Organochlorine levels in breast adipose tissue of women from a littoral region of Argentina

MUÑOZ DE TORO M; BELDOMÉNICO HR; GARCÍA SR; STOKER C; DEJESÚS JJ; BELDOMÉNICO PM; REPETTI MR; RAMOS JG; LUQUE EH

Corfu Island, Greece.

Workshop; European Pesticide Residue Workshop (EPRW); 2006

Organochlorine compounds (OCCs), such as pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), are persistent lipophilic chemicals identified as endocrine disruptors, mainly with estrogen-like effects. Northeastern Argentina, near the Paraná River, is characterized by intensive farming and agricultural activities and industrial development, and is therefore prone to high incidences of environmental and dietary exposure to OCCs. Hence, we conducted a study to (1) estimate the organochlorine residues present in mammary fat tissue in a population of women from this littoral region and (2) identify potential sources of exposure to OCCs. Our subjects were 76 women (residing in and around Santa Fe city and not occupationally exposed to organochlorines) who underwent excision biopsy of a breast lesion or had plastic surgery. Both frequency of occurrence and levels of organochlorine residues were high in breast adipose tissue of all the participants. A SPE GC ECD and MS methodology was developed to evaluate 20 organochlorine pesticides and 8 PCB congeners in small amounts of fatty samples. For method validation and QA/QC measurement bovine fat, was used as a surrogate of human adipose tissue. The organochlorine residues most frequently found were p,p´-dichlorodiphenyldichloro-ethylene (p,p´-DDE) in all the subjects analyzed, hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in 86.8%, and β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β -HCH) in 75.0%. The incidence of PCB congeners was very low. p,p´-DDE and β -HCH residues reached the highest levels, 4794 and 1780 ppb, respectively. The diet was a relevant source of exposure, consumption of animal fat and freshwater fish playing a significant role. Bioaccumulation was evidenced by the significant positive association between organochlorine levels and body mass index (p = 0:0003) and the age of the patient (p = 0:0002). The frequency and levels of OCCs found in our study population raise concerns regarding Argentinean exposure to these endocrine disruptors. These findings are highly relevant to establish further correlations between the presence of persistent organochlorines and the expression of hormone-dependent biomarkers and/or proliferative activity in female breast