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Tu Binh Minh,¹ Mafumi Watanabe,¹ Shinsuke Tanabe,¹ Taketo Yamada,² Jun-ichi Hata,² and Shaw Watanabe³

¹Center for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
²Department of Pathology, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
³Faculty of Applied Bioscience, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan

Abstract

Tris(4-chlorophenyl) methane (TCPMe) and tris(4-chlorophenyl) methanol (TCPMOH) are among the most recently identified environmental contaminants. Despite their widespread contamination in the marine environment, human exposure to these compounds remains relatively unknown. We determined the concentrations of TCPMe, TCPMOH, and other persistent organochlorines such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) , DDT and its metabolites, hexachlorocyclohexane isomers, hexachlorobenzene, and chlordane compounds (CHLs) in human adipose tissue from Japan. TCPMe and TCPMOH were detected in all of the adipose samples analyzed ; the concentrations ranged from 2.5-21 and 1.1-18 ng/g lipid weight, respectively. Concentrations of TCPMe and TCPMOH in humans were less than those reported in marine mammals, suggesting the possibility of metabolism and elimination of these compounds by humans. Significant correlation between TCPMe and TCPMOH with concentrations of DDT and its metabolites in human adipose tissues suggested that exposure to DDT is the source of TCPMe and TCPMOH in humans. The age- and sex-dependent accumulation of TCPMe and TCPMOH as well as other organochlorines was less pronounced. Results for other organochlorines indicated that recent contamination status of PCBs in human samples from Japan was higher than that in developing countries, whereas DDT contamination is lower. Greater concentrations of CHLs in human adipose tissue from Japan than in those from other countries suggest that continuous monitoring of CHLs in humans in Japan is necessary. To our knowledge, this is the first study on the accumulation of TCPMe and TCPMOH in human adipose tissue. Key words: humans, metabolic capacity, organochlorines, tris(4-chlorophenyl) methane, tris(4-chlorophenyl) methanol. Environ Health Perspect 108:599-603 (2000) . [Online 25 May 2000]

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2000/108p599-603minh/ abstract.html

Address correspondence to S. Tanabe, Center for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University, Tarumi 3-5-7, Matsuyama 790-8566, Japan. Telephone/Fax: 81 89 946 9904. E-mail: shinsuke@agr.ehime-u.ac.jp

We thank K. Kannan for critical reading of this manuscript. We also thank W. Jarman for providing tris(4-chlorophenyl) methanol analytical standard.

This study was supported by the Health Sciences Research Grants of Ministry of Health and Welfare entitled Research on Environmental Health--Human Exposure by Endrocrine Disruptors in Japan and a Grant-in-Aid from the Scientific Research Programs of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan (Projects 11878094 and 09306021) .

Received 27 September 1999 ; accepted 1 February 2000.