Hexachlorobenzene content in human whole blood and adipose tissue: experiences in environmental specimen banking

By making use of material held in the Environmental Specimen Bank for Human Tissue Muenster (University of Münster, FRG), up to 11 organochlorine pesticides were analysed in organs (whole blood and adipose tissue) of living people, using real-time monitoring, and in autopsy material (up to 35 organs). The hexachlorobenzene (HCB) contents in whole blood samples of two comparable 'normal' populations (age 20-30 years, n = 118 and 125) were: median 2.30 micrograms/l, range 0.05-13.5 micrograms/l in 1977 and median 3.55 micrograms/l, range 0.94-16.3 micrograms/l in 1982. Females showed a slightly higher range than males. A pesticide-exposed group of wine growers (n = 122) showed a range of 0.86-29.6 micrograms/l with a median of 7.34 micrograms/l. In autopsy material, age-dependent HCB concentrations were found in adipose tissue, increasing with age (total range 0.14-45.4 micrograms/g extractable lipids, n = 80). No age dependence was evident in other organs. In starving people there seems to be only a slight elimination, if any, of the stored organochlorinated compounds. Persistent pesticides remain in a smaller portion of lipids and simulate higher values. Investigations of long-term storage of liver, fatty tissue and whole blood in the Environmental Specimen Bank (-85 degrees C and -170 degrees C) showed sufficient stability of HCB and other xenobiotics.