The olfactory system as a portal of entry for airborne polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to the brain?

Abstract

Ferrets, mammalian carnivores, kept in an indoor enclosure were continuously exposed to low concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the ambient air for 5 years. After that time PCB concentrations were quantified in the olfactory bulbs and in the remaining brain, adipose tissue and liver. The results revealed unexpectedly high PCB concentrations in the olfactory bulbs, surpassing those in the remaining brain and the peripheral tissues. The PCB congener pattern in the olfactory bulbs resembled that found in the ambient air and the less chlorinated volatile PCBs were found in higher concentrations. We, therefore, assume that airborne PCBs enter directly via the olfactory system and are transported through the axons to the olfactory bulbs where they accumulate.