Addendum to Chlorinated biphenyls
Assessment Values in Biological Material – Translation of the German version from 2016
Albert Rettenmeier1Thomas Kraus2
Hans Drexler3 (Head of the working group “Assessment Values in Biological Material” of the Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
Andrea Hartwig4 (Chair of the Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
MAK Commission5
1 Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology (IMIBE), University Essen, Hufelandstraße 55, 45122 Essen, Germany
2 Institute for Occupational and Social Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Faculty of Medicine, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
3 Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social, and Environmental Medicine, Schillerstraße 25 and 29, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
4 Institute of Applied Biosciences, Department of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Adenauerring 20a, Building 50.41, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
5 Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Kennedyallee 40, 53175 Bonn, Germany
Abstract
The German Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area has evaluated chlorinated biphenyls and has derived a BAT value (biological tolerance value) for the combined plasma levels of the PCB congeners PCB 28, PCB 52, PCB 101, PCB 138, PCB 153 and PCB 180. Available publications are described in detail.
The evaluation of the BAT value was based on studies in rats and has therefore to be regarded as preliminary. In a 2‐year NTP study of PCB 153 in female SD rats, a NOAEL of 10 µg/kg body weight was observed. Liver hypertrophy was the critical toxic effect. The mean blood concentration of PCB 153 was 17.4 µg/l. After extrapolation to humans and considering the non‐dioxin‐like indicator congeners, a BAT value for the combined plasma concentrations of PCB 28, 52, 101, 138, 153 and 180 of 15 µg/l was established. A specific sampling time is not required.
The BAR („Biologische Arbeitsstoff‐Referenzwerte“) in plasma of 0.02 µg/l for PCB 28, < 0.01 µg/l for PCB 52, and < 0.01 µg/l for PCB 101 were reconfirmed. Exceeding the BAR indicates additional occupational exposure.
