Revised and new reference values for some persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in blood for human biomonitoring in environmental medicine.

Reference values for environmental pollutants related to the German population are established continuously by the Human Biomonitoring Commission of the German Federal Environmental Agency. The revised and new reference values for organochlorine compounds in whole blood are derived from the German Environmental Survey 1998 (adults aged 18-69 years) and from a survey performed with children (age 9-11 years) in south-west Germany 1998/99. The levels of organochlorine compounds in blood of adults increased with increasing age. Therefore the reference values are revised for different age groups (age groups: 18-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69). The reference values for PCB 138 in whole blood range from 0.4 to 2.2 micrograms/l, for PCB 153 from 0.6 to 3.3 micrograms/l, for PCB 180 from 0.3 to 2.4 micrograms/l, for beta-HCH from 0.3 to 0.9 microgram/l and for HCB from 0.4 to 5.8 micrograms/l. The reference values for DDE among adults in East Germany are higher compared to those in West Germany. The reference values of DDE in blood for adults in West Germany increase from 1.5 micrograms/l to 11 micrograms/l for the different age groups. The corresponding results for East Germany are 3 and 31 micrograms/l. The following reference values in blood of children (age 9-11 years) are recommended: 0.3 microgram/l for PCB 138, 0.4 microgram/l for PCB 153, 0.3 microgram/l for PCB 180, 0.9 microgram/l for sum of PCB (138 + 153 + 180), 0.3 microgram/l for beta-HCH, 0.3 microgram/l for HCB and 0.7 microgram/l for DDE. In comparison with the former evaluation the revised reference values for PCB, beta-HCH and HCB levels in blood were reduced especially for younger adults.