Table 2.
Whole blood (trace elements) or serum concentrations (PBDEs, chlorinated pesticides, dioxins, PFASs, and PCBs) in study participants. Medians from human blood or serum specimens are reported only if the analyte was detected in blood or serum from at least five of the nine participants. Comparison values from NHANES (CDC, 2018) are in Supplemental Table 2; comparison values are from all NHANES men for Sapelo Island, all NHANES (men and women) for Miami, and all NHANES women for Charleston Harbor. Italics indicate the value is >50th percentile from NHANES and bold indicates the value is >95th percentile from NHANES. Values are ng/g lipid unless otherwise specified.
| Analyte | Sapelo Island (N = 9) Median (range) | Miami (N = 9) Median (range) | Charleston (N = 9) Median (range) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metals μg/L | |||
| Cadmium (μg/L) | 0.39 (023–1.6) | 0.87 (0.36–1.69) | 0.2 (<LOD-0.4)b |
| Lead (μg/dL) | 3 (1.7–7.7) | 8.96 (2.35–25.0) | 0.6 (0.3–1.0) |
| Mercury (μg/L) | 3.2 (2.4–9.4) | 6.46 (2.22–40.1) | 1.1 (0.5–4.1) |
| Selenium (μg/L) | 119 (106–137) | 111 (77.0–159) | 124(107.6–173.3) |
| PBDEs | |||
| PBDE17 | a | a | a |
| PBDE 28 | a | 0.60 (<LOD-7.20) | 0.7 (<LOD-2.4) |
| PBDE 47 | 11.8 (3.0–65.3) | 8.50 (2.40–98.4) | 10.5 (1.2–30.8) |
| PBDE 66 | a | a | a |
| PBDE 85 | a | a | a |
| PBDE 99 | 2.0 (0.7–32.9) | 3.10 (0.60–25.7) | 2.0 (<L0D-9.5) |
| PBDE 100 | 2.9 (1.0–24.1) | 2.10 (0.60–18.8) | 2.4 (0.3–5.0) |
| PBDE 153 | 7.2 (1.36–11.9) | 11.7 (2.20–33.2) | 4.4 (1.4–22.3) |
| PBDE 154 | a | a | a |
| PBDE 183 | a | 0.60 (<L0D-1.50) | a |
| Median sum of congeners 47,99,100,153, and 154 | 24.6 | 26.7 | 16.6 |
| Chlorinated pesticides | |||
| Hexachlorobenzene | 6.9 (3.9–15.4) | 8.2 (4.0–20.2) | 5.9 (3.3–13.6) |
| Oxychlordane | 6.7 (<LOD-52.1) | 6.6 (<L0D-15.8) | a |
| Trans-nonachlor | 16.6 (5.5–85.6) | 10.9 (2.8–29.9) | 3.5 (<LOD-9.6) |
| p,p’-DDD | a | a | a |
| -p,p’-DDE | 90.8 (51.4–1440) | 231 (29.7–3590) | 34.6 (15.9–230.0) |
| -o,p’-DDT | a | a | a |
| p,p’-DDT | a | a | a |
| Mirex | 6.9 (3.9–15.4) | 3.3 (<L0D-9.5) | a |
| Dioxins and furans (pg/g lipid) | |||
| 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,-Hepta CDD | 28.1 (4.8–92.9) | 10.9 (9.8–16.7) | 11.8 (7.5–21.6) |
| 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-Hepta CDF | 10.8 (32–21.6) | 6.9 (3.1–41.3) | 5.7 (3.4–20.6) |
| 1,2,3,4,7,8,9-Hepta CDF | a | a | 1.5 (0.7–2.9) |
| 1,2,3,4,7,8-Hexa CDD | 6.2 (<LOD-9.0) | 1.8 (<L0D-3.3) | 1.1 (0.5–1.4) |
| 1,2,3,4,7,8-Hexa CDF | 5.2 (<L0D-8.1) | 2.2 (<L0D-3.7) | 1.5 (0.6–2.8) |
| 1,2,3,6,7,8-Hexa CDD | 20.7 (<LOD-75.7) | 10.1 (3.8–17.8) | 5.9 (2.7–9.5) |
| 1,2,3,6,7,8-Hexa CDF | 6.2 (<L0D-9.0) | 32 (1.1–3.8) | 1.5 (0.6–2.8) |
| 1,2,3,7,8,9-Hexa CDD | 4.2 (<LOD-13.8) | 2.1 (<L0D-3.8) | 1.5 (0.8–2.2) |
| 1,2,3,7,8-Penta CDD | 4.4 (<L0D-19.1) | 3.1 (<L0D-4.3) | 1.8 (<L0D-3.3) |
| 2,3,4,7,8-Penta CDF | 7.1 (<L0D-10.6) | 3.6 (2.1–5.8) | 1.4 (0.8–5.6) |
| OCDD | 257.0 (59.5–1450) | 123 (88.2–201) | 98.8 (70.6–180) |
| OCDF | 6.2 (<LOD-22.6) | 1.6 (0.8–2.9) | 3.9 (3.3–10.3) |
| Dioxin-like PCBs (co-planar PCBs) (pg/g lipid) | |||
| PCB 77 (ng/g lipid) | a | a | a |
| PCB 81 (pg/g lipid) | 1.9 (1.7–3.5) | 2.8 (1.4–7.7) | a |
| PCB 126 (ng/g lipid) | 10.9 (<L0D-57.1) | 27.3 (6.4–95.4) | a |
| PCB 169 (pg/g lipid) | 16.5 (4.3–49.3) | 16.4 (6.5–52.2) | a |
| PFAS (μg/L)c | |||
| Et-PFOSA-AcOH | a | ||
| Me-PFOSA-AcOH | 0.5 (0.1–1.5) | ||
| PFDeA | 5.4 (1.3–10.2) | ||
| PFHxS | 4.4 (0.9–11.0) | ||
| PFNA | 11.6 (2.5–27.3) | ||
| PFOA | 6.8 (4.1–18.9) | ||
| PFOS | 88 (17.6–181) | ||
| PFOSA | a | ||
| PCBs | |||
| PCB 28 | a | 0.80 (<LOD-5.0) | 0.5 (<LOD-7.5) |
| PCB 44 | a | a | a |
| PCB 49 | a | a | a |
| PCB 52 | a | a | a |
| PCB 66 | 0.5 (<LOD-1.5) | 0.9 (<LOD-4.3) | a |
| PCB 74 | 3.3 (<L0D-18.0) | a | a |
| PCB 87 | a | a | a |
| PCB 99 | 2.1 (1.6–23.4) | 4.6 (1.9–16.1) | 0.9 (0.4–7.8) |
| PCB 101 | a | 0.5 (<LOD-4.9) | a |
| PCB 105 | 0.9 (<LOD-4.6) | 1.3 (0.5–4.6) | a |
| PCB 110 | a | a | a |
| PCB 118 | 4.5 (1.5–27.9) | 7.0 (2.6–252) | 1.7 (0.9–5.8) |
| PCB 128 | a | a | a |
| PCB 138 + 158 | 9.2 (5.7–73.4) | 17.4 (6.8–44.6) | 2.7 (1.1–54.3) |
| PCB 146 | 3.8 (1.2–19.5) | 5.20 (12–11.7) | a |
| PCB 149 | a | a | a |
| PCB 151 | a | a | a |
| PCB 153 | 23 (9.3–113.4) | 35.1 (13.1–81.9) | 3.6 (1.2–75.0) |
| PCB 154 | a | a | a |
| PCB 156 | 4.7 (0.9–16.1) | 4.7 (1.0–11.0) | a |
| PCB 157 | 1.2 (<L0D-4.2) | 1.0 (<L0D-2.3) | a |
| PCB 158 | With congener 138 | With congener 138 | With congener 138 |
| PCB 167 | 1.1 (<L0D - 5.8) | 0.8 (<L0D - 3.2) | a |
| PCB 170 | 9.3 (2.3–32.6) | 9.8 (3.1–26.9) | 0.6 (<LOD-20.5) |
| PCB 172 | 22 (0.4–6.9) | 1.5 (<L0D-4.2) | a |
| PCB 177 | 1.1 (0.7–4.2) | 1.8 (0.5–4.4) | a |
| PCB 178 | 42 (<L0D-14.6) | 2.2 (0.7–5.3) | a |
| PCB 180d | 32.8 (6.5–101.1) | 25.1 (82–69.3) | 1.6 (0.6–48.3) |
| PCB 183 | 2.4 (1.3–22.5) | 2.1 (1.1–6.9) | a |
| PCB 187d | 17.1 (5.4–62.0) | 9.8 (3.0–24.7) | 0.7 (<LOD-10.2) |
| PCB 189 | a | 0.6 (<L0D-1.9) | a |
| PCB 194d | 14.3 (<L0D-45.7) | 6.7 (1.7–18.3) | 0.5 (<LOD-6.5) |
| PCB 195 | 0.6 (<LOD-5.8) | 1.1 (0.6–3.1) | a |
| PCB 196d | 23.4 (5.9–95.1) | 5.0 (1.8–11.5) | 0.6 (<LOD-4.8) |
| PCB 199d | 37.5 (9.3–136.7) | 7.1 (1.8–15.9) | 0.5 (<LOD-3.3) |
| PCB 201d | a | a | a |
| PCB 202d | a | a | a |
| PCB 206d | 30.7 (6.6–112.7) | 3.8 (0.8–6.6) | 0.4 (<LOD-0.8) |
| PCB 207d | a | a | a |
| PCB 208d | a | a | a |
| PCB 209d | 8.1 (1.9–40.2) | 2.3 (0.5–5.4) | a |
| Sum of PCBse | 233 (74.5–882) | 157 (56.5–352) | 15.4 (4.2–270) |
| Sum of congeners comprising Aroclor 1268f | 134 (38.9–466) | 52.9 (16.5–127) | 4.2 (0.6–69.5) |
| Proportion of PCBs from Aroclor 1268 congeners | 52%(48%−68%) | 34%(19%−46%) | 24% (14%−32%) |
Analyte detected in fewer than 60% of specimens; no statistical analyses done.
<LOD = Less than the analytic limit of detection.
PFAS not analyzed in human specimens from Miami or Charleston Harbor.
PCB congeners present in Aroclor 1268 (Maruya, 1997; Schwope et al., 2005).
Sum of PCBs includes congeners 28, 44, 49, 52, 66, 74, 87, 99, 101, 105, 110, 188, 128, 146, 149, 151, 153, 156, 157, 167, 170, 172, 177, 178, 180, 183, 187, 189, 194, 195, 199, 206, 209, 138 + 158 when a congener was detected in at least 60% of the specimens.
Sum of PCB congeners comprising Aroclor1268 when a congener was detected in at least 60% of the specimens.