ToxStrategies scientists recently published a paper in Environment International regarding the estimation of toxic equivalency (TEQ) concentrations of dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) in the US population from 2001 to 2008, using NHANES data. The paper addresses the issue of the use of pooled samples in the two most recent NHANES biennials for which DLC data is available (2005-2006 and 2007-2008). In previous biennials, participants’ serum samples were analyzed individually. The use of pooled samples prevents reliable comparisons to individual data and complicates estimates of change over time. This paper provides a multiple imputation and trending approach for incorporating pooled data and comparing it with individually sampled biomonitoring data. Using that approach, the change in each DLC over time (2001-2008) was trended by demographic stratum. Overall, TEQ continues to drop in young adults aged 20–39, but distributions appear stable in older adults 60+. Mexican Americans consistently have the lowest dioxins, furans, and PCBs, with non-Hispanic Blacks dropping to the same levels as non-Hispanic Whites in dioxins and PCBs and significantly below non-Hispanic Whites in furans by 2007–2008.
For access to the full paper, please click here.