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Assessment of the levels of DDT and DDE in soil and blood samples from Tabasco, Mexico

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Abstract

In Mexico, 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) was used until the year 2000, principally in agriculture and anti-paludal program health campaigns. The southeastern region of Mexico was an important area of malaria, and from 1957 DDT was applied indoors every 6 months, with a coverage of 2 g/m2. The current study was performed in Tabasco, a Mexican state located in the southeastern region of Mexico. DDT and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethene (DDE) were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. In general, low levels were found in household outdoor samples; the levels of DDT ranged from not detectable to 0.048 mg/kg, and of DDE from 0.001 to 0.068 mg/kg. An important finding was that, in all communities where DDT in blood was analyzed, exposure to DDT was found, indicating both past and present exposure. Although the levels found in this study were lower than other studies in Mexico, there is a need to evaluate whether the people living in the study area are at risk.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grant from the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Mexico, CB-2008-01-106050 and by FORDECYT 143303

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. El Colegio de la Frontera Sur- Unidad Villahermosa, Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico

    Arturo Torres-Dosal & Diego Hernandez-Benavides

  2. Departamento Toxicología Ambiental, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Avenida Venustiano Carranza 2405, 78210, San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico

    Rebeca Isabel Martinez-Salinas, Francisco Javier Perez-Vazquez, Cesar Ilizaliturri-Hernandez & Ivan Nelinho Perez-Maldonado

Authors
  1. Arturo Torres-Dosal
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  2. Rebeca Isabel Martinez-Salinas
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  3. Diego Hernandez-Benavides
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  4. Francisco Javier Perez-Vazquez
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  5. Cesar Ilizaliturri-Hernandez
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  6. Ivan Nelinho Perez-Maldonado
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Correspondence to Ivan Nelinho Perez-Maldonado.

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Torres-Dosal, A., Martinez-Salinas, R.I., Hernandez-Benavides, D. et al. Assessment of the levels of DDT and DDE in soil and blood samples from Tabasco, Mexico. Environ Monit Assess 184, 7551–7559 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2518-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2518-z

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