Smoking as a Determinant of High Organochlorine Levels in Greenland

Bente Deutch, Henning Sloth Pedersen, Eva Cecilie Bonefeld-Jørgensen, Jens C. Hansen

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    Abstract

    The authors investigated the accumulation of organochlorines among smoking and nonsmoking Inuit hunters (n = 48) in Uummanaq, Greenland, a population with high dietary exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Human plasma organochlorine levels were positively correlated with age, marine diet, and smoking or plasma cotinine in multiple linear-regression models (p < 0.001). Body mass index was inversely correlated with organochlorine accumulation, independent of smoking status. These findings confirm that the source of POPs among the Inuit in Greenland is diet, but smoking is an important determinant of POP bioaccumulation. Smoking cessation may provide a means to lower the body burden of POPs.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalArchives of Environmental Health
    Volume58
    Issue1
    Pages (from-to)30-36
    Publication statusPublished - 2003

    Keywords

    • Greenland
    • Inuit
    • organochlorines
    • pollutants
    • smoking

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