Cent Eur J Public Health 2016, 24(2):115-119
Inhalation Exposure to Dioxins and dl-PCBs Depending on the Season in Upper Silesia, Poland: A Pilot Study
- 1 Department of Environmental Health Risk Factors, School of Public Health in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Bytom, Poland
- 2 Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Bytom, Poland
Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the seasonal fluctuation of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs levels in the ambient air of Upper Silesia in the aspect of human inhalation exposure as well as the estimation of health risk attributed to this exposure pathway to dioxins and dl-PCBs.
Methods: In the study air samples were taken in five urban districts of Upper Silesia, Poland, where the houses are heated with coal. The same sampling points in summer and winter were analyzed for dioxins/furans and dl-PCBs. In addition, information was collected on awareness of the residents about the co-incineration of plastic waste and effects of this activity on human health.
Results: The results show that the average daily exposure of residents of Upper Silesia to TCDD and DLCs in the heating season was about 6.5.-fold higher than in summer. The risk assessment showed that expected excess of cancer cases per 1,000,000 people ranged from 4.5 to 13.2 in winter and from 0.9 to 2.1 in summer. The practice of mixing waste with coal for houses heating has been confirmed by investigated families, who do not associate it with the possibility of negative health effects.
Conclusions: Air pollution can be a significant source of dioxin and dl-PCB for people during the winter season, as a result of co-burning coal and waste containing plastics. The dose of dioxins inhaled through the respiratory pathway in winter can be associated with the higher cancer risk in the population of Upper Silesia.
Keywords: air pollution, dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, inhalation, exposure, health risk
Received: January 29, 2015; Revised: April 11, 2016; Accepted: April 11, 2016; Published: June 1, 2016 Show citation
ACS | AIP | APA | ASA | Harvard | Chicago | Chicago Notes | IEEE | ISO690 | MLA | NLM | Turabian | Vancouver |
References
- Arisawa K, Takeda H, Mikasa H. Background exposure to PCDDs/ PCDFs/PCBs and its potential health effects: a review of epidemiologic studies. J Med Invest. 2005 Feb;52(1-2):10-21.
Go to original source...
Go to PubMed...
- National Toxicology Program. NTP toxicology and carcinogenesis studies of 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 126) (CAS No. 57465-28-8) in female Harlan Sprague-Dawley rats (Gavage Studies). Natl Toxicol Program Tech Rep Ser. 2006 Jan;(520):4-246.
- Forns J, Lertxundi N, Aranbarri A, Murcia M, Gascon M, Martinez D, et al. Prenatal exposure to organochlorine compounds and neuropsychological development up to two years of life. Environ Int. 2012 Sep 15;45:72-7.
Go to original source...
Go to PubMed...
- Parzefall W. Risk assessment of dioxin contamination in human food. Food Chem Toxicol. 2002 Aug;40(8):1185-9.
Go to original source...
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Results of the monitoring of dioxin levels in food and feed. EFSA J. 2010; 8(3):1385-1419.
Go to original source...
- Evaluation of certain food additives and contaminants. World Health Organ Tech Rep Ser. 2002;909:i-x, 1-171.
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Public health assessment guidance manual. Atlanta (GA): ATSDR; 2005.
- Commission Regulation (EC) No 199/2006 of 3 February 2006 amending Regulation (EC) No 466/2001 setting maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs as regards dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs. Off J Eur Union. 2006 Feb 4;49(L 32):34-8.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA's reanalysis of key issues related to dioxin toxicity and response to NAS comments, volume 1. EPA/600/R-10/038F. Washington: U.S. EPA; 2012.
- Prüss-Üstün A, Corvalán C. Preventing disease through healthy environments: towards an estimate of the environmental burden of disease. Geneva: WHO; 2006.
- NorthAtlanticTreaty Organization, Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society. International toxicity equivalency factor (I-TEF) method of risk assessment for complex mixtures of dioxins and related compounds. Report no. 176. Brussels: NATO; 1988.
- U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency, National Center for Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development. Exposure factors handbook: 2011 edition. Washington: U.S. EPA; 2011.
- U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency. TTN Web - Technology Transfer Network. Air Toxics Web Site. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin (2,3,7,8,-TCDD) [Internet]. Washington: U.S. EPA; 2013 [cited 2015 Jun 21]. Available from: http://www.epa.gov/ttnatw01/hlthef/dioxin.html.
- Dziubanek G. Chemical risk factors in the human environment one of the most significant reasons of health inequalities of the society [dissertation]. Katowice: Medical University of Silesia in Katowice; 2013. (In Polish.)
- Abad E, Martínez K, Gustems L, Gómez R, Guinart X, Hernández I, et al. Ten years measuring PCDDs/PCDFs in ambient air in Catalonia (Spain). Chemosphere. 2007 Apr;67(9):1709-14.
Go to original source...
Go to PubMed...
- Menichini E, Iacovella N, Monfredini F, Turrio-Baldassarri L. Atmospheric pollution by PAHs, PCDD/Fs and PCBs simultaneously collected at a regional background site in central Italy and at an urban site in Rome. Chemosphere. 2007 Sep;69(3):422-34.
Go to original source...
Go to PubMed...
- Bruckmann P, Hiester E, Klees M, Zetzsch C.Trends of PCDD/F and PCB concentrations and depositions in ambient air in Northwestern Germany. Chemosphere. 2013 Nov;93(8):1471-8.
Go to original source...
Go to PubMed...
- Grochowalski A, Konieczyński J. PCDDs/PCDFs, dl-PCBs and HCB in the flue gas from coal fired CFB boilers. Chemosphere. 2008 Aug;73(1):97-103.
Go to original source...
Go to PubMed...
- Shin SK, Jin GZ, Kim WI, Kim BH, Hwang SM, Hong JP, et al. Nationwide monitoring of atmospheric PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs in South Korea. Chemosphere. 2011 May;83(10):1339-44.
Go to original source...
Go to PubMed...
- Bergkvist C, Oberg M, Appelgren M, Becker W, Aune M, Ankarberg EH, et al. Exposure to dioxin-like pollutants via different food commodities in Swedish children and young adults. Food Chem Toxicol. 2008 Nov;46(11):3360-7.
Go to original source...
Go to PubMed...