Environmental pollutants in blood can lead to premature deaths

Apr 28, 2019

New Delhi, Apr 28 (ANI): High levels of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), a group of environmental pollutants, in the blood can lead to premature deaths, according to a study. The study was published in the journal, 'JAMA Network Open'. The PCBs are subject to restrictions in several countries and the bans have reduced their concentrations in the environment. In the study, 'Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors' (PIVUS) over 1,000 randomly selected, 70-year-olds were monitored over a long period. PCBs have the tendency to decompose very slowly and are stored in the fatty tissue, they remain present in animals and humans. In particular, PCBs with many chlorine atoms in the molecule persist in most Swedes' blood. Study relating to PCBs in blood, concentrations were measured in the subjects' blood in 2001-2004, and then again when they reached the age of 75.Follow-up of those who had died over a 10-year period showed that the individuals with the highest PCB levels with many chlorine atoms in the blood had 50% excess mortality, especially from cardiovascular disease, compared with the other groups.