TERMITE CONTROL AND OTHER DETERMINANTS OF HIGH BODY BURDENS OF CYCLODIENE INSECTICIDES

Breast milk fat concentrations of three cyclodiene insecticides-dieldr in, hep-tachlor epoxide, and oxychlordane-were measured in 797 primipa rous women, and sources of exposure that contributed significantly to high body burdens were investigated. All three distributions were high ly skewed to the right, with median concentrations falling between 0.0 07 and 0.039 mg/kg. Termite control of residence was associated consis tently with being in the high-body-burden group for all three compound s, but the association was greatest for heptachlor: Age; socioeconomic status, residential area, smoking, and home use of insecticides were also associated with high body burden of one or more of the compounds, but the odds ratios were lower than those far termite control; the fi ndings were inconsistent for the three compounds. The results for term ite control remained statistically significant when we adjusted for th e other factors; therefore, termite control of residence is an importa nt: risk factor far cyclodiene insecticide absorption.