tissues examined. On a whole weight basis, levels of dioxins and furans descended in order: abdominal and subcutaneous fat, liver, muscle and kidney. On a lipid basis, the levels were similar for all tissues.
  Chemosphere.
• Article: Partitioning of dioxins and dibenzofurans: Whole blood, blood plasma and adipose tissue

  Arnold Schecter, Olaf Päpke, Michael Ball, John J. Ryan
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  ABSTRACT: It has become relatively common to estimate human dioxin body burden and to document dioxin exposures by measuring dioxin and dibenzofuran congeners in adipose tissue, whole blood or blood plasma, and reporting these values on a lipid basis. It has not been determined whether these three types of specimens contain identical dioxin and dibenzofuran levels. This paper compares paired plasma and adipose tissue and paired whole blood and adipose tissue in analyses from two groups of patients. The first group consists of twenty U.S. veterans with paired plasma and adipose specimens. The second group consists of four German adults with whole blood compared to adipose tissue. Forty-eight analyses were performed. The results suggest that for some higher chlorinated compounds, such as OCDD, plasma lipid values may be higher than adipose lipid values, but whole blood lipid values for the higher as well as lower chlorinated PCDD/Fs may be relatively similar. On the other hand, the values for the lower chlorinated PCDD/Fs, such as TCDD, are similar in blood plasma, adipose tissue and whole blood. Total PCDD/F dioxin “toxic equivalents” are similar within each of the two series reported here, using the current “International Dioxin Toxic Equivalent” system.
  Chemosphere.