RESIDUES OF ORGANOCHLORINE PESTICIDES AND PCBS IN HUMAN ADIPOSE TISSUES IN GREECE

Organchlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have bee n analysed in human adipose tissue samples, during 1995-96, from resid ents of Greece (64 males and 43 females) by GC-ECD and capillary colum n. Residues of HCB (0.976 mu g/g, beta-HCH (0.319 mu g/g, pp'-DDE (246 8 mu g/g) and PCBs (0.423 mu g/g) were detected in all samples. The ra tio pp'DDE/pp'DDT found was 29.0+/-2.0 while in a previous study (1975 ) was only 3.9. Significant differences (P less than or equal to 0.05) between males and females only for the HCB, beta-HCH, pp'-DDE and PCB s levels were observed. Levels of op'-DDT were found significantly hig her (P less than or equal to 0.05) in rural areas residents and of PCB s in urban areas residents.