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Cited by 42Toxic Organic Pollutants ImpactPesticide Exposure and ToxicityEffects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals

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Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) half-lives in humans: A systematic review

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Idowu, Ifeoluwa Grace, Megson, David, Tiktak, Guuske, Dereviankin, Mike, Sandau, Courtney D.·2023·Chemosphere
DOI 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140359
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Abstract

This manuscript presents a systematic review of PCB half-lives reported in the scientific literature. The review was completed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines and included a review of almost 1000 peer-reviewed publications. In total, 26 articles were found to report half-lives in humans, with the majority of data coming from studies performed in North America on individuals suspected to have been exposed to PCBs. Terminology for reporting PCB half-lives was inconsistent, so we have attempted to consolidate this and recommend using either "apparent half-life" or "intrinsic half-life" in future studies. Within the literature, values for reported half-lives varied considerably for different PCBs. Less chlorinated PCBs generally have shorter half-lives than more chlorinated PCBs. It was interesting to note the large variability of half-lives reported for the same PCB. For example, the reported half-life for PCB 180 varied by nearly 3 orders of magnitude (0.34 years-300 years). Our review identified that the half-lives estimated were largely dependent on the studied cohort. We discuss the importance of PCB body burden, degree of chlorination and PCB structure, gender, age, breastfeeding, BMI, and smoking status on half-life estimations. We also identified significantly shorter half-lives for some PCBs in occupationally exposed individuals compared to results reported from the general population. PCB half-lives are not the same for every PCB or every individual. Therefore, careful consideration is needed when these values are used in human exposure studies.

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  • Enzyme-based biocatalytic systems offer a promising approach for breaking down persistent antibiotic compounds.

    “enzyme-based biocatalytic systems offer a promising approach for breaking down persistent antibiotic compounds [40,156].”

    From Harnessing bacterial consortia for effective bioremediation: targeted removal of heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and persistent pollutants (2025) · cites this paper as [156]

    The Introduction discusses cytochrome P450 biotransformation of PCBs in humans, and §3.3 discusses PCB elimination and half-lives. Neither addresses enzyme-based biocatalytic systems for breaking down antibiotics; searches for antibiotic biodegradation and biocatalysis found no relevant passage in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.76)

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Metadata

Authors
Idowu, I. G., Megson, D., Tiktak, G., Dereviankin, M., & Sandau, C. D.
Affiliations
  • Manchester Metropolitan University (GB)
  • Mount Royal University (CA)
Corresponding author
Sandau, Courtney D.
ORCID
Venue
Chemosphere
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2023-12
Volume
345
Pages
140359
ISSN
0045-6535 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140359
OpenAlex
W4387530098
Cited by
42
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 12
FWCI
1.07
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Chemosphere (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • e-space (Manchester Metropolitan University) (acceptedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Toxic Organic Pollutants Impact
  • Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Toxicology › Pesticide Exposure and Toxicity
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Effects and risks of endocrine disrupting chemicals
Keywords
polychlorinated biphenyls, human body burden, chlorination degree, PCB 180, occupational exposure, exposure assessment, smoking, body mass index, gender differences
MeSH terms
Body Burden, Breast Feeding, Environmental Pollutants, Female, Half-Life, Humans, North America, Polychlorinated Biphenyls

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