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ABSTRACT: Phytoestrogens are natural components of plants consumed by humans. The hormonal activity of these substances has long been known. Various in vitro tests have demonstrated the agonistic or antagonistic estrogenic activity of some phytoestrogens. The objective of this study was to estimate the supply of isoflavones in the diet of a healthy adult female population and to assess its estrogenic effect. The diet was assessed by questionnaire and the estrogenicity of the estimated isoflavone content was tested by E-screen, finding a mean total estrogenic capacity of 0.129 × 10(-10) eq.E2 (12.9 pmol day(-1)), corresponding to a daily isoflavone intake of 265.8 μg day(-1). This study offers a preliminary insight into the phytoestrogen content of the diet of a healthy active population of Spanish women. The effects of this additional hormonal burden are highly controversial, and this approach to estimating dietary phytoestrogen intake of specific populations may help to elucidate its implications for human health.
Food Additives and Contaminants - Part A Chemistry, Analysis, Control, Exposure and Risk Assessment 02/2013;
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ABSTRACT: Heavy metals are environmental contaminants with properties known to be toxic for wildlife and humans. Despite strong concerns about their harmful effects, little information is available on intrauterine exposure in humans. The aim of this study was to evaluate prenatal exposure to As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Mn, and Pb and its association with maternal factors in a population-based mother-child cohort in Southern Spain. Between 2000 and 2002, 700 pregnant women were recruited and 137 placentas from the cohort were randomly selected and analyzed for the selected metals by atomic absorption. Maternal sociodemographic and lifestyle factors were obtained by questionnaire after delivery. Bivariate analysis and multivariate linear regression were performed. Cd and Mn concentrations were detected in all placentas, while Cr, Pb, and Hg were found in 98.5%, 35.0%, and 30.7% of samples, respectively. The highest concentrations were observed for Pb (mean: 94.80ng/g wet weight of placenta), followed by Mn (63.80ng/g), Cr (63.70ng/g), Cd (3.45ng/g), and Hg (0.024ng/g). Arsenic was not detected in any sample. Gestational age and smoking during pregnancy were associated with placental Cd concentrations, while no factor appeared to influence concentrations of Cr, Hg, Mn, or Pb. In comparison to results of European studies, these concentrations are in a low-intermediate position. Studies are required to investigate the factors contributing to early exposure to heavy metals and to determine how placental transfer of these toxic compounds may affect children's health.
Environmental Research 11/2012; · 3.40 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Polychlorinated biphenyls are persistent organic pollutants that have been used for decades in several industrial applications. Although production of polychlorinated biphenyls was restricted from the 1970s in most countries, substantial amounts remain in old equipment and buildings and they have been detected in various environmental and biological matrices. The main objective of this study was to analyze predictors of the combined exposure to three non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (congeners 138, 153 and 180) in serum and adipose tissue from an adult cohort (n=112) living in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia) and surrounding towns/villages. A second aim was to identify modifiers that might influence the statistical associations found, using crude, partially-adjusted, and global multiple linear regression models. Main predictors of serum concentrations were occupation and fatty food consumption, while those for adipose tissue concentrations included age, smoking habit, fatty food consumption, and residence. The differences between the two matrices might be derived from their biological meaning, given that adipose tissue concentrations are an indicator of chronic exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls while serum levels are a good predictor of ongoing exposure and the mobilization of polychlorinated biphenyls stored in fatty tissues. Body mass index was found to be an important modifier of these associations.
Environmental Research 05/2012; 116:17-25. · 3.40 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The pesticides lindane, vinclozolin, aldrin, p,p′DDE, o,p′DDT, p,p′DDT, methoxychlor, kepone and mirex, which are classifed
as endocrine disrupters, have been analysed. This was conducted within an extensive hospital-based epidemiological study that
includes surgically treated breast cancer patients and a matching group of women with no sign of estrogenic-dependent disease.
Patients were from the Hospital Torrecardenas and living in agricultural areas of Almería (Spain). The results from the analysis
of 100 serum samples were performed by gas chromatography (GC) with electron capture detection (ECD) and tandem mass spectrometry
(MS-MS) detection mode. Performance characteristics, such as linearity, detection limit (LOD) and quantitation limit (LOQ),
together with an estimate of measurement uncertainty (using validation data) is presented for each pesticide, in both chromatographic
methods. The results obtained were compared. The advantage of MS-MS over ECD to determine endocrine disrupting compounds in
complex matrix was also shown. p,p′DDE was the most frequently encountered pesticide, as well as the one found at higher concentration
level. p,p′DDT was found in eight samples. Lindane was detected at low concentration level. While vinclozolin, aldrin, methoxychlor,
kepone, o,p′DDT and mirex were absent in all samples analysed.
Chromatographia 04/2012; 57(3):213-220. · 1.20 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The organochlorine pesticide p,p'-Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) was widely used in the early 1960s-70s for vector control in tropical and subtropical areas of South America. Due to its persistence, DDT has a high potential to bioaccumulate in the food chain and living organisms and is a major public health concern, especially in South America. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate predictors of serum and adipose tissue concentrations of p,p'-DDT and its main metabolite, p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE), in an adult cohort (n=112) from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, using multiple linear regression models. These models explained 29.3-47.8% of the variability in adipose tissue concentrations of p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE, respectively, and 32.9-47.0% of that in serum. Main exposure predictors included age, occupational class, residence, diet, smoking habit, and accumulated breastfeeding time. This is one of the few studies to explore predictors of human exposure to these chemicals using a multivariate approach in a South American population. Results show that predictors of human exposure to p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE in Santa Cruz de la Sierra may diverge from those found in other populations of the world, due to particular sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics of this region.
Environment international 01/2012; 38(1):54-61. · 4.79 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The estrogenicity of biological extracts tested by appropriate bioassay is a standard method to evaluate the total effective xenoestrogen burden (TEXB). Information has been published on the combined effect of xenoestrogens after removing endogenous hormones. The main goal of the present study was to investigate the combined estrogenicity of endogenous and xenoestrogens in human adipose tissue samples with and without HPLC fractionation. The results suggest that both approaches may be useful to study interaction between xenoestrogens and endogenous hormones. TEXB of the whole extract provides information about the overall estrogenicity to which humans are exposed, useful to assess the potential contribution to health outcomes. Additionally, it is possible to identify the source and potency of the estrogenicity by using the method with fractionation, distinguishing the effect of organohalogenated chemicals (alpha-fraction) from that of endogenous hormones and more polar xenoestrogens (beta-fraction). Both methods are an integrative measure of internal estrogen load.
Reproductive Toxicology 11/2011; 33(1):45-52. · 3.23 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are synthetic chemicals that are highly resistant to biodegradation and have proven adverse health effects. The objectives of this study were to determine concentrations of three selected organochlorine pesticides (p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE, HCB) and three specific PCB congeners (PCB 138, 153, 180) in adipose tissue and serum samples from an urban adult population (n=112) in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, and to investigate their relationships within and between the two matrices and with selected socio-demographic characteristics. The percentages of samples positive for these compounds ranged from 40% for PCB 180 to 100% for p,p'-DDE in adipose tissue, and from 21% for HCB to 93% for p,p'-DDE in serum. Median number of residues per sample was five for adipose tissue and three for serum. Geometric mean concentrations indicate a considerable historical and recent exposure to organochlorine pesticides and PCBs in this population. Adipose tissue:serum ratios ranged from 149.3 to 590.3 (wet basis) and from 0.9 to 3.5 (lipid basis). We found positive and statistically significant correlations between adipose tissue and serum concentrations only in p,p'-DDE and HCB. This novel study in Bolivia underlines the need for human biomonitoring to assess exposure to environmental pollutants in South America.
Environmental Research 11/2011; 112:40-7. · 3.40 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Benzophenones (BPs) are a family of compounds widely used to protect the skin and hair from UV irradiation. Despite human exposure to BPs through dermal application of products containing sunscreen agents and the increasing evidence that BPs are able to interfere with endocrine systems, few studies have examined the occurrence of BPs in humans. In this work, we propose a new liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method to determine six BPs, namely, benzophenone-1 (BP-1), benzophenone-2 (BP-2), benzophenone-3 (BP-3), benzophenone-6 (BP-6), benzophenone-8 (BP-8) and 4-hydroxybenzophenone (4-OH-BP) in human placental tissue samples. The method involves an extraction step of the analytes from the samples using ethyl acetate, followed by a clean-up step using centrifugation prior to their quantification by LC-MS/MS using an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) interface in the positive mode. Benzophenone-d(10) (BP-d(10)) was used as surrogate. Found detection limits (LOD) ranged from 0.07 to 0.3 ng g(-1) and quantification limits (LOQ) from 0.3 to 1.0 ng g(-1), while inter- and intra-day variability was under 5%. The method was validated using standard addition calibration and a recovery assay. Recovery rates for spiked samples ranged from 98 to 104%. This method was satisfactorily applied for the determination of BPs in 16 placental tissue samples collected from women who live in Granada (Spain).
Talanta 09/2011; 85(4):1848-55. · 3.79 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The aim of this study is to obtain data on the exposure of non-breast-fed infants to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/F), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), organochlorine pesticides (OCP), and bisphenol A (BPA) and its chlorinated derivatives through consumption of commercial infant foods with largest shares of the market in 22 European Union countries. The E-Screen bioassay was employed to assess the oestrogenicity of the baby foods and the ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) induction was measured to determine the levels of PCDD/F and PCB. Consequently, the highest total effective xenoestrogen burden (TEXB) of 73.60 pM Eeq g(-1) was found in the soy-based formula and the EROD bioassay was always below the limit of quantification (LOQ) (3.5 pg g(-1)). Overall, the estimated dietary exposure to BPA via commercial baby foods was lower than the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 50 µg kg(-1) body weight (bw). Furthermore, the findings indicated that the dietary exposure of 0-9-month-old infants through the products investigated here does not exceed the maximum TDI of 4 pg WHO-TEQ (toxic equivalents) kg(-1) bw. However, exposure to more than 2 pg WHO-TEQ kg(-1) bw day(-1) might occur for 0-4-month-old infants consuming 'starting' hypoallergenic formula. Moreover, analysis of OCP indicated that the dietary exposure of non-breast-fed infants was not harmful. Considering the importance of early development and the vulnerability of infants and children, it is essential to determine their dietary exposure to contaminants in order to decide which efforts of risk reduction should receive highest priority.
Food Additives and Contaminants - Part A Chemistry, Analysis, Control, Exposure and Risk Assessment 06/2011; 28(8):1110-22.
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ABSTRACT: Endocrine disruptors are a group of organic compounds widely used, which are ubiquitous in the environment and in biological samples. The main effect of these compounds is associated with their ability to mimic or block the action of natural hormones in living organisms, including humans. Parabens (esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid) belong to this group of compounds. In this work, we propose a new liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method to asses the presence of parabens most commonly used in industrial applications (methyl-, ethyl-, propyl- and butyl-paraben) in samples of human placental tissue. The method involves the extraction of the analytes from the samples using ethyl acetate, followed by a clean-up step using centrifugation prior to their quantification by LC-MS/MS using an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) interface in the negative mode. Deuterated bisphenol A (BPA-d(16)) was used as surrogate. Found detection limits (LOD) ranged from 0.03 to 0.06 ng g(-1) and quantification limits (LOQ) from 0.1 to 0.2 ng g(-1), while inter- and intra-day variability was under 13.8%. The method was validated using standard addition calibration and a spike recovery assay. Recovery rates for spiked samples ranged from 82% to 108%. This method was satisfactorily applied for the determination of parabens in 50 placental tissue samples collected from women who live in the province of Granada (Spain).
Talanta 05/2011; 84(3):702-9. · 3.79 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: In North European countries, a significant difference in semen quality among young men has been shown. Men from the western countries, Denmark, Germany and Norway, have lower semen quality than men from the eastern countries Finland, Estonia and Lithuania. Similarly, men in the western countries have a higher risk of testicular cancer. According to the testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS) concept that suggests a link between risk of impaired semen quality and increased risk of testicular cancer, Spanish men would be expected to have a semen quality at a normal level because of their very low testis cancer risk. We therefore investigated 273 men from the Almeria region in the Southern Spain to test this hypothesis. The men delivered semen samples, underwent physical examinations, had a blood sample drawn and provided information on lifestyle and reproductive health parameters. The investigations took place from November 2001 to December 2002. Adjusting for effects of confounders, the median sperm concentration and total sperm count were 62 (95% confidence interval 47-82) million/mL and 206 (153-278) million, respectively. The median numbers of motile and morphologically normal spermatozoa assessed according to strict criteria were 59% (57-62%) and 9.4% (8.6-10.0%), respectively. The median total testosterone and calculated free androgen index were 28 nm (26-30) and 95 (88-103), respectively. Assuming that the investigated men, to a large extent, are representative of the population of young men the Southern Spain, the results show that these have normal semen quality and reproductive hormone levels as expected in a population with a low incidence of testicular cancer.
International Journal of Andrology 02/2011; 35(1):1-10. · 3.59 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The group of compounds commonly called endocrine-disrupting chemicals covers a wide range of synthetic and natural substances able to alter the normal hormone function of wildlife and humans, consequently causing adverse health effects. Bisphenol A (BPA) and its chlorinated derivatives, benzophenones (BPs) and parabens (PBs), belong to this group of compounds. In this work, we propose a multiclass ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) method to determine BPA, its four chlorinated derivatives (monochloro-, dichloro-, trichloro-and tetrachloro-bisphenol A), six BPs (benzophenone-1, benzophenone-2, benzophenone-3, benzophenone-6, benzophenone-8 and 4-hidroxybenzophenone) and four PBs (methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben and butylparaben) in human placental tissue samples. The method involves an extraction step of the analytes from the samples using ethyl acetate, followed by a clean-up step by centrifugation prior to their quantification by UHPLC–MS/MS using an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) interface in the negative mode. Deuterated bisphenol A (BPA-d 16) was used as surrogate. The limits of detection (LOD) found ranged from 0.03 to 0.6 ng g À1 , the limits of quantification (LOQ) from 0.1 to 1.4 ng g À1 , while inter-and intra-day variability was under 8%. The method was validated using matrix-matched calibration standard and a spike recovery assay. Recovery rates for spiked samples ranged from 95% to 106%. This method was satisfactorily applied to the determination of these compounds in 50 placental tissue samples collected from women who live in the province of Granada (Spain).
Analytical Methods. 01/2011; 3(9):2073-2081.
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ABSTRACT: The group of compounds commonly called endocrine disruptors covers a wide range of synthetic and natural substances able to alter the normal hormone function of wildlife and humans, consequently causing adverse health effects. Bisphenol A (BPA) and its chlorinated derivatives are some of these compounds. In this work, we propose a new liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method to determine these compounds in human placental tissue samples. The method involves an extraction phase of the extracts from the samples using ethyl acetate, followed by a clean-up phase by centrifugation prior to their quantification by LC-MS/MS using an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) interface in the negative mode. Deuterated Bisphenol A (BPA-d(16)) was used as internal standard. Found detection limits (DL) ranged from 0.2 to 0.6 ng g(-1) and quantification limits (QL) from 0.5 to 2.0 ng g(-1) for Bisphenol A and its chlorinated derivatives, while inter- and intra-day variability was under 8.1%. The method was validated using standard addition calibration and a spike recovery assay. Recovery rates for spiked samples ranged from 97% to 105%. This method was satisfactorily applied to the determination of BPA and its chlorinated derivatives in 49 placental tissue samples collected from women who live in the province of Granada (Spain).
Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences 12/2010; 878(32):3363-9. · 2.78 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Childhood exposure to physical contamination, including non-ionizing radiation, has been implicated in numerous diseases, raising concerns about the widespread and increasing sources of exposure to this type of radiation. The primary objective of this review was to analyze the current state of knowledge on the association between environmental exposure to non-ionizing radiation and the risk of childhood leukemia. Scientific publications between 1979 and 2008 that include examination of this association have been reviewed using the MEDLINE/PubMed database. Studies to date have not convincingly confirmed or ruled out an association between non-ionizing radiation and the risk of childhood leukemia. Discrepancies among the conclusions of the studies may also be influenced by confounding factors, selection bias, and misclassification. Childhood defects can result from genetic or epigenetic damage and from effects on the embryo or fetus, which may both be related to environmental exposure of the parent before conception or during the pregnancy. It is therefore critical for researchers to define a priori the type and "window" of exposure to be assessed. Methodological problems to be solved include the proper diagnostic classification of individuals and the estimated exposure to non-ionizing radiation, which may act through various mechanisms of action. There appears to be an urgent need to reconsider exposure limits for low frequency and static magnetic fields, based on combined experimental and epidemiological research into the relationship between exposure to non-ionizing radiation and adverse human health effects.
Science of The Total Environment 07/2010; 408(16):3062-9. · 3.29 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Exposure of pregnant women to organochlorine (OC) pesticides largely derives from contaminated food, but environmental, occupational, and domestic factors have also been implicated. We investigated the presence of nine OC residues in the umbilical cord blood of newborns in Southern Spain and analyzed the relationship of this exposure with maternal and pregnancy variables, including maternal adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD). OCs were detected in 95% of umbilical cord blood samples from the 318 mothers, who had a mean degree of adherence to the MD of 56.77 (SD: 16.35) (range, 0-100). The MD prioritizes consumption of vegetable and fruit over meat and dairy products, and OCs are generally lipophilic molecules that accumulate in foods of animal origin. Consumption of meat, fish, and dairy products was associated with dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) in umbilical cord serum, and dairy product intake with lindane. Vegetable consumption was also associated with lindane and fruit intake with endosulfan I. We found no significant association between MD adherence and the presence of OC residues in serum. However, closer adherence to the MD may offer greater protection against OC exposure because of its reduced content in meat and dairy products.
Food and chemical toxicology: an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association 02/2010; 48(5):1311-5. · 2.99 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Alkylphenols (APs) and AP ethoxylates are environmental contaminants with endocrine disrupting activities in wildlife and humans. They have been largely used in industrial, agricultural, and domestic applications. Despite strong concerns about the consequences of human exposure to endocrine disrupters, little information is available on the presence in humans of compounds such as APs. The aim of the present study was to determine 4-nonylphenol (NP) and 4-octylphenol (OP) residues in adipose tissue of non-occupationally exposed women living in Southern Spain. NP was detected in 100% (n=20/20) and OP in 23.5% (n=4/20) of samples, with median levels of 57 and 4.5 ng g(-1) adipose tissue, respectively. Body mass index emerged as a determinant of exposure since it was associated with NP levels (p=0.041). Adipose tissue NP and OP levels are similar to the few data previously published in other countries. This is the first report on NP and OP levels in a population in Southern Spain. Further research is needed to determine trends in human exposure to these compounds and to investigate their consequences.
Chemosphere 05/2009; 76(6):847-52. · 3.21 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), among the main compounds present in polluted urban air, is of concern for children's health. Childhood exposure to PAH was assessed by urinary monitoring of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), a pyrene metabolite, investigating its association with exposure to air pollution and other factors related to PAH in air.
A group of 174 4-year-old children were recruited and a questionnaire on their indoor and outdoor residential environment was completed by parents. At the same time, environmental measurements of traffic-related air pollution (NO2) were carried out. A urine sample was collected from each child in order to analyze 1-OHP using HPLC with fluorescence detection, correcting for creatinine concentrations. Non-parametric tests and regression analyses were used to identify environmental factors that influence 1-OHP excretion.
Mean urinary 1-OHP concentration was 0.061 micromol/mol creatinine, ranging from 0.004 to 0.314 micromol/mol. Non-parametric tests and regression analysis showed positive and significant associations (P<or=0.05) between 1-OHP and predicted residential exposure to NO2 (which was based on outdoor environmental measurements and geo-statistical analysis), self-reported residential vehicle traffic, passive smoking and cooking appliance. 1-OHP levels tended to be higher among children living in urban areas (0.062 micromol/mol vs. 0.058 micromol/mol for children living in rural areas) but differences were not significant (P=0.20).
In Southern Spain, concentrations of urinary 1-OHP were in the lower range of those generally reported for children living in non-polluted areas in Western Europe and the USA. Traffic-related air pollution, passive smoking and cooking appliance influenced urinary 1-OHP level in the children, which should be prevented due to the health consequences of the inadvertent exposure to PAH during development.
Science of The Total Environment 01/2009; 407(5):1562-9. · 3.29 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) was measured in adipose tissue intraoperatively collected from 387 subjects over 16 years old undergoing surgery in two hospitals in Granada (Southern Spain). HCB was quantified in 90.7% of subjects. The concentrations and frequencies of HCB were similar to those reported in adipose tissue samples in other recent European studies. Exposure patterns differed between females and males: higher HCB concentrations were found in females than in males (geometric mean 18.3 vs. 6.8 ng/g, p<0.001). The relationship between HCB concentrations and exposure risk factors was assessed by multivariate analysis stratifying by gender. In men, HCB concentrations were predicted (r(2)=0.45) by age, body mass index (BMI), place of residence, smoking, consumption of fish, chicken and cheese, occupation related to agriculture, and family involvement in construction activities. In women, HCB concentrations were predicted (r(2)=0.50) by age, BMI, consumption of milk and cheese, and occupation related to industry. The finding that women had three-fold higher levels of HCB than the men deserves further investigation.
Environment international 01/2009; 35(1):27-32. · 4.79 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Seventeen polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) were quantified in adipose tissue samples of non-occupationally exposed women living in Southern Spain. Geometric mean levels of sum of congeners and WHO(PCDD/F)-TEQ(2005) were 410 and 17.9pgg(-1) fat, respectively. Among PCDDs, octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) showed the highest concentration with a mean value of 265pgg(-1) fat, followed by 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDD (49.3pgg(-1) fat) and 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDD (45.2pgg(-1) fat). These three congeners were responsible for around 90% of the sum of all PCDD/F congeners in adipose tissue. The geometric mean 2,3,7,8-TCDD value was 1.87pgg(-1) fat. 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF (8.43pgg(-1) fat) showed the highest concentration among the PCDFs, followed by 1,2,3,4,7,8-HxCDF (4.17pgg(-1) fat) and 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDF (3.28pgg(-1) fat), and these three congeners were responsible for 4% of the sum of all studied PCDD/F congeners in adipose tissue and 76% of the sum of ten PCDFs. 1,2,3,7,8,9-HxCDF was the only congener not quantified in any sample, while 1,2,3,4,7,8,9-HpCDF, 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDF, OCDF and 2,3,7,8-TCDF were found in 5, 16, 16 and 19 samples, respectively. All other congeners were quantifiable in all 20 samples. Congeners contributing most to the WHO(PCDD/F)-TEQ(2005) were 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD (31.6%), 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDD (28.3%) and 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF (14.6%). The body burden of log-transformed WHO(PCDD/F)-TEQ(2005) levels increased with age (B=0.02; 95% CI=0.01, 0.03; p=0.02). Although these adipose tissue PCDD/F levels are similar to previously published findings in Spain and other European countries, further research is needed to determine trends in the exposure of women to these chemical residues.
Chemosphere 09/2008; 73(6):967-71. · 3.21 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Appropriate biomarkers of human exposure are required for epidemiological studies of endocrine disruption. We addressed this issue by improving a standardized method to assess the total effective xenoestrogen burden (TEXB), a biomarker of xenoestrogen exposure. Extensive separation of xenoestrogens from endogenous hormones was made in 20 adipose tissue samples by HPLC, and two eluates were separated and tested in the E-Screen bioassay. An extensive fractionation protocol was also developed. The objective of this study was to investigate predictors of TEXB by using a multiple regression model after adjusting by confounding factors. The final model included the estrogenicity of 8 out of 11 individual 1-min fractions into which the xenoestrogen eluate was split and the marital status of patients, and it explained 97% of TEXB variability, and variables. Our results indicate that TEXB of complex mixtures can be accurately predicted from the estrogenicity of a small number of components.
Reproductive Toxicology 07/2008; 26(1):8-12. · 3.23 Impact Factor
