THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN DIOXIN EXPOSURE STUDY:FOLLOW-UP INVESTIGATION OF SUBJECTS WITH HIGH SERUM CONCENTRATIONS OF TEQ, 2,3,7,8-TCDD, 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF, AND PCB-126

摘要

Introduction. This investigation compares serum outliers with non-outliers from the UMDES (n=904) to identify factors that may be associated with high serum concentrations for TEQ, 2,3,7,8-TCDD, 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF, and PCB- 126. Materials and Methods. An outlier was defined to be a subject with a serum result that was in the top 15 for either TEQ or any of the three congeners, which corresponded to approximately 2.5 studentized residuals above the respective means after adjustment for age, age, and body mass index. Results and Discussion. Overall, outlier status was not associated with consumption of wild game or sport fish from contaminated regions, and was not associated with contamination in house dust. Associations were observed between outlier status and soil contamination for 2,3,7,8-TCDD and 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF, but these were likely confounded. There was no association between soil and serum PCB-126 among serum outliers, and, most significantly, there was no association between soil and serum TEQ. Other sources and/or pathways of exposure are likely to better explain high or outlier serum levels of TEQ and the three congeners among area residents.