Chlorinated Pesticides: Threats to Health and Importance of Detection

Summary

Persistence of banned chlorinated pesticides in the environment poses an ongoing threat to health. Eight of the most commonly found and harmful chlorinated pesticides are reviewed in this article, along with the most common sources of exposure and possible action steps. Walter Crinnion, ND

Download

Crinnion WJ. Chlorinated pesticides: threats to health and importance of detection. <i>Altern Med Rev.</i> Dec 2009;14(4):347-359.

Details

Although chlorinated pesticides have now been mostly banned from use in the United Staes, their typically long half-life contributes to ongoing risk of exposure. They are fat-soluble compounds difficult to eliminate from the body and they consequently accumulate in adipose tissue of mammaliann species. Because adipose tissue goes through daily lipolysis, a certain amount of these xenobiotics are regularly released back into circulation.  These compounds can be measured in serum and reported both as ppb in the serum and as lipid-adjusted amounts.  The lipid-adjusted values reflect the amount of these toxins stored in the adipose tissue and therefore reflect total body burden. Of the chlorinated pesticides, heptachlor epoxide, oxychlordane, trans-nonachlor, DDE, DDT, dieldrin, and mirex are the most commonly found and are associated with the greatest documented detrimental health effects.