Evaluation of organochlorine pesticides in serum from students in Coimbra, Portugal: 1997–2001

In 1997, 1999, 2000, and 2001, in an attempt to evaluate the contamination level of a Portuguese population, organochlorine pesticide residues were evaluated in human serum from students of the University of Coimbra. Concentrations of selected organochlorine pollutants (α-, β-, and γ-HCH, aldrin, dieldrin, HE, HCB, p,p′-DDT, o,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDD) and endosulfan sulfate was measured with gas chromatography–electron capture detector. Our objective is to point out the general levels of pesticide contamination and the differences between the four populations; and together with this, if a connection could be established with gender or the residence area of the subjects. Endosulfan sulfate, p,p′-DDE, o,p′-DDT, and p,p′-DDD were the most frequently identified residues. Endosulfan sulfate present the highest concentrations for all subjects, 42.6 μg/l, with concentrations ranging from undetected to 1295.5 μg/l. Between DDT, isomers, and analogues, o,p′-DDT, and p,p′-DDT presented the highest levels, 24.8 and 21.9 μg/l, respectively. Mean total DDT levels were higher than mean total HCH levels. For ∑-DDT, the highest levels were found among female gender and urban samples. An opposite situation was found in ∑-HCH: males presented higher levels than females. The mean concentration of organochlorine pesticide residues, present in the student populations, showed that it is among the highest levels of contamination, when compared with others from Europe, Asia, and America.