Residues of selected polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and organochlorine pesticides (OCP) in postmortem lungs from Epirus, northwestern Greece.

Organochlorine (OC) pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) are compounds characterized as persistent organic pollutants (POP) in the environment. These compounds are monitored globally since they enter the human body and accumulate in tissues, resulting in consequent adverse effects. In this study concentrations of selected OC compounds were determined in human autopsy lungs from Epirus, a relatively restricted region in northwestern Greece.

Determination of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in post-mortem human lung by matrix solid-phase dispersion with the aid of response surface methodology and desirability function.

A matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) method for the simultaneous determination of 20 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) (aldrin, endrin, dieldrin, α-BHC, β-BHC, γ-BHC, δ-BHC, α-chlordane, γ-chlordane, p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD, endosulfan I, endosulfan II, endosulfan sulfate, endrin aldehyde, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, endrin ketone and methoxychlor) and six polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners (PCB 28, 52, 101, 138, 153 and 180) in post-mortem human lung has been developed and validated. Response surface methodology (RSM) and desirability function were employed to optimize the extraction conditions of MSPD. Extraction was carried out using Florisil (2.