J. Koistinen et al., POLYCHLORINATED DIPHENYL ETHERS, DIBENZO-P-DIOXINS AND DIBENZOFURANS IN FINNISH HUMAN TISSUES COMPARED TO ENVIRONMENTAL-SAMPLES, Chemosphere, 31(10), 1995, pp. 4259-4271
Finnish human samples from the Helsinki area and Arctic cod samples fr
om Vestertana Fjord (Norway) were analyzed for polychlorinated dipheny
l ethers (PCDE) and 2,3,7,8-chloro substituted dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD
) and dibenzofurans (PCDF). The PCDE, PCDD and PCDF contents in human
and animal samples from Finland and elsewhere were briefly reviewed. P
CDEs were non-detectable in human liver and testis, but some PCDE cong
eners were identified in human adipose tissue and fat of boiled Arctic
cod liver composite. The contents of PCDEs in Finnish human samples w
ere similar to those reported in the literature for human tissues from
North America. The estimated concentrations of PCDEs 99, 147+153 (coe
luting) and 206 ranged between 2 and 8 ng/g lipid weight (lw) in one F
innish human adipose tissue. The concentrations of PCDE congeners iden
tified in the cod liver fat were between 0.4 and 5 ng/g lw. Of toxic P
CDDs and PCDFs, hepta- and octa-CDDs dominated in human. The concentra
tions of PCDD and PCDF congeners varied from < 2 to 7700 pg/g lw in hu
man. In Arctic cod samples analyzed (muscle tissues of an air dried co
d and cod liver fat), 2,3,7,8-tetra-CDF was nearly the only congener o
f PCDD/PCDFs detected.