Persistent health effects of dioxin contamination in herbicide production

A total of 159 cases of chloracne reported in 1969-1975 in TCDD-contaminate d production of the herbicide 2,4,5-T have been followed for mortality and morbidity up to 1996 when blood and urine tests were performed on 50 surviv ors of these exposed chemical workers and matched controls. In exposed, the most frequent cause of sick leave was chloracne which persisted in 32%, Ne urological symptoms were reported frequently (44% sleep disturbance, 32% he adache, 30% neuralgia), BSR, leucocytes, gamma-GT SGOT, and SGPT were signi ficantly higher in exposed than in controls,The effects of exposure (P=0.00 2) and alcohol (P=0.002) on gamma-GT were found to be independent of each o ther, Comparisons within the chloracne cohort showed significantly exposed TCDD per gram blood lipid in patients with a history of liver disease (mean 801 pg/g) than without (mean 407 pg/g), Other congeners were not found ele vated but some higher chlorinated furans and PCBs were found reduced in pat ients with liver disease. In multiple regression analysis with the factors age, alcohol, and log TCDD, the effects of TCDD and its interaction with ag e were found significant, indicative of chronic liver damage after high TCD D exposure at a young age. The prevalence of neurological symptoms and sign s of chronic liver disease were related to TCDD in blood and abnormal poryp hyrins in urine. In 48% coproporphyrin I>III ratio was elevated, this group showing increased TCDD (mean 719 pg/g), These results contribute to the ev idence that chloracne is not the only chronic disease which can be related to TCDD exposure, even 23 years after exposure and despite high intersubjec t variability of TCDD half-life and other exposures. (C) 1999 Academic Pres s.