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Correlations of fish intake and plasma docosahexaenoic acid levels with each congener of PCDDs/PCDFs/dioxin-like PCBs in blood from the Japanese population

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the factors associated with blood levels of each congener of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in the Japanese population.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was performed on 1,656 subjects (755 men and 901 women) aged 15–73 years, who were living in 90 different areas of 30 prefectures in Japan. Blood levels of 29 PCDD, PCDF, and DL-PCB congeners were determined by high-resolution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. In addition, a questionnaire survey on life style, including dietary habit, was carried out.

Results

The median total toxicity equivalent (TEQ) was 17 pgTEQ/g lipid. After adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, smoking habit, and consumption of other food groups, six PCDDs/PCDFs with 4–6 substituted chlorine atoms and 10 DL-PCBs, but not HeptaCDD/F or OctaCDD, showed significant positive correlations with the frequency of intake of fish and shellfish. Furthermore, significant positive relationships were also found between plasma levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a biomarker of fish intake, and 10 PCDDs/PCDFs with 4–6 chlorine atoms and 10 DL-PCBs. The partial correlation coefficients with plasma DHA were significantly higher for DL-PCBs than for PCDDs/PCDFs, and partial correlation coefficients for PCDDs/PCDFs significantly decreased with increasing number of chlorine atoms (Spearman r = −0.80, P = 0.001).

Conclusions

Blood levels of PCDDs/PCDFs with 4–6 chlorine atoms and DL-PCBs were positively associated with fish intake in the Japanese population. These results may be explained by the higher degree of bioaccumulation of these congeners in fish and shellfish in the ecosystem, and the high consumption of fish among the Japanese population.

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Acknowledgments

This study was carried out under the supervision of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan. However, the views expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan. We are grateful to Drs. T. Kitamado, S. Morishita, and N. Tsukamoto of the Ministry of the Environment and M. Hijiya and Y. Chisaki of Idea Consultants, Inc., for their cooperation and encouragement during the study. We also thank all members of the committee of the “Study on the Accumulation of Dioxins in Humans”, Drs. I. Uchiyama (Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University), F. Kayama (Jichi Medical School), H. Saito (Nagasaki University), T. Suzuki (The University of Tokyo, deceased), N. Suzuki (National Institute for Environment Studies), T. Sobue (National Cancer Center Research Institute), C. Tohyama (The University of Tokyo), S. Tominaga (Aichi Health Promotion Foundation), H. Miyata (Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Setsunan University), M. Morita (National Institute for Environment Studies/Ehime University), and S. Watanabe (National Institute of Health and Nutrition).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Preventive Medicine, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, 3-18-15, Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima, 770-8503, Japan

    Atsushi Kitayama, Kokichi Arisawa, Hirokazu Uemura, Mineyoshi Hiyoshi, Hidenobu Takami, Fusakazu Sawachika, Miwa Yamaguchi & Mariko Nakamoto

  2. Ministry of the Environment of Japan, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8975, Japan

    Manabu Hasegawa & Masaharu Tanto

  3. The Study Group of the Accumulation of Dioxins in Humans, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8975, Japan

    Masayuki Shima, Yoshio Sumiyoshi, Kenji Morinaga, Kazunori Kodama, Taka-ichiro Suzuki, Masaki Nagai & Hiroshi Satoh

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  1. Atsushi Kitayama
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  3. Hirokazu Uemura
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Correspondence to Kokichi Arisawa.

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Kitayama, A., Arisawa, K., Uemura, H. et al. Correlations of fish intake and plasma docosahexaenoic acid levels with each congener of PCDDs/PCDFs/dioxin-like PCBs in blood from the Japanese population. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 84, 927–935 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-011-0618-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-011-0618-7

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