Concentrations of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Women’s Serum in the European Arctic Russia

• Main Authors: Yulia Varakina, Dmitry Lahmanov, Andrey Aksenov, Anna Trofimova, Rimma Korobitsyna, Natalia Belova, Nikita Sobolev, Dmitry Kotsur, Tatiana Sorokina, Andrej M. Grjibovski, Valery Chashchin, Yngvar Thomassen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-01-01
• Series: Toxics
• Subjects: indigenous peoples; Russian Arctic; biomonitoring; persistent organic pollutants (POPs); PCB congeners; DDT
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/9/1/6

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are heterogeneous carbon-based compounds that can seriously affect human health. The aim of this study was to measure serum concentrations of POPs in women residing in the Euro-Arctic Region of Russia. A total of 204 women from seven rural settlements of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO) took part in the study. We measured serum concentrations of 11 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 17 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) across the study sites and among Nenets and non-Nenets residents. Measurement of POPs was performed using an Agilent 7890A gas chromatograph equipped with an Agilent 7000 series MS/MS triple quadrupole system. The concentrations of all POPs were low and similar to findings from other Arctic countries. However, significant geographic differences between the settlements were observed with exceptionally high concentrations of PCBs in Varnek located on Vaygach Island. Both ΣDDT (<i>p</i> = 0.011) and ΣPCB (<i>p</i> = 0.038) concentrations were significantly lower in Nenets. Our main findings suggest that the serum concentrations of the legacy POPs in women in the Euro-Arctic Region of Russia are low and similar to those in other Arctic countries. Significant variations between settlements, and between Nenets and non-Nenets residents, were found. Arctic biomonitoring research in Russia should include studies on the associations between nutrition and concentrations of POPs.