SERUM PCDD, PCDF AND PCB LEVELS IN SHELEKHOV FIREFIGHTERS

1. SERUM PCDD, PCDF AND PCB LEVELS IN SHELEKHOV FIREFIGHTERS • 2 Institute of Occupational Health and Human Ecology, East-Siberian Scientific Center of Human Ecology, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 1170, Angarsk, 665827, Russia; • 3 Brooklyn College-CUNY, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210-2889, USA • Shelepchikov A.A.1, Chernyak Y.I.2, Grassman J.A.3, Brodsky E.S.1 • V.G. Jilnikov1, • E. Ya. Mir-Kadirova1 • 1 Institute of Ecology and Evolution of Russian Academy of Sciences, 33, Leninskiy pr., Moscow, 119071, Russia

2. SERUM PCDD, PCDF AND PCB LEVELS IN SHELEKHOV FIREFIGHTERS • Shelepchikov A.A., Chernyak Y.I., Grassman J.A., Brodsky E.S. V.G. Jilnikov, E. Ya. Mir-Kadirova The “Irkutskcable” factory in the city of Shelekhov (Russia, Siberia) manufactures awide range of plastic coated cable. The fire began on December, 24th, 1992 and proceeded for three days. An area of 16280 m2 was destroyed along with more than 1000 tons of plastics including PVC. Total PCDD/Fs formation was estimated as 22 -57 g I-TEQ. Five special fire divisions from Irkutsk and Angarsk participated, Firefighters avoided using respirators and many of them subsequently developed a complex of neurological syndromes. “We attempted to cool the big heated unit in the cellar. We were standing waist-deep in an oily mixture when we were hit by the steam, we dived into this swill” - GrigoryGladkih, after 26 hours of working at the fire “In such extreme conditions we did not reflect on safety. Coming home, firemen felt unusually weak and dizzy. Their skin became covered by blisters. Years later we have learned that we were poisoned even though at first physicians assured us that it was a typical reaction due to our occupational exposure”- fireman Boris Karagulov. 534 firefighters and 230 teaching officers and students from Firefighters School were involved, occupational diseases have been registered for 106 persons; the number of the died is not disclosed.

3. SERUM PCDD, PCDF AND PCB LEVELS IN SHELEKHOV FIREFIGHTERS • Shelepchikov A.A., Chernyak Y.I., Grassman J.A., Brodsky E.S. V.G. Jilnikov, E. Ya. Mir-Kadirova Four groups of 10 men each were formed: men who never worked as firefighters (Controls); firefighters who developed the Shelekhov Syndrome Complex soon after their participation at the fire (Shelekhov SC); firefighters who participated in the Shelekhov fire but did not develop the syndromes (Shelekhov non-SC); firefighters who did not participate in the 1992 Shelekhov fire (Firefighter controls). All samples were analyzed by GC -HRMS. WHO-TEQDF serum level of Shelekhov firefighters is comparable with the indices typical for Firefighter controls. Although the means value for groups were not statistically different, the individual firefighter TEQs tend to be higher than the median of the non-firefighter controls. Serum (left) and body burden (right) PCDD and PCDF levels

4. SERUM PCDD, PCDF AND PCB LEVELS IN SHELEKHOV FIREFIGHTERS • Shelepchikov A.A., Chernyak Y.I., Grassman J.A., Brodsky E.S. V.G. Jilnikov, E. Ya. Mir-Kadirova Body burden PCDD, PCDF and PCB levels, ng/body 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDF vs PCB-169 (pg/g lipid)

5. SERUM PCDD, PCDF AND PCB LEVELS IN SHELEKHOV FIREFIGHTERS • Shelepchikov A.A., Chernyak Y.I., Grassman J.A., Brodsky E.S. V.G. Jilnikov, E. Ya. Mir-Kadirova • The level of dioxin-like compounds was proportional to the number of years employed as a firefighter. • After cessation of work, the concentrations of these compounds show small increases consistent with those seen with aging. The body burden levels for the firefighters tends to exceed the levels of the 10 men from Control group. Serum WHO-TEQ05D/F by years working as a firefighter (top) – by years after cessation of work as firefighter (bottom). Change of WHO-TEQ05PCDD/F concentration with age

6. SERUM PCDD, PCDF AND PCB LEVELS IN SHELEKHOV FIREFIGHTERS • Shelepchikov A.A., Chernyak Y.I., Grassman J.A., Brodsky E.S. V.G. Jilnikov, E. Ya. Mir-Kadirova • The study shows: • Current WHO-TEQDF serum level for highly exposed firefighters is comparable with the indices typical for others working firefighters. • By comparison with the value for white non-Latin Americans, only the participants in the control group is similar. Levels of dioxin-like compounds among the firefighters are higher due to the contribution of non-dioxin-like PCBs • the PCB contribution exceeds 50% of the WHO-TEQ98 and 40% - WHO-TEQ05. • PCB-169 as well as 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDF can be considered reliable markers of exposure to combustion products exposure. • Concentration of PCB-169 in most of the former and working firefighters exceeds 90 percentile for the control group and higher levels remain after they stop working as firefighters. We are grateful to all people participating in the given research; and for financial support from Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR) and U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation (CRDF) Slides 1, 3 and 6 contain original photos from the Shelehov fire This and others our posters are available at www.dioxin.ru/posters