SOME DIETARY PREDICTORS OF PLASMA ORGANOCHLORINE CONCENTRATIONS IN ANELDERLY GERMAN POPULATION

Associations between reported consumption of animal products and chlor inated hydrocarbon concentrations were examined in 297 elderly people who lived in Germany. Consumption of beef and lamb was correlated posi tively with hexachlorobenzene (HCB), beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (beta- HCH), total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and total dichloro-diphe nyl-trichloroethane (DDT) (r =.13-.19, p <.05). Consumption of saltwat er fish was correlated positively with a-HCH, dieldrin, and PCBs (r =. 12-.26, p <.05). Other univariate predictors were body mass index, pla sma cholesterol, pork consumption, poultry consumption, and age. Multi variate linear models of predictors of each chlorinated species were c onstructed, and some form of meat was used as the main predictor; the sum of all meats (exclusive of fish) was the best predictor of dieldri n and In(a-HCH) concentrations. Beef and lamb consumption was a positi ve predictor of HCB, heptachlor epoxide, total DDT, and beta-HCH. Salt water fish was the major dietary predictor of PCBs.