Comparison of CALUX-TEQ values with PCB and PCDD/F measurements in human serum of the Flanders Environmental and Health Study (FLEHS)

In 1999, a campaign of the Flemish Ministry of Health, Belgium was set up t o assess pollutant concentrations and related health effect biomarkers in h umans living in two regions of Flanders. The study was called the 'Flemish Environment and Health Study' (FLEHS). Concentrations of selected organochi orine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and polychlorinated diben zo-p-dioxins (PCDD) and flirans (PCDF) were measured by gas chromatography- mass spectrometry in 47 pooled human serum samples originating from 200 ind ividual women between 50 and 65 years living in two Flemish regions. The CA LUX((R)) (Chemical-Activated Luciferase gene expression) bioassay was asses sed on the same pools. The correlation between CALUX-TEQ and total TEQ (sum of PCDD/ PCDF, non- and mono-ortho PCBs) varied from 0.43 to 0.73 for the rural and urban region, respectively. The mean value for the total TBQ (75 pg WHO-TEQ/g fat) was two times higher than the mean TEQ value determined w ith the CALUX bioassay (36 pg TEQ/g fat). This shows that the assessment of dioxin-like exposure by these two measurements was different, However, reg ional differences in concentrations were observed for neither total TEQS, n or CALUX-TEQs. It was concluded that the CALUX((R)) can be an alternative s creening tool for biomonitoring purposes,. especially when the objective is to compare different groups of people (e.g. living in different regions). (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.