ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDES, POLYCHLORINATED-BIPHENYLS, POLYCHLORINATEDDIBENZO-P-DIOXINS AND DIBENZOFURANS IN HUMAN ADIPOSE-TISSUE FROM WESTERN KYUNGNAM, KOREA

Hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane and it s metabolites (DDTs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), polychlorinated bipheny ls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDDs/ DFs) were determined in human adipose tissue samples collected from we stern Kyungnam, Korea. The residue levels of organochlorine compounds were in the order of DDTs followed by PCBs > HCHs > HCB > PCDDs/DFs. T he mean concentrations of 2,3,7,8-TeCDD in male and female tissues wer e 2.8 and 1.7 pg.g(-1) on lipid weight basis, respectively. No signifi cant difference was found in the residue levels of PCDDs/DFs between s exes. In contrast, PCBs and DDTs showed a significant difference betwe en sexes. Unlike the age trend observed for HCHs, PCBs and DDTs, PCDDs /DFs revealed a constant or rather decreasing pattern with increasing age. This is the first report on PCDDs/DFs contamination in human adip ose tissue from Korea. Organochlorine concentrations in human adipose tissues from western Kyungnam were generally much lower than those of other countries. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.