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Comparison of blood volatile organic compound levels in residents of Calcasieu and Lafayette Parishes, LA, with US reference ranges

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 24, pages 602–607 (2014)Cite this article

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Abstract

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry conducted a study to evaluate body burden levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) among residents of highly industrialized Calcasieu Parish, LA, USA, in 2002. Blood VOC levels in a representative sample of participants in Calcasieu Parish were compared with a similar group of participants in the less-industrialized Lafayette Parish. Participants’ ages ranged from 15 to 91 years, 46% were men, and 89% were Caucasian. VOC levels in these two populations were also compared at the national levels. Solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography mass spectrometry was used to measure levels of 30 VOCs in blood samples collected from 283 self-described non-smoking study participants. Of the 30 VOCs, 6 had quantifiable levels in at least 25% of the blood samples analyzed. The frequency of detection was >95% for benzene and m-/p-xylene, >60% for 1,4-dichlorbenzene and toluene, 27% for ethylbenzene, and 39% for styrene. Calcasieu and Lafayette Parish participants had similar distributions for six VOCs in key percentiles and geometric means. When compared with a representative sampling of the 1999–2000 US general population, no significant differences were found between the parish data and the US general population.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the contributions of the Calcasieu Community Study Work Group, Section of Epidemiology and Environmental Toxicology, Office of Public Health, Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals and the National Opinion Research Center.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Mohammed S Uddin, Michael D Lewin, Angela D Ragin & Steve M Dearwent

  2. Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Benjamin C Blount

  3. Office of the Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Vijayalakshmi Potula

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  1. Mohammed S Uddin
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  2. Benjamin C Blount
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  4. Vijayalakshmi Potula
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  5. Angela D Ragin
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  6. Steve M Dearwent
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Correspondence to Mohammed S Uddin.

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Uddin, M., Blount, B., Lewin, M. et al. Comparison of blood volatile organic compound levels in residents of Calcasieu and Lafayette Parishes, LA, with US reference ranges. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 24, 602–607 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2013.94

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