Human exposure to PCBs in the environment is widespread because of the environmental persistence of these compounds, their chemical stability and lipophilicity resulted in bioaccumulation in the food chain. The objective of this paper is to summarize and review the data concerning biomonitoring of human exposure to PCBs in the former Czechoslovakia, and – more recently – in the Czech and Slovak Republics published in the local and international journals. The levels of total PCBs detected in the breast milk ranged from 0.5 to 3.45 mg/kg fat. Of the set of detected indicator congeners the highest levels were found in congener 153 (475.3 mg/kg fat in Uherské Hradiště and 434.9 mg/kg fat in Michalovce). Similarly, the highest concentrations of indicator congeners 138, 153, and 180 were found in adipose tissue obtained from the above mentioned localities. The data obtained till now does not confirm ideas about wide spread excessive exposure of Czech and Slovak populations to polychlorinated biphenyls via contamination of a food basket except of the two localities contaminated due to production and massive application of PCBs. The uncertainty in contemporary background levels of PCBs and the unknown extent of the body burden resulted in including the systematic monitoring of PCBs in human fluids and tissues into the system of Monitoring the Environmental Impact on Population Health of the Czech Republic since 1994. In accordance with the results obtained in Western Europe, the declining level of PCBs in human body of Czech and Slovak populations was observed in the last years. However, the question, if and to what extent the present health state of Czech and Slovak populations might be influenced by the past exposure to PCBs remains to be assessed.

        Key words: polyhalogenated hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, biological monitoring, Czech and Slovak Republics