TY - JOUR
T1 - Toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) for PCBs, PCDDs, PCDFs for humans and wildlife
AU - Van Den Berg, Martin
AU - Birnbaum, Linda
AU - Bosveld, Albertus T.C.
AU - Brunström, Björn
AU - Cook, Philip
AU - Feeley, Mark
AU - Giesy, John P.
AU - Hanberg, Annika
AU - Hasegawa, Ryuichi
AU - Kennedy, Sean W.
AU - Kubiak, Timothy
AU - Larsen, John Christian
AU - Van Leeuwen, F. X.Rolaf
AU - Liem, A. K.Djien
AU - Nolt, Cynthia
AU - Peterson, Richard E.
AU - Poellinger, Lorenz
AU - Safe, Stephen
AU - Schrenk, Dieter
AU - Tillitt, Donald
AU - Tysklind, Mats
AU - Younes, Maged
AU - Wærn, Fredrik
AU - Zacharewski, Tim
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 1998/12
Y1 - 1998/12
N2 - An expert meeting was organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and held in Stockholm on 15-18 June 1997. The objective of this meeting was to derive consensus toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxinlike polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) for both human, fish, and wildlife risk assessment. Based on existing literature data, TEFs were (re)evaluated and either revised (mammals) or established (fish and birds). A few mammalian WHO-TEFs were revised, including 1,2,3,7,8-pentachlorinated DD, octachlorinated DD, occachlorinated DF, and PCB 77. These mammalian TEFs are also considered applicable for humans and wild mammalian species. Furthermore, it was concluded that there was insufficient in vivo evidence to continue the use of TEFs for some di-ortho PCBs, as suggested earlier by Ahlborg et al. In addition, TEFs for fish and birds were determined. The WHO working group attempted to harmonize TEFs across different taxa to the extent possible. However, total synchronization of TEFs was not feasible, as there were orders of a magnitude difference in TEFs between taxa for some compounds. In this respect, the absent or very low response of fish to mono-ortho PCBs is most noticeable compared to mammals and birds. Uncertainties that could compromise the TEF concept were also reviewed, including nonadditive interactions, differences in shape of the dose-response curve, and species responsiveness. In spite of these uncertainties, it was concluded that the TEF concept is still the most plausible and feasible approach for risk assessment of halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons with dioxinlike properties.
AB - An expert meeting was organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and held in Stockholm on 15-18 June 1997. The objective of this meeting was to derive consensus toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxinlike polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) for both human, fish, and wildlife risk assessment. Based on existing literature data, TEFs were (re)evaluated and either revised (mammals) or established (fish and birds). A few mammalian WHO-TEFs were revised, including 1,2,3,7,8-pentachlorinated DD, octachlorinated DD, occachlorinated DF, and PCB 77. These mammalian TEFs are also considered applicable for humans and wild mammalian species. Furthermore, it was concluded that there was insufficient in vivo evidence to continue the use of TEFs for some di-ortho PCBs, as suggested earlier by Ahlborg et al. In addition, TEFs for fish and birds were determined. The WHO working group attempted to harmonize TEFs across different taxa to the extent possible. However, total synchronization of TEFs was not feasible, as there were orders of a magnitude difference in TEFs between taxa for some compounds. In this respect, the absent or very low response of fish to mono-ortho PCBs is most noticeable compared to mammals and birds. Uncertainties that could compromise the TEF concept were also reviewed, including nonadditive interactions, differences in shape of the dose-response curve, and species responsiveness. In spite of these uncertainties, it was concluded that the TEF concept is still the most plausible and feasible approach for risk assessment of halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons with dioxinlike properties.
KW - Dioxins
KW - Humans
KW - PCBs
KW - Polychlorinated biphenyls
KW - TEFs
KW - Toxic equivalency
KW - Uncertainties
KW - Wildlife
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0032449610&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1289/ehp.98106775
DO - 10.1289/ehp.98106775
M3 - Article
C2 - 9831538
AN - SCOPUS:0032449610
SN - 0091-6765
VL - 106
SP - 775
EP - 792
JO - Environmental health perspectives
JF - Environmental health perspectives
IS - 12
ER -