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Assessment of the Levels of Hexachlorocyclohexane in Blood Samples from Mexico

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) exposure in children living in nine hot spots in four Mexican states. We analyzed HCH (α, β, and γ-isomers) in blood using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. HCH exposure level in 261 children was assessed and approximately 75 % of the children studied had detectable levels of HCH. These levels ranged from 188 to 40,096.7 ng/g lipid. The highest mean levels were found in Lacanja (5,446.9 ng/g lipid), an indigenous community in Chiapas, Mexico. Our data indicate high exposure to HCH in children living in these communities.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grant from the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Mexico, CONACYT-SEMARNAT 107900.

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Correspondence to Iván N. Pérez-Maldonado.

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Trejo-Acevedo, A., Rivero-Pérez, N.E., Flores-Ramirez, R. et al. Assessment of the Levels of Hexachlorocyclohexane in Blood Samples from Mexico. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 88, 833–837 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-012-0626-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-012-0626-7

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