Environmental contaminations caused by the organochlorine pesticides (=OCPs) such as BHC and DDT, as well as PCB, are an important ecological problem relevant to their residue or accumulation in the human body.
In the present study, β-BHC, total DDT and PCB levels in the plasma of farmers in Japan, Korea and Nepal were analysed using the gaschromatograph with electron-capture detector, to know how the levels relate to the history of using those pesticides in each country.
The analysed blood samples are as follows:
1) 82 samples obtained from the farmers living in the four districts in Kyushu of Japan where the use of OCPs were forbidden about 10 years before the time of blood sampling.
2) 9 samples from the farmers living in Risen district near Seoul of Korea where OCPs were being used at the time of blood sampling.
3) 20 samples from the farmers living in Katmandu of Nepal where OCPs were being used at the time of blood sampling.
The obtained results were as follows:
1) Percentage of the samples showing the β-BHC level higher than 10 ppb was 48% for the Japanese, 0% for the Korean, and 0% for the Nepalese.
2) That of the samples showing the total DDT level higher than 15 ppb was 26%, 0% and 100% for the respective country in the above order.
3) That of the samples shnwing the PCB level higher than 5 ppb was 60%, 12% and 0% for the respective country.
Based on the results, relations between the OCPs or PCB level and the history of the use of OCPs or the eating habits in each country were discussed.