Chlorinated hydrocarbons in fat tissue: analyses of residues in healthy children, tumor patients, and malformed children.

The content of chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHC) was determined by means of capillary column gas chromatography in samples of fat tissue from 183 healthy children, 46 children with malignant tumors and 33 children with benign tumors or congenital malformations. The highest concentrations were found for total polychlorobiphenyls (PCB) (mean = 1.614 ppm), followed by the DDT group (mean = 0.556 ppm, HCB (mean = 0.097 ppm), the HCH isomers (mean = 0.083 ppm), dieldrin (mean = 0.020 ppm) and total heptachlor (mean = 0.010 ppm). Neonates displayed high concentrations in the adipose tissue before the first uptake of food. In the first six months of life, the concentrations of total PCB, the individual PCB components as well as DDT and HCB decreased significantly. In the second year of life, they rose again to the initial values and then remained relatively constant during the rest of childhood. The regional differences with regard to total CHC residues were slight, so that the CHC exposure cannot be reduced by a change of domicile within West Germany (FRG). Children with congenital malformations or benign or malignant tumors do not display raised concentrations of CHC.