Biomaterial Database

Polychlorinated biphenyls, dibenzofurans, and quaterphenyls in the toxic rice-bran oil and PCBs in the blood of patients with PCB poisoning in Taiwan. 1984

P H Chen, and M L Luo, and C K Wong, and C J Chen

A mass outbreak of poisoning occurred in central Taiwan in 1979 due to the ingestion of rice-bran oil contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In addition to PCBs, polychlorinated dibenzofurans ( PCDFs ) and polychlorinated quaterphenyls ( PCQs ) were also found in the contaminated oil. The levels of toxic agents in the rice-oil samples collected from factory and school cafeterias and the families of the intoxicated patients were in the range of 53-99 ppm, 0.18-0.40 ppm, and 25-53 ppm for PCBs, PCDFs , and PCQs , respectively. Major components of PCBs and PCDFs in the toxic oil were separated and identified by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) using glass capillary columns. The most toxic PCB reported in commercial PCB preparations, 3,4,3'-4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl, was found in the toxic oil as well as in one of the patients' blood and adipose tissue at an early stage of poisoning. The blood samples of 165 patients collected 9 to 18 months after the onset of poisoning contained 10 to 720 ppb of PCBs with a mean value of 38 ppb. One of the most toxic PCDFs , 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran, was retained in the liver of a deceased patient. This compound could play an important role in the etiology of PCB poisoning in Taiwan.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008099	Liver	A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.	Livers
D008401	Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry	A microanalytical technique combining mass spectrometry and gas chromatography for the qualitative as well as quantitative determinations of compounds.	Chromatography, Gas-Liquid-Mass Spectrometry,Chromatography, Gas-Mass Spectrometry,GCMS,Spectrometry, Mass-Gas Chromatography,Spectrum Analysis, Mass-Gas Chromatography,Gas-Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry,Mass Spectrometry-Gas Chromatography,Chromatography, Gas Liquid Mass Spectrometry,Chromatography, Gas Mass Spectrometry,Chromatography, Mass Spectrometry-Gas,Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Gas,Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Gas-Liquid,Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry,Gas Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry,Mass Spectrometry Gas Chromatography,Spectrometries, Mass-Gas Chromatography,Spectrometry, Gas Chromatography-Mass,Spectrometry, Gas-Liquid Chromatography-Mass,Spectrometry, Mass Gas Chromatography,Spectrometry-Gas Chromatography, Mass,Spectrum Analysis, Mass Gas Chromatography
D009821	Oils	Unctuous combustible substances that are liquid or easily liquefiable on warming, and are soluble in ether but insoluble in water. Such substances, depending on their origin, are classified as animal, mineral, or vegetable oils. Depending on their behavior on heating, they are volatile or fixed. (Dorland, 28th ed)
D011078	Polychlorinated Biphenyls	Industrial products consisting of a mixture of chlorinated biphenyl congeners and isomers. These compounds are highly lipophilic and tend to accumulate in fat stores of animals. Many of these compounds are considered toxic and potential environmental pollutants.	PCBs,Polychlorinated Biphenyl,Polychlorobiphenyl Compounds,Biphenyl, Polychlorinated,Biphenyls, Polychlorinated,Compounds, Polychlorobiphenyl
D002722	Chlorobenzenes	Aromatic organic compounds with the chemical formula C6H5Cln.
D005506	Food Contamination	The presence in food of harmful, unpalatable, or otherwise objectionable foreign substances, e.g. chemicals, microorganisms or diluents, before, during, or after processing or storage.	Food Adulteration,Adulteration, Food,Adulterations, Food,Contamination, Food,Contaminations, Food,Food Adulterations,Food Contaminations
D005517	Foodborne Diseases	Acute illnesses, usually affecting the GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT, brought on by consuming contaminated food or beverages. Most of these diseases are infectious, caused by a variety of bacteria, viruses, or parasites that can be foodborne. Sometimes the diseases are caused by harmful toxins from the microbes or other chemicals present in the food. Especially in the latter case, the condition is often called food poisoning.	Food Poisoning,Food-borne Disease,Food-borne Illness,Foodborne Disease,Foodborne Illness,Food-borne Diseases,Food-borne Illnesses,Foodborne Illnesses,Poisoning, Food,Disease, Food-borne,Disease, Foodborne,Food Poisonings,Food borne Disease,Food borne Diseases,Food borne Illness,Food borne Illnesses,Illness, Food-borne,Illness, Foodborne,Illnesses, Foodborne
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000072338	Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated	Dibenzofurans that contain chloride atoms bound to the aromatic rings of the structure.	Chlorinated Dibenzofurans,Chlorodibenzofurans,Polychlorinated Dibenzofurans,Dibenzofurans, Chlorinated
D000273	Adipose Tissue	Specialized connective tissue composed of fat cells (ADIPOCYTES). It is the site of stored FATS, usually in the form of TRIGLYCERIDES. In mammals, there are two types of adipose tissue, the WHITE FAT and the BROWN FAT. Their relative distributions vary in different species with most adipose tissue being white.	Fatty Tissue,Body Fat,Fat Pad,Fat Pads,Pad, Fat,Pads, Fat,Tissue, Adipose,Tissue, Fatty