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Organic Chemistry Section
PCBs and Other Toxins in the Human Population

[Biohazard]

The Organic Chemistry Department has expanded its traditional analysis of air, wildlife, water, and soil to include human serum and urine. In partnership with other academic institutions and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), we have developed methods for the analysis of various agricultural pesticides in urine and organochlorine pesticides and PCB and PBDE congeners in serum. Click here for a list of parameters.

In addition, as part of the overall public health effort to increase emergency preparedness, we are partnering with the CDC to implement methods for the analysis of various chemicals in human serum (e.g., cyanide and volatile organic chemicals). As that partnership develops we will be exploring other oppurtunities to expand the scope of that analysis.

Human Serum

Since 1986 the WSLH has participated in a number of projects designed to look at the bioaccumulation of environmental toxins in human serum. The laboratory has provided analysis of PCBs, PBDEs, and selected organochlorine pesticides in blood serum samples taken under the auspices of the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS) and The Great Lakes Consortium (supported by The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry). The studies have focused primarily on frequent consumers of sport fish, contrasting them with the general population.

Urine

In conjunction with Professor Melissa J. Perry of the Occupational Health Program at the Harvard School of Public Health and the Division of Epidemiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, the WSLH Organic Chemistry Department participated in a study of farm pesticide applicators. The Unit developed a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry method for the analysis of a number of farm pesticides in urine. (See analyte list).

The study involved using biological markers to examine farm pesticide exposure, and was conducted over two summers (1997 & 1998). The initial set of samples was analyzed for the entire analyte list. However, most analytes were not found and the second summer concentrated on atrazine (a triazine herbicide) and its metabolites.

In addition to studying pesticide exposure, the work also compared a number of analytical techniques. The results of three different techniques were compared (gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, immunoassay for the atrazine mercapturate, and immunoassay for atrazine itself).

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Last updated 11/13/03