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ENANTIOMERIC COMPOSITION OF CHIRAL PESTICIDES IN HUMAN ADIPOSE TISSUE AND BREAST MILK
Citation:
Heermance, E., R. Falconer, AND M K. Morgan. ENANTIOMERIC COMPOSITION OF CHIRAL PESTICIDES IN HUMAN ADIPOSE TISSUE AND BREAST MILK. Presented at 223rd American Chemical Society National Meeting, Orlando, FL, April 7-11, 2002.
Impact/Purpose:
The goal of this task is to contribute to a better understanding of human exposure to pesticides, especially for small children by developing methods to characterize sources and pathways in and around the residential environment. We will support the science behind FQPA and assist the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) in the development of guidelines for the assessment of residential exposure to pesticides. Specific research objectives include: (i) to evaluate and develop methods for measuring pesticides in air using passive/diffusive samplers. Assess and refine devices for the collection of surface transferable pesticide residues and to establish transfer efficiencies; (ii) to develop and apply analytical methods for new and emerging pesticides using both gas and liquid chromatographic methods in support of the National Exposure Research Laboratory's (NERL) Human Exposure Measurement Project; and, (iii) to conduct pilot studies investigating chiral chromatographic methods.
Description:
Examining the enantiomeric patterns of pesticides can provide a sensitive indicator of biological degradation. However, little work has been done to date on chiral pesticides in the human body. This study looks at the enantiomeric patterns of chiral pesticides and their chiral metabolites in human breast milk and adipose tissue. Samples showed selective degradation for several chiral organochlorine pesticides, although concentrations were near detection limits for many compounds.
This work has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under an Agreement of Understanding with Renee Falconer. It has been subjected to Agency review and approved for publication.