Short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins in T-shirts and socks.

The short- and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs and MCCPs) are complex mixtures of persistent compounds used mainly as plastic additives. They can have a negative impact on human health as they are suspected of disrupting the endocrine system and being carcinogenic, which is why monitoring their presence in the human environment is desirable. Clothing was selected for this study because they are produced in large quantities worldwide and the final products are worn for long periods throughout the day, in direct contact with human skin. The concentrations of CPs in this type of sample have not been sufficiently reported. We determined SCCPs and MCCPs in 28 samples of T-shirts and socks by gas chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry in negative chemical ionisation mode (GC-NCI-HRMS). CPs were found above the limits of quantification in all samples, with concentrations ranging from 33.9 to 5940 ng/g (mean 1260 ng/g, median 417 ng/g). The samples with a substantial proportion of synthetic fibres contained higher CP concentrations (22 times higher mean for SCCPs and 7 times higher mean for MCCPs) than garments composed exclusively of cotton. Finally, the effect of washing in the washing machine was investigated. The individual samples behaved differently: (i) excessively emitting CPs; (ii) being contaminated; (iii) retaining the original CP levels. The CP profiles also changed for some samples (with a substantial proportion of synthetic fibres and samples composed exclusively of cotton).

Assessment of organohalogenated pollutants in breast milk from the Czech Republic.

This biomonitoring survey brings new information on the occurrence of a total of 94 organohalogenated pollutants in 231 human breast milk samples collected in 2019 and 2021 from women living in two regions of the Czech Republic (Karvina and Ceske Budejovice). This study aimed to evaluate the concentrations of 6 indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 10 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), 34 halogenated flame retardants (HFRs), 29 perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and 15 polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs). PCBs, OCPs, most of HFRs and PCNs were identified/quantified by gas chromatography coupled to (tandem) mass spectrometry (GC-MS(/MS)), while PFAS, hexabromocyclododecane isomers (HBCD), brominated phenols, and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The mean value of the sum of the 6 indicator PCBs was 123.12 nanogram per gram of lipid weight (ng g-1 lw). Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), ß-hexachlorocyclohexane (ß-HCH) and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyl-dichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE) were the most abundant OCPs, detected in 100 % (mean 11.8 ng g-1 lw), 94.8 % (mean 6.1 ng g-1 lw) and 100 % (mean 101.5 ng g-1 lw) of samples, respectively. PCN congeners 20, 52 and 66 were detected in <1 % of the samples. The HFRs concentrations were relatively low compared to the levels of OCP; The detection rate of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs, # 47, 99 and 153) ranged 21-68 % with a mean concentrations of 0.34 ng g-1 lw - 0.42 ng g-1 lw. PFAS concentrations were also low, with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) dominant in this group (means of 22 pg ml-1 and 21 pg ml-1, respectively). Our results confirmed the long-term trend of declining levels of banned POPs in Czech mothers. The amounts of PCBs and OCPs were higher in older breastfeeding primiparous women.

Maternal Diet Quality and the Health Status of Newborns.

The maternal diet during pregnancy affects neonatal health status. The objective of this study was to assess the nutritional quality of the maternal diet, and its contamination by persistent organic pollutants (POPs), in pregnant women living in two areas of the Czech Republic with different levels of air pollution, and subsequently to assess the relationship of these two factors with birth weight and neonatal oxidative stress. To determine the level of oxidative stress, 8-isoprostane concentrations in umbilical cord plasma were measured. The overall nutritional quality of the maternal diet was not optimal. Of the nutritional factors, protein intake proved to be the most significant showing a positive relationship with birth weight, and a negative relationship with the oxidative stress of newborns. Dietary contamination by persistent organic pollutants was low and showed no statistically significant relationship with birth weight. Only one of the 67 analyzed POPs, namely the insecticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), showed a statistically significant positive relationship with the level of neonatal oxidative stress.

Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Response in Populations of the Czech Republic Exposed to Various Levels of Environmental Pollutants.

We aimed to identify the variables that modify levels of oxidatively damaged DNA and lipid peroxidation in subjects living in diverse localities of the Czech Republic (a rural area, a metropolitan locality, and an industrial region). The sampling of a total of 126 policemen was conducted twice in two sampling seasons. Personal characteristics, concentrations of particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter <2.5 µm and benzo[a]pyrene in the ambient air, activities of antioxidant mechanisms (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and antioxidant capacity), levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6), concentrations of persistent organic pollutants in blood plasma, and urinary levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites were investigated as parameters potentially affecting the markers of DNA oxidation (8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine) and lipid peroxidation (15-F2t-isoprostane). The levels of oxidative stress markers mostly differed between the localities in the individual sampling seasons. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed IL-6, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, as a factor with the most pronounced effects on oxidative stress parameters. The role of other variables, including environmental pollutants, was minor. In conclusion, our study showed that oxidative damage to macromolecules was affected by processes related to inflammation; however, we did not identify a specific environmental factor responsible for the pro-inflammatory response in the organism.

Biomonitoring of 89 POPs in blood serum samples of Czech city policemen.

In this biomonitoring study, we evaluated the concentrations of 8 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 11 organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs), 33 brominated flame retardants (BFRs), 7 novel brominated and chlorinated flame retardants (novel FRs) and 30 per- and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) in human serum samples (n = 274). A total of 89 persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were measured in blood serum samples of city policemen living in three large cities and their adjacent areas (Ostrava, Prague, and Ceske Budejovice) in the Czech Republic. All samples were collected during the year 2019 in two sampling periods (spring and autumn). The identification/quantification of PCBs, OCPs, BFRs, novel FRs and PFAS was performed by means of gas chromatography coupled to (tandem) mass spectrometry (GC-MS/(MS)) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The most frequently detected pollutants were perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS), 2,2',3,4,4',5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (CB 138), 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (CB 153), 2,2',3,3',4,4',5-heptachlorobiphenyl (CB 170), 2,2',3,4,4',5,5'-heptachlorobiphenyl (CB 180), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE) quantified in 100% of serum samples. In the serum samples, the concentrations of determined POPs were in the range of 0.108-900 ng g-1 lipid weight (lw) for PCBs, 0.106-1016 ng g-1 lw for OCPs, <0.1-618 ng g-1 lw for FRs and <0.01-18.3 ng mL-1 for PFAS, respectively. Locality, sampling season, and age were significantly associated with several POP concentrations. One of the important conclusions was that within the spring sampling period, statistically significant higher concentrations of CB 170 and CB 180 were observed in the samples from Ostrava (industrial area) compared to Prague and Ceske Budejovice. Older policemen had higher concentrations of five PCBs and two OCPs in blood serum.

Estimation of human exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) based on the dietary and outdoor atmospheric monitoring in the Czech Republic.

In everyday life, humans can be exposed to various chemicals including ubiquitous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) mostly through food consumption and/or inhalation. In the presented study, we evaluated PAH concentrations in duplicate samples (n = 251). Concurrently, the outdoor concentrations of PM2.5-bound PAHs in filters (n = 179) were also monitored. The daily exposure to PAHs was subsequently estimated for the risk group of pregnant women living in two different cities (Most city and Ceske Budejovice city) in the Czech Republic. This is the first unique study in Europe to evaluate human daily exposure to 20 PAHs both from inhalation (outdoor air) and dietary intake. For the analysis of samples collected during the years 2016/2017, a gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry was applied. Focusing on the diet samples, a slightly higher sum of detected PAHs was measured in duplicates obtained from the mothers living in the Most city (0.115-186 ng g-1) compared to the Ceske Budejovice city (0.115-97.1 ng g-1). This could be due to a higher occurrence of major analytes (pyrene, phenanthrene and fluoranthene) and the different composition of daily diet. The values of toxic and most often detected substance, namely benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), were also higher by 35% in the Most city. Regarding the outdoor air contamination (only particulate phase - PM2.5 was assessed), here the opposite situation was observed, relatively higher amounts of all PAHs were monitored in the Ceske Budejovice city (median: 2.22 ng m-3) than in the Most city (median: 1.07 ng m-3). These higher PAH concentrations in the Ceske Budejovice city are probably caused by more intense traffic, higher population and also by the occurrence of old-fashioned heating plant. Depending on a seasonal variability, especially during the cold season, the concentrations of BaP exceeded the European average emission limit (1 ng m-3) by 1.5-6 times. This highest inhalation exposure to all PAHs was observed in February. However, the dietary intake still represents the dominant contributor (>90%) to the total PAH exposure.