Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, D-52074, Aachen, Germany.
Institute for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, D-52074, Aachen, Germany.
Chemosphere. 2022 Mar;291(Pt 1):132722. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132722. Epub 2021 Oct 27.
The unintentional release of non-Aroclor-PCBs 47, PCB 68 and PCB 51 by a silicone manufacturing company in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, due to the use of bis-(2,4-dichlorobenzoyl)peroxide (2,4-DCBP) as an initiator has raised serious concerns about the possible uptake of these congeners by workers in silicone rubber production. We have conducted a pilot study in Germany to quantify these congeners in plasma samples of employees working in and handling silicone rubber during production and electrical cable manufacturing. A total of 117 plasma samples were collected from workers in 7 companies and 84 plasma samples from control subjects not working in silicone industry. PCB 47 and PCB 68 were detected in plasma above the limit of quantification (0.01 μg/L) in 84% and 66% of the silicone industry workers, respectively, whereas both congeners were undetectable in plasma of the control group. The maximum levels for PCB 47 were 2.56 μg/L and for PCB 68 were 0.42 μg/L. PCB 51 could not be determined in any plasma sample. Plasma samples of workers making electric cables had in general lower levels than those from workers making silicone rubber. Due to the high persistence of PCBs and the poorly defined toxicological properties of PCB 47 and PCB 68, a replacement of 2,4-DCBP as initiator in silicone rubber production should be considered. Given the large market for silicone products, our results might have a global impact on silicone industry.
德国北莱茵-威斯特法伦州一家硅酮制造公司因使用双-(2,4-二氯苯甲酰)过氧化物(2,4-DCBP)作为引发剂，导致非 Aroclor-PCBs 47、PCB 68 和 PCB 51 意外释放，这引起了人们对硅酮橡胶生产过程中工人可能摄入这些同系物的严重关注。我们在德国进行了一项初步研究，以定量检测在生产和电缆制造过程中接触和处理硅酮橡胶的工人的血浆样本中的这些同系物。从 7 家公司的 117 名工人和 84 名非硅酮行业工人中收集了总共 117 份血浆样本。在从事硅酮行业的工人中，分别有 84%和 66%的人血浆中 PCB 47 和 PCB 68 的浓度超过定量限(0.01μg/L)，而对照组工人的血浆中均未检测到这两种同系物。PCB 47 的最高浓度为 2.56μg/L，PCB 68 的最高浓度为 0.42μg/L。在任何血浆样本中均无法检测到 PCB 51。生产电缆的工人的血浆样本的浓度通常低于生产硅酮橡胶的工人。鉴于 PCBs 的高持久性以及 PCB 47 和 PCB 68 的毒理学特性尚未明确，应考虑在硅酮橡胶生产中用其他引发剂替代 2,4-DCBP。鉴于硅酮产品的巨大市场，我们的研究结果可能会对全球硅酮行业产生影响。
