Association between biomarkers of exposure to persistent organochlorine compounds (POCs)

Serum concentrations of CB-153 and p,p′-DDE were assessed for 354 men and women from the Swedish Fishermen’s Families Cohort, and were found to correlate very well (Pearson’s r = 0.72). In this particular cohort the main source of exposure to persistent organochlorine compounds are consumption of contaminated fatty fish. High correlations between total PCB/CB-153 and p,p′-DDE have also been found in other population with similar exposure, but not in populations whose major source of exposure to persistent organochlorine compounds is not necessarily through the consumption of contaminated sea food. The authors suggest that when investigating a possible relation between exposure to persistent organochlorine compounds and different health outcomes in populations with exposure similar to the Swedish Fishermen’s Families Cohort, there may be no need to analyze more than either CB-153 or p,p′-DDE.