Table 1.
Demographic and exposure data of subjects exposed to PCB and of control subjects
PCB | Controls | ||||||
Mean | SD | Mean | SD | F[1,56] | p | ||
Gender [N; m/f] | 18/12 | 12/18 | 1.671 | 0.20 | |||
Age [a] | 48.2 | 7 | 49.9 | 7 | 0.89 | 0.35 | |
Education [a] 2 | 12.5 | 2 | 12.4 | 2 | 0.03 | 0.86 | |
Vocational index 2 | 5.9 | 0 | 5.8 | 0 | 0.39 | 0.54 | |
Estimated intelligence [IQ] 2 | 117.3 | 5 | 117.3 | 4 | 0.00 | 0.99 | |
Height [cm] | 174 | 8 | 169 | 7 | 1.913 | 0.17 | |
Weight [kg] | 76 | 14 | 66 | 12 | 3.003 | 0.09 | |
BMI [kg/m2] | 24.7 | 3 | 23.5 | 3 | 2.273 | 0.14 | |
Self-reported data | |||||||
Alcohol consumption [g/week] | 94.4 | 76 | 72.4 | 75 | 1.26 | 0.27 | |
Nikotin consumption [cig./d] | 6.4 | 10 | 5.7 | 10 | 0.07 | 0.79 | |
Q16-Score 4 | 4.4 | 4 | 3.6 | 4 | 0.67 | 0.42 | |
EQ Euroquest complaint score 4 | 146.4 | 32 | 131.6 | 31 | 3.29 | 0.07 | |
Memory and attention | 27.0 | 6 | 23.9 | 6 | 3.62 | 0.06 | |
Drive and motivation | 23.7 | 6 | 19.7 | 6 | 6.17 | 0.02 | * |
Tiredness | 25.2 | 6 | 23.0 | 6 | 1.98 | 0.16 | |
Emotional reactivity | 20.0 | 6 | 17.7 | 6 | 2.41 | 0.13 | |
Sensory complaints | 8.1 | 3 | 7.4 | 3 | 0.65 | 0.42 | |
Motor complaints | 5.2 | 2 | 4.8 | 2 | 0.96 | 0.33 | |
Cardiovascular complaints | 14.8 | 5 | 12.0 | 5 | 4.76 | 0.03 | * |
Bowel and stomach | 9.7 | 3 | 10.5 | 3 | 0.96 | 0.33 | |
Head and neck | 11.0 | 4 | 12.3 | 4 | 1.90 | 0.17 | |
Stress inventory score 4 | 25.6 | 44 | 23.0 | 43 | 0.05 | 0.82 | |
Exposure indices | |||||||
PCB-28 [μg/l] | 0.28 | 0.25 | 0.016 5 | 0.02 | 0.0001 | *** | |
PCB-101 [μg/l] | 0.07 | 0.09 | 0.01 5 | 0 | 0.0003 | *** | |
PCB-138 [μg/l] | 1.29 | 0.69 | 1.13 | 0.46 | 1.44 | 0.16 | |
PCB-153 [μg/l] | 1.68 | 0.96 | 1.56 | 0.58 | 1.07 | 0.29 | |
PCB-180 [μg/l] | 1.14 | 0.65 | 0.94 | 0.39 | 1.76 | 0.08 | |
Total PCBs [μg/l] | 4.45 | 2.44 | 3.65 | 1.40 | 1.87 | 0.067 | |
Total occupational time [a] | 20.9 | 6 | 22.0 | 9 | 1.09 | 0.28 | |
Duration of exposure [a] 6 | 16.7 | 9 | n.a. | ||||
Weighted duration of exposure [a] 6,7 | 10.5 | 6 | n.a. |
1χ2[1]; *: p < 0.05; ***: p < 0.001.
2 According to [76]
3 Statistically adjusted for gender, F[1,55]
4 A greater score corresponds to a greater number of complaints
5 Median and IQR/2 is given, 95 percent < measurement threshold
6 n.a.: not applicable
7 Considering mean time of presence at school.