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Hammel SC, Frederiksen M. Quantifying 209 Polychlorinated Biphenyl Congeners in Silicone Wristbands to Evaluate Differences in Exposure among Demolition Workers. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:6499-6508. [PMID: 38572580 PMCID: PMC11025118 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c10304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
A social housing estate in Denmark was designated for demolition due to exceedance of guidance values for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in indoor air. Here, we deployed precleaned silicone wristbands (n = 46) among demolition workers of these contaminated buildings during single workdays while conducting various work tasks. We established a method to analyze all 209 PCBs in wristbands to identify prominent congeners of exposure and evaluate differences between tasks. Wristbands were extracted using microwave-assisted extraction and then concentrated for gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) analysis. Twenty-nine chromatographic peaks representing 37 congeners were detected in every wristband, and tetra-CBs were the dominant homologue group. PCB-66, -44, and -70 were the most abundant congeners measured in worker wristbands, none of which are included within the typical seven indicator or WHO 12 PCBs. Workers who cut PCB-containing sealants had wristbands with the highest PCB concentrations (geometric mean ∑209PCBs = 1963 ng/g wristband), which were followed by those handling concrete elements on the building roof. Additionally, wristbands captured a broader range of PCBs than has been previously measured in air and serum samples. Taken together, our results highlight the importance of total congener analysis in assessing current PCB exposure in demolition work and the utility of wristbands for assessing these exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie C. Hammel
- National Research Centre
for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Marie Frederiksen
- National Research Centre
for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
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2
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Deen L, Clark A, Hougaard KS, Petersen KU, Frederiksen M, Wise LA, Wesselink AK, Meyer HW, Bonde JP, Tøttenborg SS. Exposure to airborne polychlorinated biphenyls and type 2 diabetes in a Danish cohort. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 237:117000. [PMID: 37634693 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous research indicates an association between higher-chlorinated polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, less is known about the extent to which PCB exposure in indoor air, composed primarily of lower-chlorinated PCBs, affects T2D risk. We assessed the association between indoor air exposure to PCBs in residential buildings and T2D incidence. METHODS The register-based 'Health Effects of PCBs in Indoor Air' (HESPAIR) cohort comprises 51,921 Danish residents of two residential areas with apartments built with and without PCB-containing materials (reference apartments). We assessed exposure status by combining register-based information on relocation history with extrapolated values of exposure based on PCB-measurements in indoor air from subsets of the apartments. T2D cases were identified in the Danish registers during 1977-2018. We estimated adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using Cox regression analyses with time-varying exposure. RESULTS We identified 2737 incident T2D cases during the follow-up. Exposure to ≥3300 ng/m3 PCB × year (3rd tertile of PCByear) was associated with higher risk of T2D (HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.02-1.30) compared with exposure to <300 ng/m3 PCB × year (reference). However, among individuals with lower cumulated PCByear, the risk was similar to residents with exposure <300 ng/m3 PCB × year (300-899 ng/m3 PCB × year: HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.87-1.11; 900-3299 ng/m3 PCB × year: HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.83-1.10). DISCUSSION We observed a marginally higher risk of T2D, but there was no evidence of an exposure-response relationship. The results should be interpreted with caution until confirmed in other independent studies of PCB exposure in indoor air.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Deen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Denmark; Department of Public Health, The Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | | | - Karin Sørig Hougaard
- Department of Public Health, The Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Denmark
| | - Kajsa Ugelvig Petersen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Denmark
| | | | - Lauren A Wise
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Boston University, United States
| | - Amelia K Wesselink
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Boston University, United States
| | - Harald William Meyer
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Denmark
| | - Jens Peter Bonde
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Denmark; Department of Public Health, The Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sandra Søgaard Tøttenborg
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Denmark; Department of Public Health, The Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
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3
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Bannavti M, Marek RF, Just CL, Hornbuckle KC. Congener-Specific Emissions from Floors and Walls Characterize Indoor Airborne Polychlorinated Biphenyls. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS 2023; 10:762-767. [PMID: 37719204 PMCID: PMC10501191 DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
To reconcile the federal regulation of material polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations with recently implemented state regulations of airborne PCBs, there is a need to characterize the relationship between PCB emissions from surfaces and air concentrations. We hypothesized that the magnitude and congener distribution of emissions from floors and walls fully account for the airborne PCBs measured in rooms constructed during the height of PCB production and sales. We measured emissions of PCB congeners from various wall and floor materials using polyurethane foam passive emission samplers before and after hexane wiping. Our results revealed that PCB emissions from flooring adequately predicted the magnitude and congener distribution of PCBs observed in the room air. Emissions varied by material within a single building (5 × 103 ng m-2 day-1 from wood panel walls to 3 × 104 ng m-2 day-1 from vinyl tile) and within the same room. Yet congener distributions between material emission PCB profiles and room air PCB profiles were statistically similar. Hexane wiping significantly reduced PCB emissions (>60%), indicating the importance of surface films as an ongoing source of airborne PCBs. The magnitude and congener distribution of material bulk concentrations did not explain that of material emissions or air concentrations. Passive measurements of polychlorinated biphenyl emissions from floors in a university building predict the concentrations of PCBs in room air.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moala
K. Bannavti
- Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering, IIHR−Hydroscience & Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States
| | - Rachel F. Marek
- Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering, IIHR−Hydroscience & Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States
| | - Craig L. Just
- Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering, IIHR−Hydroscience & Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States
| | - Keri C. Hornbuckle
- Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering, IIHR−Hydroscience & Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States
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4
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Deen L, Clark A, Hougaard KS, Meyer HW, Frederiksen M, Pedersen EB, Petersen KU, Flachs EM, Bonde JPE, Tøttenborg SS. Risk of cardiovascular diseases following residential exposure to airborne polychlorinated biphenyls: A register-based cohort study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 222:115354. [PMID: 36709868 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Indoor air in buildings constructed with materials containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may be contaminated with especially lower-chlorinated PCBs. So far, the cardiovascular consequences of living with such contamination are unknown. OBJECTIVES To determine the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) following residential exposure to predominantly lower-chlorinated PCBs in indoor air. METHODS The Health Effects of PCBs in Indoor Air (HESPAIR) cohort is register-based with 51 921 residents of two residential areas near Copenhagen: Farum Midtpunkt and Brøndby Strand Parkerne. Here, indoor air was contaminated with PCB in one third of the apartments due to construction with materials containing PCB. Individual PCB exposure was estimated based on register-based information on relocation dates and indoor air PCB measurements in subsets of the apartments. Information on CVD was retrieved from the Danish National Patient Register for the follow-up period of 1977-2018. We estimated adjusted hazard ratios using Cox regression with time-varying exposure. RESULTS Cumulative residential exposure to airborne PCB was not associated with a higher overall risk for CVD (HR for highly exposed (≥3300 ng/m3 PCB × year): 1.02, 95% CI 0.94-1.10). This was also the case for most of the specific cardiovascular diseases, apart from acute myocardial infarction where a higher risk was observed for residents exposed to ≥3300 ng/m3 PCB × year compared to the reference group (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.00-1.35). However, no exposure-response relationship was apparent and additional adjustment for education attenuated the risk estimate. DISCUSSION In this, to our knowledge, first study ever to examine the risk of CVD following residential exposure to PCBs in indoor air, we observed limited support for cardiovascular effects of living in PCB-contaminated indoor air. Considering the prevalence of exposure to airborne PCBs and lack of literature on their potential health effects, these findings need to be corroborated in other studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Deen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Denmark; Department of Public Health, The Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Alice Clark
- Real World Science, Novo Nordisk, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Karin Sørig Hougaard
- Department of Public Health, The Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Harald William Meyer
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Denmark
| | - Marie Frederiksen
- National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ellen Bøtker Pedersen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Denmark
| | - Kajsa Ugelvig Petersen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Denmark
| | - Esben Meulengracht Flachs
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Denmark
| | - Jens Peter Ellekilde Bonde
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Denmark; Department of Public Health, The Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sandra Søgaard Tøttenborg
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Denmark; Department of Public Health, The Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
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Hammel SC, Andersen HV, Knudsen LE, Frederiksen M. Inhalation and dermal absorption as dominant pathways of PCB exposure for residents of contaminated apartment buildings. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2023; 247:114056. [PMID: 36395656 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2022.114056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Applications of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in buildings and their persistence in indoor environments have led to cases of current and highly elevated exposure in humans, despite the global cease of production decades ago. Personal exposure to PCBs was assessed among residents in a social housing estate in Denmark containing both contaminated (n = 67) and non-contaminated (n = 23) apartments. Samples and estimated daily intakes (EDIs) were assessed for 15 PCB congeners, and body burden, which was limited by the dietary data availability, was compared across 7 indicator PCBs, with its sum (PCBsum7) often applied in European regulation of PCBs. Median PCBsum7 EDI across measured pathways for exposed residents was 101 ng· (kg bodyweight)-1· day-1, with the majority of exposure (60%) coming from inhalation of contaminated indoor air. Calculated from both PCBs measured in indoor air and on hand wipes, dermal absorption estimates showed comparable results and served as a secondary exposure pathway, accounting for 35% of personal exposure and considering selected assumptions and sources of physical-chemical parameters. Estimates revealed that diet was the primary PCB source among the reference group, accounting for over 75% of the PCBsum7 EDI across exposure routes. When evaluating overall EDIs across the two study groups and including dietary estimates, PCB exposure among exposed residents was around 10 times higher than the reference group. Solely within the exposed population, pathway-specific body burdens were calculated to account for exposure across years of residence in contaminated apartments, where lower chlorinated PCBs were dominant in indoor air. Among these dominant congeners, estimated body burdens of PCB-28 and -52 were significantly correlated with measured serum (rs = 0.49, 0.45; p < 0.001). This study demonstrates that inhalation and dermal absorption serve as dominant exposure pathways for residents of apartments contaminated with predominantly lower chlorinated PCBs and suggest that predictions of body burden from indoor environment measurements may be comparable to measured serum PCBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie C Hammel
- National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
| | - Helle Vibeke Andersen
- Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University, A.C. Meyers Vænge 15, 2400, Copenhagen SV, Denmark
| | - Lisbeth E Knudsen
- Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, 1014, Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Marie Frederiksen
- National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
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Othman N, Ismail Z, Selamat MI, Sheikh Abdul Kadir SH, Shibraumalisi NA. A Review of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Pollution in the Air: Where and How Much Are We Exposed to? INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph192113923. [PMID: 36360801 PMCID: PMC9657815 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192113923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were widely used in industrial and commercial applications, until they were banned in the late 1970s as a result of their significant environmental pollution. PCBs in the environment gained scientific interest because of their persistence and the potential threats they pose to humans. Traditionally, human exposure to PCBs was linked to dietary ingestion. Inhalational exposure to these contaminants is often overlooked. This review discusses the occurrence and distribution of PCBs in environmental matrices and their associated health impacts. Severe PCB contamination levels have been reported in e-waste recycling areas. The occurrence of high PCB levels, notably in urban and industrial areas, might result from extensive PCB use and intensive human activity. Furthermore, PCB contamination in the indoor environment is ten-fold higher than outdoors, which may present expose risk for humans through the inhalation of contaminated air or through the ingestion of dust. In such settings, the inhalation route may contribute significantly to PCB exposure. The data on human health effects due to PCB inhalation are scarce. More epidemiological studies should be performed to investigate the inhalation dose and response mechanism and to evaluate the health risks. Further studies should also evaluate the health impact of prolonged low-concentration PCB exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naffisah Othman
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, Sungai Buloh 47000, Malaysia
| | - Zaliha Ismail
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, Sungai Buloh 47000, Malaysia
| | - Mohamad Ikhsan Selamat
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, Sungai Buloh 47000, Malaysia
| | - Siti Hamimah Sheikh Abdul Kadir
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, Sungai Buloh 47000, Malaysia
| | - Nur Amirah Shibraumalisi
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA Sungai Buloh Campus, Jalan Hospital, Sungai Buloh 47000, Malaysia
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7
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Deen L, Hougaard KS, Clark A, Meyer HW, Frederiksen M, Gunnarsen L, Andersen HV, Hougaard T, Petersen KKU, Ebbehøj NE, Bonde JP, Tøttenborg SS. Cancer Risk following Residential Exposure to Airborne Polychlorinated Biphenyls: A Danish Register-Based Cohort Study. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2022; 130:107003. [PMID: 36306207 PMCID: PMC9616107 DOI: 10.1289/ehp10605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are biopersistent chemicals classified as human carcinogens. This classification is primarily based on evidence on higher-chlorinated PCBs found in food. The carcinogenic potential of airborne lower-chlorinated PCBs remains largely unexplored. OBJECTIVES We aimed to investigate cancer risk following residential exposure to airborne PCBs. METHODS Cancer risk was examined in the Health Effects of PCBs in Indoor Air (HESPAIR) cohort of 38,613 residents of two partly PCB-contaminated residential areas in Greater Copenhagen, identified by nationwide registries. PCB exposure was based on relocation dates and indoor air PCB measurements in subsets of apartments. Cancer diagnoses were extracted from the Danish Cancer Registry for the follow-up period of 1970-2018. We estimated adjusted hazard ratios with time-varying cumulative exposure and a 10-y lag using Cox regression. RESULTS Overall risk of cancer was not associated with PCByear, [hazard ratio (HR) for high-exposed vs. low-exposed =0.98; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.88, 1.09], but residents exposed to ≥3,000 ng/m3 PCB×year had higher risk of liver cancer (HR =2.81; 95% CI: 1.28, 6.15) and meningiomas (HR =3.49; 95% CI: 1.84, 6.64), with indications of exposure-response relationships. Results were suggestive of a higher risk of pancreatic cancer (HR =1.59; 95% CI: 0.95, 2.64) at the highest aggregated PCB level. For testis cancer, a higher risk was observed among residents exposed to 300-949 ng/m3 PCB×year relative to residents exposed to <300 ng/m3 PCB×year (HR =2.97; 95% CI: 1.41, 6.28), but the risk was not higher for residents exposed to ≥950 ng/m3 PCB×year. Apart from this, the risk of specific cancers was similar across exposure groups. DISCUSSION In this, to our knowledge, first population-based cohort study of residential exposure to airborne PCBs, we found no association between exposure to PCBs in indoor air in private homes and the risk for most of the specific cancers. Higher risk of liver cancer and meningiomas were observed. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP10605.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Deen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital – Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Karin Sørig Hougaard
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alice Clark
- Department of Epidemiology, Novo Nordisk, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Harald William Meyer
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital – Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marie Frederiksen
- National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lars Gunnarsen
- Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Helle Vibeke Andersen
- Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Kajsa Kirstine Ugelvig Petersen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital – Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Niels Erik Ebbehøj
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital – Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Peter Bonde
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital – Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sandra Søgaard Tøttenborg
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital – Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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8
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Paloluoğlu C, Bayraktar H. Determination of the gas/particle phase concentrations of PCBs in urban and rural atmosphere in Erzurum, Turkey. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2022; 194:779. [PMID: 36097084 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-10443-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Active sampling was conducted for the first time in Erzurum, Turkey, between August 2012 and January 2013, in order to investigate the presence of 82 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) congeners. Urban and rural ambient air samples, including gas and particle phase atmospheric concentrations (GAPPACs) of PCBs, were collected simultaneously using high volume air sampler (HVAS) at two different sampling points of Erzurum. GAPPACs of PCB samples taken using HVAS in Palandöken Mountain Region (2565 m) and Ataturk University Campus (1870 m) were analyzed in GC-MS following appropriate extraction steps. Throughout the sampling period, total ambient air concentrations (gas phase + particulate phase) were 10 ± 6 and 27 ± 13 pg/m3 (mean) for Palandöken Mountain Region (PMR) and Atatürk University Campus (AUC), respectively. Low molecular weighted PCBs were found to be dominant in both rural an urban sampling sites. Meteorological parameters especially temperature (from Clausius-Clapeyron equation), wind direction, wind velocity, and precipitation were found to be effective on PCB concentration and distribution. The gas-particle distributions of PCBs in the summer and winter period were found to be 82% (gas phase) and 18% (particle phase) in the PMR and 90% (gas phase) and 10% (particle phase) in AUC, through Junge-Pankow adsorption model. In the light of these findings, total PCB concentrations detected in urban atmosphere (due to possible PCB sources) were observed to be higher than those determined in rural area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cihan Paloluoğlu
- Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental, Faculty of Art and Design, Bayburt University, 69000, Bayburt, Turkey
| | - Hanefi Bayraktar
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Erzurum Atatürk University, 25240, Erzurum, Turkey.
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9
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Frederiksen M, Andersen HV, Ovesen SL, Vorkamp K, Hammel SC, Knudsen LE. Silicone wristbands as personal passive samplers of exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls in contaminated buildings. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 167:107397. [PMID: 35933843 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were used in a number of industrial products from 1950 to 80s, including building materials. As a result, some buildings exhibit high levels of PCBs in the indoor environment. The aim of this study was to test silicone wristbands as a method for estimating personal exposure to PCBs in buildings both in controlled experiments and field settings. In the controlled study, the sampling kinetics of silicone wristbands were investigated in a 31-day uptake study. The field study focused on the application of wristbands as a personal exposure measure. It included 71 persons in a contaminated housing estate and 23 persons in a reference group. The linear uptake of PCBs ranged from 2 to 24 days for PCB-8, 18, 28, 31, 40, 44, 49, 52, 66, 99, and 101 under controlled conditions. A generic sampling rate (Rk) of 2.3 m3 d-1 corresponding to a mass transfer coefficient of 17 m h-1 was found in the controlled kinetic study. Partitioning coefficients were also determined for the nine congeners. In the field study, an apparent generic field sampling rate (Rf) of 2.6 m3 d-1 was found; when adjusted to reported hours exposed, it increased to 3.5 m3 d-1. The wristbands were shown to be a good tool for predicting airborne exposure, as there was a highly significant difference between the exposed and reference group as well as a clear trend when used for ranking of exposure. In correlation analyses, highly significant correlations were observed between air and wristband levels, though adjusting by self-reported exposure time only increased the correlation marginally in the field study. The obtained kinetic data can be used for estimating the magnitude of external exposure. The advantages provided by the wristbands in the form of easy use and handling are significant, though the limitations should also be acknowledged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Frederiksen
- National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkalle 105, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
| | - Helle Vibeke Andersen
- Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University, A.C. Meyers Vænge 15, 2400 Copenhagen SV, Denmark
| | - Sofie Lillelund Ovesen
- National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkalle 105, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Katrin Vorkamp
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Stephanie C Hammel
- National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkalle 105, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Lisbeth E Knudsen
- Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, 1014 Copenhagen K, Denmark
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10
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Unconventional and user-friendly sampling techniques of semi-volatile organic compounds present in an indoor environment: An approach to human exposure assessment. Trends Analyt Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2022.116669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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11
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12
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Kolarik B, Morrison GC. Accumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls in fabrics in a contaminated building, and the effect of laundering. INDOOR AIR 2022; 32:e12944. [PMID: 34661313 DOI: 10.1111/ina.12944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This research investigates sorption of PCBs to fabrics in a contaminated indoor environment and the effect of laundering on PCB removal from the fabrics. Eight articles of clothing were exposed to the air in a PCB-contaminated building. The background air concentration was 670 ng/m3 PCBtotal with PCB-52 being the main congener. Air and fabric samples were collected for analysis before and periodically throughout the experiment. After 25 weeks, the remaining fabrics were washed and cut into three pieces each. One part was dried in the contaminated building, second in a PCB-free building and third in a mechanical drier. The PCB mass concentration increased during the first 6-10 weeks for all investigated fabrics, after which some fabrics approached equilibrium for more volatile congeners. Mass-normalized cloth-air partition coefficients were quantified for 9 congeners; for PCB-52, these ranged from 106.1 to 107.0 which were consistent with previously reported values. Partition coefficients of PCBs were observed to increase with their respective octanol-air partition coefficients. Washing and drying clothes resulted in the removal between 22% and 84% of PCBs. There was no difference in removal percentage after air-drying in clean or contaminated air. Drying in a mechanical drier removed significantly more PCBs than air-drying.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Kolarik
- Danish Environmental Analysis Inc. (Dansk Miljøanalyse Aps), Vedbaek, Denmark
| | - Glenn C Morrison
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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13
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Young AS, Herkert N, Stapleton HM, Cedeño Laurent JG, Jones ER, MacNaughton P, Coull BA, James-Todd T, Hauser R, Luna ML, Chung YS, Allen JG. Chemical contaminant exposures assessed using silicone wristbands among occupants in office buildings in the USA, UK, China, and India. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 156:106727. [PMID: 34425641 PMCID: PMC8409466 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Little is known about chemical contaminant exposures of office workers in buildings globally. Complex mixtures of harmful chemicals accumulate indoors from building materials, building maintenance, personal products, and outdoor pollution. We evaluated exposures to 99 chemicals in urban office buildings in the USA, UK, China, and India using silicone wristbands worn by 251 participants while they were at work. Here, we report concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and other brominated flame retardants (BFRs), organophosphate esters (OPEs), phthalates and phthalate alternatives, pesticides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). First, we found major differences in office worker chemical exposures by country, some of which can be explained by regulations and use patterns. For example, exposures to several pesticides were substantially higher in India where there were fewer restrictions and unique malaria challenges, and exposures to flame retardants tended to be higher in the USA and UK where there were historic, stringent furniture flammability standards. Higher exposures to PAHs in China and India could be due to high levels of outdoor air pollution that penetrates indoors. Second, some office workers were still exposed to legacy PCBs, PBDEs, and pesticides, even decades after bans or phase-outs. Third, we identified exposure to a contemporary PCB that is not covered under legacy PCB bans due to its presence as an unintentional byproduct in materials. Fourth, exposures to novel BFRs, OPEs, and other chemicals commonly used as substitutes to previously phased-out chemicals were ubiquitous. Fifth, some exposures were influenced by individual factors, not just countries and buildings. Phthalate exposures, for example, were related to personal care product use, country restrictions, and building materials. Overall, we found substantial country differences in chemical exposures and continued exposures to legacy phased-out chemicals and their substitutes in buildings. These findings warrant further research on the role of chemicals in office buildings on worker health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna S Young
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | | | | | | | - Emily R Jones
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Brent A Coull
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Russ Hauser
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marianne Lahaie Luna
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; University of Toronto Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Toronto, Canada
| | - Yu Shan Chung
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph G Allen
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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14
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Kofoed AB, Deen L, Hougaard KS, Petersen KU, Meyer HW, Pedersen EB, Ebbehøj NE, Heitmann BL, Bonde JP, Tøttenborg SS. Maternal exposure to airborne polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and risk of adverse birth outcomes. Eur J Epidemiol 2021; 36:861-872. [PMID: 34420151 PMCID: PMC8416822 DOI: 10.1007/s10654-021-00793-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Human health effects of airborne lower-chlorinated polychlorinated biphenyls (LC-PCBs) are largely unexplored. Since PCBs may cross the placenta, maternal exposure could potentially have negative consequences for fetal development. We aimed to determine if exposure to airborne PCB during pregnancy was associated with adverse birth outcomes. In this cohort study, exposed women had lived in PCB contaminated apartments at least one year during the 3.6 years before conception or the entire first trimester of pregnancy. The women and their children were followed for birth outcomes in Danish health registers. Logistic regression was performed to estimate odds ratios (OR) for changes in secondary sex ratio, preterm birth, major congenital malformations, cryptorchidism, and being born small for gestational age. We performed linear regression to estimate difference in birth weight among children of exposed and unexposed mothers. All models were adjusted for maternal age, educational level, ethnicity, and calendar time. We identified 885 exposed pregnancies and 3327 unexposed pregnancies. Relative to unexposed women, exposed women had OR 0.97 (95% CI 0.82, 1.15) for secondary sex ratio, OR 1.13 (95% CI 0.76, 1.67) for preterm birth, OR 1.28 (95% CI 0.81, 2.01) for having a child with major malformations, OR 1.73 (95% CI 1.01, 2.95) for cryptorchidism and OR 1.23 (95% CI 0.88, 1.72) for giving birth to a child born small for gestational age. The difference in birth weight for children of exposed compared to unexposed women was − 32 g (95% CI—79, 14). We observed an increased risk of cryptorchidism among boys after maternal airborne LC-PCB exposure, but due to the proxy measure of exposure, inability to perform dose–response analyses, and the lack of comparable literature, larger cohort studies with direct measures of exposure are needed to investigate the safety of airborne LC-PCB exposure during pregnancy
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Affiliation(s)
- Ane Bungum Kofoed
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, Building 20F, 2400, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Laura Deen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, Building 20F, 2400, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Karin Sørig Hougaard
- National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kajsa Ugelvig Petersen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, Building 20F, 2400, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Harald William Meyer
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, Building 20F, 2400, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ellen Bøtker Pedersen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, Building 20F, 2400, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Niels Erik Ebbehøj
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, Building 20F, 2400, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Berit Lilienthal Heitmann
- Research Unit for Dietary Studies, The Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Section for General Practice, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Peter Bonde
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, Building 20F, 2400, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sandra Søgaard Tøttenborg
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, Building 20F, 2400, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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15
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Yue X, Ma NL, Sonne C, Guan R, Lam SS, Van Le Q, Chen X, Yang Y, Gu H, Rinklebe J, Peng W. Mitigation of indoor air pollution: A review of recent advances in adsorption materials and catalytic oxidation. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 405:124138. [PMID: 33092884 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Indoor air pollution with toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a threat to human health, causing cancer, leukemia, fetal malformation, and abortion. Therefore, the development of technologies to mitigate indoor air pollution is important to avoid adverse effects. Adsorption and photocatalytic oxidation are the current approaches for the removal of VOCs and PM2.5 with high efficiency. In this review we focus on the recent development of indoor air pollution mitigation materials based on adsorption and photocatalytic decomposition. First, we review on the primary indoor air pollutants including formaldehyde, benzene compounds, PM2.5, flame retardants, and plasticizer: Next, the recent advances in the use of adsorption materials including traditional biochar and MOF (metal-organic frameworks) as the new emerging porous materials for VOCs absorption is reviewed. We review the mechanism for mitigation of VOCs using biochar (noncarbonized organic matter partition and adsorption) and MOF together with parameters that affect indoor air pollution removal efficiency based on current mitigation approaches including the mitigation of VOCs using photocatalytic oxidation. Finally, we bring forward perspectives and directions for the development of indoor air mitigation technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochen Yue
- Henan Province Engineering Research Center for Biomass Value-added Products, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Nyuk Ling Ma
- Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Fac Sci & Marine Environm, Terengganu 21030, Malaysia
| | - Christian Sonne
- Henan Province Engineering Research Center for Biomass Value-added Products, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China; Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Ruirui Guan
- Henan Province Engineering Research Center for Biomass Value-added Products, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Su Shiung Lam
- Pyrolysis Technology Research Group, Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (AKUATROP), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Quyet Van Le
- Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam
| | - Xiangmeng Chen
- School of Chemical Engineering and Energy, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Yafeng Yang
- Henan Province Engineering Research Center for Biomass Value-added Products, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Haiping Gu
- Henan Province Engineering Research Center for Biomass Value-added Products, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Jörg Rinklebe
- University of Wuppertal, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water, and Waste-Management, Soil, and Groundwater-Management, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285 Wuppertal, Germany; Department of Environment, Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea
| | - Wanxi Peng
- Henan Province Engineering Research Center for Biomass Value-added Products, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
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16
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Andersen HV, Frederiksen M. Sorption of PCB from air to settled house dust in a contaminated indoor environment. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 266:129139. [PMID: 33310521 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Investigation of human exposure pathways to PCB in a high-rise estate in Denmark motivated an experiment with sorption of PCB from air to settled house dust. Three sieved house dust samples (<75 μm) of different origin were exposed to elevated air concentrations of PCB in a vacated apartment from seven to 40 days. Within the 40 days, most of the dust samples were close to equilibrium for the congeners PCB-8 to -101 and dust-air partition coefficients were determined. The dust samples of different origin showed comparable partitioning, though small differences were seen. The determined partition coefficients were in agreement with values found in literature. Further, the partition coefficients were compared to three sets of predicted estimates based on absorption of PCB into the organic matter of the dust and octanol-air partition coefficients derived from different sources. Comparing measured and predicted values (log-log), two sets of predicted values showed strong correlation, though overestimated 20-40%, while one set showed similar absolute levels, but with a few deviating congeners. Dust-air ratios were calculated for samples taken from a field investigation in homes with elevated air concentrations of PCB in the high-rises. The partitioning in the field samples were in agreement with the results from the exposure experiment and indicate near steady state conditions for the congeners in the dust from the homes. Dust exposed directly on the floorboards showed lower concentrations than samples placed on foil, indicating an ongoing sorption to the varnish being a tertiary source contaminated by the air.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helle Vibeke Andersen
- Department of the Built Environment, Aalborg University, A. C. Meyers Vænge 15, København SV, DK-2450, Denmark.
| | - Marie Frederiksen
- National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkalle 105, København Ø, DK-2100, Denmark
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17
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Andersen HV, Gunnarsen L, Knudsen LE, Frederiksen M. PCB in air, dust and surface wipes in 73 Danish homes. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2020; 229:113429. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2019.113429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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18
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Frederiksen M, Andersen HV, Haug LS, Thomsen C, Broadwell SL, Egsmose EL, Kolarik B, Gunnarsen L, Knudsen LE. PCB in serum and hand wipes from exposed residents living in contaminated high-rise apartment buildings and a reference group. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2020; 224:113430. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2019.113430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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19
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Chandra Yadav I, Devi NL, Li J, Zhang G. Examining the role of total organic carbon and black carbon in the fate of legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in indoor dust from Nepal: Implication on human health. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2019; 175:225-235. [PMID: 30903878 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.03.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Despite the fact that the consumption and import of legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have been stopped in Nepal since 2001, they are still of worry for human prosperity and the environment because of their persistence behavior and constant release from sources that are presently being used. The essential objective of this study was to assess the concentration and spatial distribution of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in residential dust from Nepal keeping in mind the end goal to evaluate the importance of total organic carbon (TOC) and black carbon (BC) in the fate of legacy POPs. Additionally, health risk exposure via dust ingestion and dermal absorption was estimated to evaluate the significance of dust media for human exposure. Results demonstrated that ∑OCPs in dust was 37 times greater than ∑PCBs. DDT was mostly dominated in the dust, and contributed 90% of the ∑OCPs, while hexa-CBs predominated among PCBs and represented 34% of ∑PCBs. Birgunj and Biratnagar had a relatively higher level of ∑OCPs and ∑PCBs than those of Kathmandu and Pokhara. TOC and BC showed a poor connection with OCPs, recommending little or no role. However, PCB in the dust, especially low congeners was strongly linked with TOC but not BC indicating the significant role of TOC. The daily risk exposure estimation indicated dermal absorption through dust as the principal means of OCPs/PCBs intake to both adult and children population. These estimated exposures were 2-4 orders of magnitude inferior to their corresponding reference dose showing insignificant risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishwar Chandra Yadav
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, PR China; Department of International Environmental and Agricultural Science (IEAS), Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT) 3-5-8, Saiwai-Cho, Fuchu-Shi, Tokyo, 1838509, Japan.
| | - Ningombam Linthoingambi Devi
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Central University of South Bihar, SH-7, Gaya-Panchanpur, Post-Fatehpur, P.S-Tekari, District-Gaya, 824236, Bihar, India
| | - Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, PR China
| | - Gan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, PR China
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20
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Demirtepe H, Melymuk L, Diamond ML, Bajard L, Vojta Š, Prokeš R, Sáňka O, Klánová J, Palkovičová Murínová Ľ, Richterová D, Rašplová V, Trnovec T. Linking past uses of legacy SVOCs with today's indoor levels and human exposure. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2019; 127:653-663. [PMID: 30991221 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) emitted from consumer products, building materials, and indoor and outdoor activities can be highly persistent in indoor environments. Human exposure to and environmental contamination with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was previously reported in a region near a former PCB production facility in Slovakia. However, we found that the indoor residential PCB levels did not correlate with the distance from the facility. Rather, indoor levels in this region and those reported in the literature were related to the historic PCB use on a national scale and the inferred presence of primary sources of PCBs in the homes. Other SVOCs had levels linked with either the activities in the home, e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with wood heating; or outdoor activities, e.g., organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) with agricultural land use and building age. We propose a classification framework to prioritize SVOCs for monitoring in indoor environments and to evaluate risks from indoor SVOC exposures. Application of this framework to 88 measured SVOCs identified several PCB congeners (CB-11, -28, -52), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), benzo(a)pyrene, and γ-HCH as priority compounds based on high exposure and toxicity assessed by means of toxicity reference values (TRVs). Application of the framework to many emerging compounds such as novel flame retardants was not possible because of either no or outdated TRVs. Concurrent identification of seven SVOC groups in indoor environments provided information on their comparative levels and distributions, their sources, and informed our assessment of associated risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hale Demirtepe
- RECETOX, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, pavilion A29, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lisa Melymuk
- RECETOX, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, pavilion A29, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Miriam L Diamond
- Department of Earth Sciences, and Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lola Bajard
- RECETOX, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, pavilion A29, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Šimon Vojta
- RECETOX, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, pavilion A29, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Prokeš
- RECETOX, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, pavilion A29, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Sáňka
- RECETOX, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, pavilion A29, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Klánová
- RECETOX, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, pavilion A29, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ľubica Palkovičová Murínová
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, Slovak Medical University, Limbová 12, 83303 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Denisa Richterová
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, Slovak Medical University, Limbová 12, 83303 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Vladimíra Rašplová
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, Slovak Medical University, Limbová 12, 83303 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Tomáš Trnovec
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, Slovak Medical University, Limbová 12, 83303 Bratislava, Slovakia
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21
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Zhao X, Qiu Y, Jiang L, Li Y. Analysis of Affinity Energy Between Biphenyl Dioxygenase and Polychlorinated Biphenyls Using Molecular Docking. Chem Res Chin Univ 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40242-019-8340-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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22
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Audy O, Melymuk L, Venier M, Vojta S, Becanova J, Romanak K, Vykoukalova M, Prokes R, Kukucka P, Diamond ML, Klanova J. PCBs and organochlorine pesticides in indoor environments - A comparison of indoor contamination in Canada and Czech Republic. CHEMOSPHERE 2018; 206:622-631. [PMID: 29778940 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2018] [Revised: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are restricted compounds that are ubiquitously detected in the environment, including indoor matrices such as air and residential dust. We report concentrations of PCBs and selected OCPs in indoor air and dust from homes in Canada (23 homes) and Czech Republic (20 homes). Indoor air concentrations of PCBs and OCPs were ∼10 times higher than that outdoors. PCB concentrations of ∼450 ng/m3 were similar in both countries, higher in homes built before the restrictions on PCBs, and had congener profiles consistent with PCB mixtures manufactured or used in each country. All OCP air concentrations were higher in the Czech Republic than in the Canadian samples, suggesting greater indoor use of, for example, DDT and HCH. These data emphasize the persistence of these organochlorine compounds indoors and their presence in homes even decades after new usage was prohibited. Indoor levels of these legacy POPs remain at similar concentrations to compounds of current concern, such as brominated flame retardants and perfluorinated alkyl substances, emphasizing that they deserve ongoing attention in view of knowledge of PCB and OCP toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondrej Audy
- RECETOX, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Pavilion A29, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lisa Melymuk
- RECETOX, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Pavilion A29, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Marta Venier
- School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, 702 Walnut Grove Avenue, Bloomington, IN, 47405, United States
| | - Simon Vojta
- RECETOX, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Pavilion A29, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Becanova
- RECETOX, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Pavilion A29, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kevin Romanak
- School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, 702 Walnut Grove Avenue, Bloomington, IN, 47405, United States
| | - Martina Vykoukalova
- RECETOX, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Pavilion A29, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Prokes
- RECETOX, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Pavilion A29, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Kukucka
- RECETOX, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Pavilion A29, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Miriam L Diamond
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, 22 Russell Street, Toronto, M5S 3B1, Canada
| | - Jana Klanova
- RECETOX, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, Pavilion A29, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
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23
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Li L, Arnot JA, Wania F. Towards a systematic understanding of the dynamic fate of polychlorinated biphenyls in indoor, urban and rural environments. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2018; 117:57-68. [PMID: 29727753 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.04.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2018] [Revised: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Indoor environments and urban areas are hubs of chemical stocks and emissions, which contaminate those indoor and urban areas as well as the surrounding rural areas. Here, we introduce a newly developed nested multimedia indoor-urban-rural chemical fate model, coupled with a substance flow analysis, aiming to provide an integrated and dynamic understanding of the mass distribution, concentrations, and major pathways of contaminants within and between indoor, urban and rural environments. The model is applied to simulate the emissions, transport and fate of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners 28 and 153 in the Western Baltic drainage basin over time. Whereas >90% of PCBs were used in the urban outdoor environment, the model indicates that ~80% of emissions occurred indoors because of higher emission factors in open-end usage. Atmospheric advection is highly effective in transporting the bulk of the PCBs emitted indoors to urban (>85%) and rural (>75%) environments. The rural environment is identified as the main locale for accommodating (>80%) and removing (>50%) the emitted PCBs. Contamination of exposure-relevant compartments in the rural environment is anticipated to decrease slower than, and thus outlast, that in the indoor environment, which implies an increasing importance of the food chain accumulation in overall human exposure to PCBs over time. Our model demonstrates that, whereas the indoor environment contains an insignificant fraction of the total emissions remaining in the regional environment, it experiences orders of magnitude higher concentrations than the rural environment. Therefore, while including indoor and urban environments in modeling influences little the modeled overall chemical fate on a regional scale, it strongly affects modeling the human exposure associated with multimedia concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Jon A Arnot
- Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; ARC Arnot Research & Consulting, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Frank Wania
- Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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24
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Gallo MV, Ravenscroft J, Carpenter DO, Schell LM. Persistent organic pollutants as predictors of increased FSH:LH ratio in naturally cycling, reproductive age women. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 164:556-564. [PMID: 29621723 PMCID: PMC5983370 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2018.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Although several recent studies suggest endocrine disrupting compounds, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p', DDE), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB), target different organs and systems in the body, their impact on female reproductive function in humans is not well characterized. We seek to determine the relationship between several known endocrine disrupting compounds and a marker of ovarian responsivity, the FSH:LH ratio (higher ratio indicates less ovarian responsivity). For this analysis, 169 naturally cycling women between 21 and 38 years of age completed interviews and had their blood drawn on day 3 of their menstrual cycle for analyses of toxicants, gonadal sex hormones (E2 and P4), and gonadotropins (FSH and LH). PCB congeners were classified into five groups based on their environmental persistence, distribution in human tissue, and toxicological action, reflecting the structure, mechanism, and known biological activity of individual PCB congeners. For every unit (ppb) increase in the level of the estrogenic PCB group, there was a 5-fold greater risk of a FSH:LH ratio ≥ 2, controlling for individual differences in age, percent body fat, cycle day 3 estradiol levels, parity, alcohol use and cigarette smoking in the past year (exp[ß] = 5; p = ≤0.01). PCB congeners identified as estrogenic were analyzed individually, and, of the 19 potentially estrogenic congeners, five were significantly, and positively related to an increased FSH:LH ratio. Four of these congeners are non-persistent, easily volatilize in the environment, and are easily metabolized, and hence, are indicative of very recent or current exposure. p,p'-DDE and HCB were not associated with FSH:LH ratio. We find a clinical indicator of ovarian responsivity, FSH:LH ratio, is associated with a specific group of estrogenic PCBs. These congeners may become airborne when they volatilize from dredged PCB-contaminated soil or from indoor PCB-containing window caulk and sealants in older buildings leading to inhalation exposure. PCB exposure, particularly to non-persistent, estrogenic congeners, may pose an unrecognized threat to female fecundity within the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mia V Gallo
- University at Albany, Department of Anthropology, A&S 237, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY, USA; Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities, University at Albany-SUNY, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY, USA; Institute for Health and the Environment, University at Albany, 5 University Place, Rensselaer, NY, USA.
| | - Julia Ravenscroft
- University at Albany, Department of Anthropology, A&S 237, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY, USA
| | - David O Carpenter
- Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities, University at Albany-SUNY, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY, USA; Institute for Health and the Environment, University at Albany, 5 University Place, Rensselaer, NY, USA
| | - Lawrence M Schell
- University at Albany, Department of Anthropology, A&S 237, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY, USA; Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities, University at Albany-SUNY, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY, USA; Institute for Health and the Environment, University at Albany, 5 University Place, Rensselaer, NY, USA; University at Albany, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, One University Place, Room 131, Rensselaer, NY, USA
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25
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Trinh MM, Tsai CL, Hien TT, Thuan NT, Chi KH, Lien CG, Chang MB. Atmospheric concentrations and gas-particle partitioning of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs around Hochiminh city. CHEMOSPHERE 2018; 202:246-254. [PMID: 29571145 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.03.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Revised: 03/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs samples were collected in Hochiminh city, Vietnam to address the effect of meteorological parameters, especially rainfall, on the occurrence and gas/particle partitioning of these persistent organic pollutants. The results indicate that PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs concentrations in industrial site are higher than those measured in commercial and rural sites during both rainy and dry seasons. In terms of mass concentration, ambient PCDD/F levels measured in dry season are significantly higher than those measured in rainy season while dl-PCB levels do not vary significantly between rainy and dry seasons. The difference could be attributed to different gas/particle partitioning characteristics between PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs. PCDD/Fs are found to be mainly distributed in particle phase while dl- PCBs are predominantly distributed in gas phase in both rainy and dry seasons. Additionally, Junge-Pankow and Harner-Bidleman models are applied to better understand the gas/particle partitioning of these pollutants in atmosphere. As a results, both PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs are under non-equilibrium gas/particle partitioning condition, and PCDD/Fs tend to reach equilibrium easier in rainy season while there are no clear trend for dl-PCBs. Harner-Bidleman model performs better in evaluating the gas/particle partitioning of PCDD/Fs while Junge-Pankow model results in better prediction for dl-PCBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minh Man Trinh
- Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Central University, Chungli, Taiwan.
| | | | - To Thi Hien
- Faculty of Environment, University of Science, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
| | - Ngo Thi Thuan
- Faculty of Environment, University of Science, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
| | - Kai Hsien Chi
- Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Chien Guo Lien
- Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Moo Been Chang
- Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Central University, Chungli, Taiwan.
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26
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Li L, Arnot JA, Wania F. Revisiting the Contributions of Far- and Near-Field Routes to Aggregate Human Exposure to Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:6974-6984. [PMID: 29771504 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b00151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The general population is exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) by consuming food from far-field contaminated agricultural and aquatic environments, and inhalation and nondietary ingestion in near-field indoor or residential environments. Here, we seek to evaluate the relative importance of far- and near-field routes by simulating the time-variant aggregate exposure of Swedish females to PCB congeners from 1930 to 2030. We rely on a mechanistic model, which integrates a food-chain bioaccumulation module and a human toxicokinetic module with dynamic substance flow analysis and nested indoor-urban-rural environmental fate modeling. Confidence in the model is established by successfully reproducing the observed PCB concentrations in Swedish human milk between 1972 and 2016. In general, far-field routes contribute most to total PCB uptake. However, near-field exposure is notable for (i) children and teenagers, who have frequent hand-to-mouth contact, (ii) cohorts born in earlier years, e.g., in 1956, when indoor environments were severely contaminated, and (iii) lighter chlorinated congeners. The relative importance of far- and near-field exposure in a cross-section of individuals of different age sampled at the same time is shown to depend on the time of sampling. The transition from the dominance of near- to far-field exposure that has happened for PCBs may also occur for other chemicals used indoors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences , University of Toronto at Scarborough , Toronto , Ontario M1C 1A4 , Canada
| | - Jon A Arnot
- Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences , University of Toronto at Scarborough , Toronto , Ontario M1C 1A4 , Canada
- ARC Arnot Research & Consulting , Toronto , Ontario M4M 1W4 , Canada
| | - Frank Wania
- Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences , University of Toronto at Scarborough , Toronto , Ontario M1C 1A4 , Canada
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27
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Kraft M, Sievering S, Grün L, Rauchfuss K. Mono-, di-, and trichlorinated biphenyls (PCB 1-PCB 39) in the indoor air of office rooms and their relevance on human blood burden. INDOOR AIR 2018; 28:441-449. [PMID: 29288536 DOI: 10.1111/ina.12448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from indoor air can lead to a significant increase in lower chlorinated congeners in human blood. Lower chlorinated congeners with short biological half-lives can exhibit an indirect genotoxic potential via their highly reactive metabolites. However, little is known about their occurrence in indoor air and, therefore, about the effects of possible exposure to these congeners. We analyzed all mono-, di-, and trichlorinated biphenyls in the indoor air of 35 contaminated offices, as well as in the blood of the 35 individuals worked in these offices for a minimum of 2 years. The median concentration of total PCB in the indoor air was 479 ng/m3 . The most prevalent PCBs in the indoor air samples were the trichlorinated congeners PCB 31, PCB 18, and PCB 28, with median levels of 39, 31, and 26 ng/m3 , respectively. PCB 8 was the most prevalent dichlorinated congener (median: 9.1 ng/m3 ). Monochlorinated biphenyls were not detected in relevant concentrations. In the blood samples, the most abundant congener was PCB 28; nearly 90% of all mono-, di-, and trichlorinated congeners were attributed to this congener (median: 12 ng/g blood lipid).
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Affiliation(s)
- M Kraft
- North Rhine-Westphalia State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection, Recklinghausen, Germany
| | - S Sievering
- North Rhine-Westphalia State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection, Recklinghausen, Germany
| | - L Grün
- eco-Luftqualität + Raumklima, Köln, Germany
| | - K Rauchfuss
- North Rhine-Westphalia State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection, Recklinghausen, Germany
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28
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Zhao XH, Wang XL, Li Y. Relationship between the binding free energy and PCBs' migration, persistence, toxicity and bioaccumulation using a combination of the molecular docking method and 3D-QSAR. Chem Cent J 2018; 12:20. [PMID: 29476294 PMCID: PMC5825354 DOI: 10.1186/s13065-018-0389-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular docking method was used to calculate the binding free energies between biphenyl dioxygenase and 209 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners. The relationships between the calculated binding free energies and migration (octanol-air partition coefficients, KOA), persistence (half-life, t1/2), toxicity (half maximal inhibitory concentration, IC50), and bioaccumulation (bioconcentration factor, BCF) values for the PCBs were used to gain insight into the degradation of PCBs in the presence of biphenyl dioxygenase. The relationships between the calculated binding free energies and the molecular weights, KOA, BCF, and t1/2 values for the PCBs were statistically significant (P < 0.01), whereas the relationship between the calculated binding free energies and the IC50 for the PCBs was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The electrostatic field, derived from three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship studies, was a primary factor governing the binding free energy, which agreed with literature findings for KOA, t1/2, and BCF. Comparative molecular field analysis and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis contour maps showed that the binding free energies, KOA, t1/2, and BCF values for the PCBs decreased simultaneously when substituents with electropositive groups at the 3-position or electronegative groups at the 3'-position were introduced. This indicated the binding free energy was correlated with the persistent organic pollutant characteristics of PCBs. Furthermore, low binding free energies improved the degradation of the PCBs and simultaneously decreased the KOA, t1/2, and BCF values, thereby reducing the persistent organic pollutant characteristics of PCBs in the environment. These results are expected to be beneficial in providing a theoretical foundation for further elucidation of the degradation and molecular modification of PCBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Hui Zhao
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, North China Electric Power University, No. 2, Beinong Road, Beijing, 102206 China
- The Moe Key Laboratory of Resources and Evironmental Systems Optimization, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, 102206 China
| | - Xiao-Lei Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, North China Electric Power University, No. 2, Beinong Road, Beijing, 102206 China
- The Moe Key Laboratory of Resources and Evironmental Systems Optimization, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, 102206 China
| | - Yu Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, North China Electric Power University, No. 2, Beinong Road, Beijing, 102206 China
- The Moe Key Laboratory of Resources and Evironmental Systems Optimization, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, 102206 China
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29
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Morrison GC, Andersen HV, Gunnarsen L, Varol D, Uhde E, Kolarik B. Partitioning of PCBs from air to clothing materials in a Danish apartment. INDOOR AIR 2018; 28:188-197. [PMID: 28767171 DOI: 10.1111/ina.12411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination of buildings continues to pose an exposure threat, even decades after their application in the form of calks and other building materials. In this research, we investigate the ability of clothing to sorb PCBs from contaminated air and thereby influence exposure. The equilibrium concentration of PCB-28 and PCB-52 was quantified for nine used clothing fabrics exposed for 56 days to air in a Danish apartment contaminated with PCBs. Fabric materials included pure materials such as cotton and polyester, or blends of polyester, cotton, viscose/rayon, and/or elastane. Air concentrations were fairly stable over the experimental period, with PCB-28 ranging from 350 to 430 ng/m3 and PCB-52 ranging from 460 to 550 ng/m3 . Mass accumulated in fabric ranged from below detection limits to 4.5 mg/g of fabric. Cotton or materials containing elastane sorbed more than polyester materials on a mass basis. Mass-normalized partition coefficients above detection limits ranged from 105.7 to 107.0 L/kg. Clothing acts as a reservoir for PCBs that extends dermal exposure, even when outside or in uncontaminated buildings.
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Affiliation(s)
- G C Morrison
- Missouri University of Science & Technology, Rolla, MO, USA
| | - H V Andersen
- Danish Building Research Institute, Aalborg University Copenhagen, København SV, Denmark
| | - L Gunnarsen
- Danish Building Research Institute, Aalborg University Copenhagen, København SV, Denmark
| | - D Varol
- Fraunhofer WKI, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - E Uhde
- Fraunhofer WKI, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - B Kolarik
- Danish Building Research Institute, Aalborg University Copenhagen, København SV, Denmark
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30
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Bányiová K, Černá M, Mikeš O, Komprdová K, Sharma A, Gyalpo T, Čupr P, Scheringer M. Long-term time trends in human intake of POPs in the Czech Republic indicate a need for continuous monitoring. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2017; 108:1-10. [PMID: 28772152 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2017.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Revised: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) from the group of persistent organic pollutants are detected in human tissues years or even decades after their ban. Exposure to PCBs and OCPs can pose risks to human health. In the present study, we calculated the daily intakes of PCBs and OCPs in the Czech population and investigated the long-term trends of human exposure to POPs. Data on POP concentrations from a 16-year period of breast-milk monitoring were used. A toxicokinetic model with consideration of compound-specific elimination half-lives was used to calculate the mothers' daily intake of PCBs and OCPs representing the intake of POPs by all exposure routes. The calculated intakes were compared with dietary intakes calculated by the Czech National Institute of Public Health. The comparison shows good agreement of both intake estimates with decreasing intake trends of POPs in the Czech population in the time period studied. However, several fluctuations with peaks of higher levels were observed in both datasets which are not typical for the period after the ban of use and production of POPs. The available evidence suggests that the increases in chemical concentrations might be caused by food contamination. The calculated intakes of compounds with longer elimination half-lives, such as higher-chlorinated PCBs, were higher in older mothers. This "memory effect" was already observed in other studies and indicates higher exposure in earlier life periods of the mother. Our results suggest that exposure to POPs is still relevant for the Czech population in the period after the ban of the use and production of POPs (post-ban period), especially via food ingestion, though the intake trends are decreasing. Possible food contamination by POPs in the post-ban period requires further assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarína Bányiová
- Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, RECETOX - Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Milena Černá
- National Institute of Public Health, Šrobárova 48, CZ 10042 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Mikeš
- Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, RECETOX - Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Klára Komprdová
- Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, RECETOX - Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Anežka Sharma
- Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, RECETOX - Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tenzing Gyalpo
- Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, CH 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Pavel Čupr
- Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, RECETOX - Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Martin Scheringer
- Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, RECETOX - Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Kamenice 753/5, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic; Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, CH 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
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31
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Kolarik B, Andersen HV, Frederiksen M, Gunnarsen L. Laboratory investigation of PCB bake-out from tertiary contaminated concrete for remediation of buildings. CHEMOSPHERE 2017; 179:101-111. [PMID: 28364645 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.03.094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2017] [Revised: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been used in flexible construction products from the 1950s to the 1970s. Despite a relatively low vapour pressure, PCBs have over the years emitted to the indoor air and adsorbed to other surfaces, creating tertiary sources. While necessary to protect the environment and health of building occupants, remediation of the contaminated buildings is an expensive and difficult process. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of bake-out as a method for removing PCB from contaminated indoor surfaces. Four painted and four sandblasted samples of concrete wall were kept at 50 or 65 °C for 10 or 20 days in small scale chambers, which were ventilated with clean air at area specific rates comparable to full scale rooms. The air concentrations were measured several times during the bake-out. Concentrations of PCB in paint, plaster and concrete were measured before and after the experiment. For the painted samples, PCB28 and PCB52 followed by PCB138 and PCB153 were the predominant congeners measured in air. A significant reduction of the PCB concentration was only found for more volatile congeners in paint, while no significant effects were observed in the plaster or concrete. For the most effective setting (65 °C, 20 days), the concentration of PCB∑7 in the paint was reduced by 40%. For the sandblasted samples, the less volatile congeners PCB138 and PCB153 were predominant in the air during bake-out. No effect was observed on the initially low concentrations of the sandblasted samples, possibly due to analytical limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Kolarik
- Department of Energy, Environment and Indoor Climate, Danish Building Research Institute, Aalborg University, A.C. Meyers Vaenge 15, DK-2450 Copenhagen SV, Denmark; Danish Environmental Analysis (Dansk MiljøAnalyse), Skelstedet 5, DK- 2950 Vedbaek, Denmark.
| | - Helle Vibeke Andersen
- Department of Energy, Environment and Indoor Climate, Danish Building Research Institute, Aalborg University, A.C. Meyers Vaenge 15, DK-2450 Copenhagen SV, Denmark
| | - Marie Frederiksen
- Department of Energy, Environment and Indoor Climate, Danish Building Research Institute, Aalborg University, A.C. Meyers Vaenge 15, DK-2450 Copenhagen SV, Denmark; National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkalle 105, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Lars Gunnarsen
- Department of Energy, Environment and Indoor Climate, Danish Building Research Institute, Aalborg University, A.C. Meyers Vaenge 15, DK-2450 Copenhagen SV, Denmark
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32
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Rosofsky A, Janulewicz P, Thayer KA, McClean M, Wise LA, Calafat AM, Mikkelsen EM, Taylor KW, Hatch EE. Exposure to multiple chemicals in a cohort of reproductive-aged Danish women. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 154:73-85. [PMID: 28039828 PMCID: PMC5328929 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Revised: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current exposure assessment research does not sufficiently address multi-pollutant exposure and their correlations in human media. Understanding the extent of chemical exposure in reproductive-aged women is of particular concern due to the potential for in utero exposure and fetal susceptibility. OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to characterize concentrations of chemical biomarkers during preconception and examine correlations between and within chemical classes. METHODS We examined concentrations of 135 biomarkers from 16 chemical classes in blood and urine from 73 women aged 18-40 enrolled in Snart Foraeldre/Milieu, a prospective cohort study of pregnancy planners in Denmark (2011-2014). We compared biomarker concentrations with United States similarly-aged, non-pregnant women who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Environmental Survey (NHANES) and with other international biomonitoring studies. We performed principal component analysis to examine biomarker correlations. RESULTS The mean number of biomarkers detected in the population was 92 (range: 60-108). The most commonly detected chemical classes were phthalates, metals, phytoestrogens and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Except blood mercury, urinary barium and enterolactone, geometric means were higher in women from NHANES. Chemical classes measured in urine generally did not load on a single component, suggesting high between-class correlation among urinary biomarkers, while there is high within-class correlation for biomarkers measured in serum and blood. CONCLUSIONS We identified ubiquitous exposure to multiple chemical classes in reproductive-aged Danish women, supporting the need for more research on chemical mixtures during preconception and early pregnancy. Inter- and intra-class correlation between measured biomarkers may reflect common exposure sources, specific lifestyle factors or shared metabolism pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Rosofsky
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Patricia Janulewicz
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kristina A Thayer
- Office of Health Assessment and Translation, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Michael McClean
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lauren A Wise
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Antonia M Calafat
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health, CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ellen M Mikkelsen
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Kyla W Taylor
- Office of Health Assessment and Translation, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Elizabeth E Hatch
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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33
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Melymuk L, Bohlin-Nizzetto P, Kukučka P, Vojta Š, Kalina J, Čupr P, Klánová J. Seasonality and indoor/outdoor relationships of flame retardants and PCBs in residential air. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2016; 218:392-401. [PMID: 27431696 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Revised: 06/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/05/2016] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
This study is a systematic assessment of different houses and apartments, their ages and renovation status, indoors and outdoors, and in summer vs. winter, with a goal of bringing some insight into the major sources of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and their variability. Indoor and outdoor air concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and novel flame retardants (NFRs) were determined at 17-20 homes in Czech Republic in winter and summer. Indoor concentrations were consistently higher than outdoor concentrations for all compounds; indoor/outdoor ratios ranged from 2-20, with larger differences for the current use NFRs than for legacy PCBs. Seasonal trends differed according to the use status of the compounds: the PCBs had higher summer concentrations both indoors and outdoors, suggesting volatilization as a source of PCBs to air. PBDEs had no seasonal trends indoors, but higher summer concentrations outdoors. Several NFRs (TBX, PBT, PBEB) had higher indoor concentrations in winter relative to summer. The seasonal trends in the flame retardants suggest differences in air exchange rates due to lower building ventilation in winter could be driving the concentration differences. Weak relationships were found with building age for PCBs, with higher concentrations indoors in buildings built before 1984, and with the number of electronics for PBDEs, with higher concentrations in rooms with three or more electronic items. Indoor environments are the primary contributor to human inhalation exposure to these SVOCs, due to the high percentage of time spent indoors (>90%) combined with the higher indoors levels for all the studied compounds. Exposure via the indoor environment contributed ∼96% of the total chronic daily intake via inhalation in summer and ∼98% in winter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Melymuk
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Kamenice 753/5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Pernilla Bohlin-Nizzetto
- NILU - Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Instituttveien 18, PO Box 100, NO-2017, Kjeller, Norway.
| | - Petr Kukučka
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Kamenice 753/5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Šimon Vojta
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Kamenice 753/5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Kalina
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Kamenice 753/5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Čupr
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Kamenice 753/5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Klánová
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Kamenice 753/5, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
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34
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Vorkamp K, Odsbjerg L, Langeland M, Mayer P. Utilizing the partitioning properties of silicone for the passive sampling of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in indoor air. CHEMOSPHERE 2016; 160:280-286. [PMID: 27389945 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.06.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Revised: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/12/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The former use of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in construction materials can lead to elevated indoor air concentrations. We studied the partitioning of PCB congeners between indoor air and silicone with a view to establish passive sampling of PCBs. The release of PCB congeners from silicone followed first order kinetics and confirmed air-side rate-limited mass transfer. Logarithmic elimination rate constants decreased linearly with the logKOA values of the PCB congeners, but varied in a non-linear way with air velocity. Linear uptake of PCBs was found for silicone disks (0.5 mm thickness) in a petri dish, while PCBs reached equilibrium in silicone-coated paper sheets (0.001 mm silicone on each side) exposed to indoor air for 1-2 weeks. The ratios of equilibrium concentrations in silicone and conventionally measured air concentrations were roughly comparable with silicone-air partition coefficients, but further research is required for the determination of silicone-air partition coefficients. Avoiding performance reference compounds (PRCs) because of the indoor setting, the two formats were calibrated against conventional active measurements. Comparisons of air concentrations derived from active and kinetic passive sampling showed a divergence by factors of 2.4 and 2.0 (median values) for the petri dishes and the silicone-coated paper, respectively. With promising results for sensitivity and precision, the calibration of kinetic passive samplers remains the main challenge and will need suitable, non-hazardous PRCs. Equilibrium sampling indicated promising alternatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Vorkamp
- Aarhus University, Department of Environmental Science, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Lisbeth Odsbjerg
- Rambøll, Environment and Health, Hannemanns Allé 53, 2300 København S, Denmark
| | | | - Philipp Mayer
- Technical University of Denmark, Department of Environmental Engineering, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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Dai Q, Min X, Weng M. A review of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) pollution in indoor air environment. JOURNAL OF THE AIR & WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (1995) 2016; 66:941-950. [PMID: 27191511 DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2016.1184193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were widely used in industrial production due to the unique physical and chemical properties. As a kind of persistent organic pollutants, the PCBs would lead to environment pollution and cause serious problems for human health. Thus, they have been banned since the 1980s due to the environment pollution in the past years. Indoor air is the most direct and important environment medium to human beings; thus, the PCBs pollution research in indoor air is important for the protection of human health. This paper introduces the industrial application and potential harm of PCBs, summarizes the sampling, extracting, and analytical methods of environment monitoring, and compares the indoor air levels of urban areas with those of industrial areas in different countries according to various reports. This paper can provide a basic summary for PCBs pollution control in the indoor air environment. IMPLICATIONS The review of PCBs pollution in indoor air in China is still limited. In this paper, we introduce the industrial application and potential harm of PCBs, summarize the sampling, extracting, and analytical methods of environment monitoring, and compare the indoor air levels of urban areas with industrial areas in different countries according to various reports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qizhou Dai
- a College of Environment , Zhejiang University of Technology , Hangzhou , People's Republic of China
| | - Xia Min
- a College of Environment , Zhejiang University of Technology , Hangzhou , People's Republic of China
| | - Mili Weng
- b School of Environmental and Resource Sciences , Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University , Hangzhou Lin'an , People's Republic of China
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Bonde JP, Flachs EM, Rimborg S, Glazer CH, Giwercman A, Ramlau-Hansen CH, Hougaard KS, Høyer BB, Hærvig KK, Petersen SB, Rylander L, Specht IO, Toft G, Bräuner EV. The epidemiologic evidence linking prenatal and postnatal exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals with male reproductive disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Reprod Update 2016; 23:104-125. [PMID: 27655588 PMCID: PMC5155570 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmw036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2016] [Revised: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND More than 20 years ago, it was hypothesized that exposure to prenatal and early
postnatal environmental xenobiotics with the potential to disrupt endogenous
hormone signaling might be on the causal path to cryptorchidism, hypospadias, low
sperm count and testicular cancer. Several consensus statements and narrative
reviews in recent years have divided the scientific community and have elicited a
call for systematic transparent reviews. We aimed to fill this gap in knowledge in
the field of male reproductive disorders. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE The aim of this study was to systematically synthesize published data on the risk
of cryptorchidism, hypospadias, low sperm counts and testicular cancer following
in utero or infant exposure to chemicals that have been
included on the European Commission's list of Category 1 endocrine
disrupting chemicals defined as having documented adverse effects due to endocrine
disruption in at least one intact organism. SEARCH METHODS A systematic literature search for original peer reviewed papers was performed in
the databases PubMed and Embase to identify epidemiological studies reporting
associations between the outcomes of interest and exposures documented by
biochemical analyses of biospecimens including maternal blood or urine, placenta
or fat tissue as well as amnion fluid, cord blood or breast milk; this was
followed by meta-analysis of quantitative data. OUTCOMES The literature search resulted in 1314 references among which we identified 33
papers(28 study populations) fulfilling the eligibility criteria. These provided
85 risk estimates of links between persistent organic pollutants and rapidly
metabolized compounds (phthalates and Bisphenol A) and male reproductive
disorders. The overall odds ratio (OR) across all exposures and outcomes was 1.11
(95% CI 0.91–1.35). When assessing four specific chemical subgroups
with sufficient data for meta-analysis for all outcomes, we found that exposure to
one of the four compounds, p,p′-DDE, was related to an elevated risk: OR
1.35 (95% CI 1.04–1.74). The data did not indicate that this
increased risk was driven by any specific disorder. WIDER IMPLICATIONS The current epidemiological evidence is compatible with a small increased risk of
male reproductive disorders following prenatal and postnatal exposure to some
persistent environmental chemicals classified as endocrine disruptors but the
evidence is limited. Future epidemiological studies may change the weight of the
evidence in either direction. No evidence of distortion due to publication bias
was found, but exposure–response relationships are not evident. There are
insufficient data on rapidly metabolized endocrine disruptors and on specific
exposure–outcome relations. A particular data gap is evident with respect
to delayed effects on semen quality and testicular cancer. Although high quality
epidemiological studies are still sparse, future systematic and transparent
reviews may provide pieces of evidence contributing to the narrative and weight of
the evidence assessments in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Peter Bonde
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg University Hospital, DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark .,Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, DK-1016 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Esben Meulengracht Flachs
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg University Hospital, DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark
| | - Susie Rimborg
- The Royal Library/ University of Copenhagen Library, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Clara Helene Glazer
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg University Hospital, DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark
| | - Aleksander Giwercman
- Molecular Reproductive Medicine, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Karin Sørig Hougaard
- National Research Centre for the Working Environment, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Birgit Bjerre Høyer
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg University Hospital, DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, DK-8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Katia Keglberg Hærvig
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg University Hospital, DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark
| | - Sesilje Bondo Petersen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg University Hospital, DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark
| | - Lars Rylander
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Lund, SE-221 85 Lund, Sweden
| | - Ina Olmer Specht
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg University Hospital, DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark
| | - Gunnar Toft
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, DK-8200 Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Elvira Vaclavik Bräuner
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg University Hospital, DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark.,Research Center for Prevention and Health (RCPH), University of Copenhagen, DK-2600 Glostrup, Denmark
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Kristensen SL, Ramlau-Hansen CH, Ernst E, Olsen SF, Bonde JP, Vested A, Halldorsson TI, Rantakokko P, Kiviranta H, Toft G. Prenatal exposure to persistent organochlorine pollutants and female reproductive function in young adulthood. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2016; 92-93:366-72. [PMID: 27132162 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2016.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Revised: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The biopersistent organochlorine pollutants dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can be detected in humans worldwide. The chemicals can cross the placenta and may interfere with endogenous hormonal homeostasis. OBJECTIVES To investigate effects on female reproduction following intrauterine exposure to selected biopersistent organochlorines. METHODS We used data from a Danish pregnancy cohort with follow-up on 436 eligible daughters at approximately 20years of age. Information on age of menarche (n=335), menstrual cycle length (n=230) and serum concentrations of reproductive hormones (n=243) was obtained. Number of antral follicles was counted by vaginal ultrasound (n=147). Of 244 daughters who attended clinical examination, 170 used hormonal contraceptives and 74 were non-users. Concentrations of p,p'-DDE, HCB and six PCB congeners were analysed in maternal serum samples obtained in pregnancy week 30. RESULTS Age of menarche and menstrual cycle length were found not to be statistically significant associated with prenatal organochlorine exposure. Among non-users of hormonal contraceptives with information on antral follicle number (n=43), daughters exposed to the highest tertile of p,p'-DDE had 28% (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 5; 46%) lower follicle number compared to the low-level exposed reference group. Those exposed to medium and higher levels of HCB had 30% (95% CI: 5; 48%) and 28% (95% CI: 7; 44%) lower follicle number compared to the reference group. Furthermore, maternal serum HCB concentrations were inversely associated with free androgen index among non-users of hormonal contraceptives (n=73). These associations were not found in users of hormonal contraceptives. CONCLUSIONS Among non-users of hormonal contraceptives, we found indications of adverse long-term effects on female reproduction following prenatal exposure to biopersistent organochlorines. These findings may have wide implications for public health as intrauterine exposure occurs worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Lund Kristensen
- Danish Ramazzini Centre, Department of Occupational Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Regional Hospital of Randers, Denmark.
| | | | - Erik Ernst
- Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Aarhus University Hospital, and Institute of Anatomy, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Jens Peter Bonde
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg Hospital of Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anne Vested
- Danish Ramazzini Centre, Department of Occupational Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Thorhallur Ingi Halldorsson
- Centre for Fetal Programming, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark; Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Panu Rantakokko
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Environmental Health, Chemical Exposure Unit, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Hannu Kiviranta
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Department of Environmental Health, Chemical Exposure Unit, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Gunnar Toft
- Danish Ramazzini Centre, Department of Occupational Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
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38
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Bräuner EV, Andersen ZJ, Frederiksen M, Specht IO, Hougaard KS, Ebbehøj N, Bailey J, Giwercman A, Steenland K, Longnecker MP, Bonde JP. Health Effects of PCBs in Residences and Schools (HESPERUS): PCB - health Cohort Profile. Sci Rep 2016; 6:24571. [PMID: 27090775 PMCID: PMC4835792 DOI: 10.1038/srep24571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2015] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Polychlorinated-biphenyls (PCBs) were introduced in the late 1920s and used until the 1970s when they were banned in most countries due to evidence of environmental build-up and possible adverse health effects. However they still persist in the environment, indoors and in humans. Indoor air in contaminated buildings may confer airborne exposure markedly above background regional PCB levels. To date, no epidemiological studies have assessed the health effects from exposure to semi-volatile PCBs in the indoor environment. Indoor air PCBs are generally less chlorinated than PCBs that are absorbed via the diet, or via past occupational exposure; therefore their health effects require separate risk assessment. Two separate cohorts of individuals who have either attended schools (n = 66,769; 26% exposed) or lived in apartment buildings (n = 37,185; 19% exposed), where indoor air PCB concentrations have been measured were created. An individual estimate of long-term airborne PCB exposure was assigned based on measurements. The cohorts will be linked to eight different national data sources on mortality, school records, residential history, socioeconomic status, and chronic disease and reproductive outcomes. The linking of indoor air exposures with health outcomes provides a dataset unprecedented worldwide. We describe a project, called HESPERUS (Health Effects of PCBs in Residences and Schools), which will be the first study of the long term health effects of the lower-chlorinated, semi-volatile PCBs in the indoor environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvira Vaclavik Bräuner
- Research Center of Prevention and Health, Center of Health, Capital region of Denmark, Rigshospital - Glostrup, Copenhagen University, Denmark.,Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg - Frederiksberg Hospital, Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Zorana Jovanovic Andersen
- Department of Public Health, Center for Epidemiology and Screening, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marie Frederiksen
- Department of Energy, Environment and Indoor Climate, Danish Building Research Institute, Aalborg University, Denmark
| | - Ina Olmer Specht
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg - Frederiksberg Hospital, Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Niels Ebbehøj
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg - Frederiksberg Hospital, Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Janice Bailey
- Department of Animal Sciences, Centre de Recherche en Biologie de la Reproduction, Université Laval, Canada
| | - Aleksander Giwercman
- Molecular Reproductive Medicine, Department of Translational Medicine, Lund University, Sweden
| | - Kyle Steenland
- Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, USA
| | - Matthew Paul Longnecker
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH/DHHS, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Jens Peter Bonde
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Bispebjerg - Frederiksberg Hospital, Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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39
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Liu X, Guo Z, Krebs KA, Greenwell DJ, Roache NF, Stinson RA, Nardin JA, Pope RH. Laboratory study of PCB transport from primary sources to settled dust. CHEMOSPHERE 2016; 149:62-69. [PMID: 26849196 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.01.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Revised: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Dust is an important sink for indoor air pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) that were used in building materials and products. In this study, two types of dust, house dust and Arizona Test Dust, were tested in a 30-m(3) stainless steel chamber with two types of panels. The PCB-containing panels were aluminum sheets coated with a PCB-spiked primer or caulk. The PCB-free panels were coated with the same materials but without PCBs. The dust evenly spread on each panel was collected at different times to determine its PCB content. The data from the PCB panels were used to evaluate the PCB migration from the source to the dust through direct contact, and the data from the PCB-free panels were used to evaluate the sorption of PCBs through the dust/air partition. Settled dust can adsorb PCBs from air. The sorption concentration was dependent on the congener concentration in the air and favored less volatile congeners. When the house dust was in direct contact with the PCB-containing panel, PCBs migrated into the dust at a much faster rate than the PCB transfer rate due to the dust/air partition. The dust/source partition was not significantly affected by the congener's volatility. For a given congener, the ratio between its concentration in the dust and in the source was used to estimate the dust/source partition coefficient. The estimated values ranged from 0.04 to 0.16. These values are indicative of the sink strength of the tested house dust being in the middle or lower-middle range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Liu
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Air Pollution Prevention and Control Division Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States.
| | - Zhishi Guo
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Air Pollution Prevention and Control Division Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States
| | - Kenneth A Krebs
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Air Pollution Prevention and Control Division Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States
| | - Dale J Greenwell
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Air Pollution Prevention and Control Division Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, United States
| | - Nancy F Roache
- ARCADIS, US Inc., 4915 Prospectus Dr., Suite F, Durham, NC 27709, United States
| | - Rayford A Stinson
- ARCADIS, US Inc., 4915 Prospectus Dr., Suite F, Durham, NC 27709, United States
| | - Joshua A Nardin
- ARCADIS, US Inc., 4915 Prospectus Dr., Suite F, Durham, NC 27709, United States
| | - Robert H Pope
- ARCADIS, US Inc., 4915 Prospectus Dr., Suite F, Durham, NC 27709, United States
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40
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Lyng NL, Clausen PA, Lundsgaard C, Andersen HV. Modelling the impact of room temperature on concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in indoor air. CHEMOSPHERE 2016; 144:2127-2133. [PMID: 26583295 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.10.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2015] [Revised: 10/13/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Buildings contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a health concern for the building occupants. Inhalation exposure is linked to indoor air concentrations of PCBs, which are known to be affected by indoor temperatures. In this study, a highly PCB contaminated room was heated to six temperature levels between 20 and 30 C, i.e. within the normal fluctuation of indoor temperatures, while the air exchange rate was constant. The steady-state air concentrations of seven PCBs were determined at each temperature level. A model based on Clausius-Clapeyron equation, ln(P) = -ΔH/RT + a(0), where changes in steady-state air concentrations in relation to temperature, was tested. The model was valid for PCB-28, PCB-52 and PCB-101; the four other congeners were sporadic or non-detected. For each congener, the model described a large proportion (R(2)>94%) of the variation in indoor air PCB levels. The results showed that one measured concentration of PCB at a known steady-state temperature can be used to predict the steady-state concentrations at other temperatures under circumstances where e.g. direct sunlight does not influence temperatures and the air exchange rate is constant. The model was also tested on field data from a PCB remediation case in an apartment in another contaminated building complex where PCB concentrations and temperature were measured simultaneously and regularly throughout one year. The model fitted relatively well with the regression of measured PCB air concentrations, ln(P) vs. 1/T, at varying temperature between 16.3 and 28.2 °C, even though the measurements were carried out under uncontrolled environmental condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja Lynge Lyng
- Danish Building Research Institute, Aalborg University Copenhagen, A.C. Meyers Vænge 15, DK-2450, Copenhagen SV, Denmark.
| | - Per Axel Clausen
- National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, DK-2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Claus Lundsgaard
- Scandinavian Bio-Medical Institute (SBMI), Rungstedvej 21, DK-2970, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | - Helle Vibeke Andersen
- Danish Building Research Institute, Aalborg University Copenhagen, A.C. Meyers Vænge 15, DK-2450, Copenhagen SV, Denmark
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41
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Egsmose EL, Bräuner EV, Frederiksen M, Mørck TA, Siersma VD, Hansen PW, Nielsen F, Grandjean P, Knudsen LE. Associations between plasma concentrations of PCB 28 and possible indoor exposure sources in Danish school children and mothers. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2016; 87:13-19. [PMID: 26638015 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2015.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2015] [Revised: 11/07/2015] [Accepted: 11/08/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitously present in the environment and are suspected of carcinogenic, neurotoxic and immunotoxic effects. Significantly higher plasma concentrations of the congener PCB 28 occur in children compared to adults. Exposure in schools may contribute to this difference. OBJECTIVE To determine whether increased blood plasma concentrations of PCB 28 in Danish school children and mothers are associated with living in homes or attending schools constructed in the PCB period (1959-1977). METHODS PCB 28 was analyzed in plasma samples from 116 children aged 6-11years and 143 mothers living in an urban and a rural area in Denmark and participating in the European pilot project DEMOCOPHES (Demonstration of a study to COordinate and Perform Human Biomonitoring on a European Scale). In Denmark, PCBs were used in construction in the period 1950-1977, and year of construction or renovation of the homes and schools was used as a proxy for indoor PCB exposure. Linear regression models were used to assess the association between potential PCB exposure from building materials and lipid adjusted concentrations of PCB 28 in plasma, with and without adjustment for potential confounders. RESULTS Among the 116 children and 143 mothers, we were able to specify home construction period in all but 4 children and 5 mothers leaving 111 children and 138 mothers for our analyses. The median lipid adjusted plasma PCB 28 concentration was 3 (range: 1-28) ng/g lipid in the children and 2 (range: 1-8) ng/g lipid in the mothers. Children living in homes built in the PCB period had significantly higher lipid adjusted plasma PCB 28 concentrations compared to children living in homes built before or after the PCB period. Following adjustment for covariates, PCB 28 concentrations in children were 40 (95% CI: 13; 68) percent higher than concentrations of children living in homes constructed at other times. Furthermore, children attending schools built or substantially refurbished in the PCB period also had significantly higher (46%, 95% CI: 22; 70) PCB 28 concentrations compared to children attending schools constructed before or after the PCB period, while their mothers had similar concentrations. Adjustment for the most prevalent congener, PCB 153, did not change this effect of home or school construction. When both home and school construction year were included in the models, the increase in lipid adjusted plasma PCB 28 for children living in or attending schools from the PCB period was no longer statistically significant. The individual effect of home and school construction periods could not be evaluated further with the available data. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that PCB exposure in the indoor environment in schools and homes constructed during the PCB period may contribute significantly to children's plasma PCB 28 concentration. Efforts to minimize PCB exposure in indoor environments should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Lund Egsmose
- Section of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Elvira Vaclavik Bräuner
- Department of Construction and Health, Danish Building Research Institute, Aalborg University, Denmark
| | - Marie Frederiksen
- Department of Construction and Health, Danish Building Research Institute, Aalborg University, Denmark
| | - Thit Aarøe Mørck
- Section of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Volkert Dirk Siersma
- The Research Unit for General Practice and Section of General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pernille Winton Hansen
- Section of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Flemming Nielsen
- Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Philippe Grandjean
- Environmental Medicine, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Lisbeth E Knudsen
- Section of Environmental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Brown KW, Minegishi T, Cummiskey CC, Fragala MA, Hartman R, MacIntosh DL. PCB remediation in schools: a review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 23:1986-1997. [PMID: 25994266 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-4689-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2015] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Growing awareness of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in legacy caulk and other construction materials of schools has created a need for information on best practices to control human exposures and comply with applicable regulations. A concise review of approaches and techniques for management of building-related PCBs is the focus of this paper. Engineering and administrative controls that block pathways of PCB transport, dilute concentrations of PCBs in indoor air or other exposure media, or establish uses of building space that mitigate exposure can be effective initial responses to identification of PCBs in a building. Mitigation measures also provide time for school officials to plan a longer-term remediation strategy and to secure the necessary resources. These longer-term strategies typically involve removal of caulk or other primary sources of PCBs as well as nearby masonry or other materials contaminated with PCBs by the primary sources. The costs of managing PCB-containing building materials from assessment through ultimate disposal can be substantial. Optimizing the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of remediation programs requires aligning a thorough understanding of sources and exposure pathways with the most appropriate mitigation and abatement methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen W Brown
- Environmental Health & Engineering, Inc., 117 Fourth Avenue, Needham, MA, 02494, USA.
| | - Taeko Minegishi
- Environmental Health & Engineering, Inc., 117 Fourth Avenue, Needham, MA, 02494, USA
| | | | - Matt A Fragala
- Environmental Health & Engineering, Inc., 117 Fourth Avenue, Needham, MA, 02494, USA
| | - Ross Hartman
- Strategic Environmental Services, Inc., Sutton, MA, USA
| | - David L MacIntosh
- Environmental Health & Engineering, Inc., 117 Fourth Avenue, Needham, MA, 02494, USA.
- Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
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43
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Herrick RF, Stewart JH, Allen JG. Review of PCBs in US schools: a brief history, an estimate of the number of impacted schools, and an approach for evaluating indoor air samples. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 23:1975-85. [PMID: 25940477 PMCID: PMC4635108 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-4574-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
PCBs in building materials such as caulks and sealants are a largely unrecognized source of contamination in the building environment. Schools are of particular interest, as the period of extensive school construction (about 1950 to 1980) coincides with the time of greatest use of PCBs as plasticizers in building materials. In the USA, we estimate that the number of schools with PCB in building caulk ranges from 12,960 to 25,920 based upon the number of schools built in the time of PCB use and the proportion of buildings found to contain PCB caulk and sealants. Field and laboratory studies have demonstrated that PCBs from both interior and exterior caulking can be the source of elevated PCB air concentrations in these buildings, at levels that exceed health-based PCB exposure guidelines for building occupants. Air sampling in buildings containing PCB caulk has shown that the airborne PCB concentrations can be highly variable, even in repeat samples collected within a room. Sampling and data analysis strategies that recognize this variability can provide the basis for informed decision making about compliance with health-based exposure limits, even in cases where small numbers of samples are taken. The health risks posed by PCB exposures, particularly among children, mandate precautionary approaches to managing PCBs in building materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert F Herrick
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - James H Stewart
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Joseph G Allen
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
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Nazaroff WW, Goldstein AH. Indoor chemistry: research opportunities and challenges. INDOOR AIR 2015; 25:357-61. [PMID: 26186267 DOI: 10.1111/ina.12219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
In this editorial, we have highlighted key research opportunities and challenges in four topical themes for indoor chemistry: human occupants as agents influencing indoor chemistry; oxidative chemistry; surface phenomena; and semivolatile organic compounds. In each case, enough prior work has been done to demonstrate the importance of the theme and to create a foundation for future studies. Extensive achievements and ongoing progress in (outdoor) atmospheric chemistry—both in the analytical methods developed and in the scientific knowledge created—also contribute to a strong foundation from which to achieve rapid research progress in this exciting new domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- W W Nazaroff
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
| | - A H Goldstein
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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45
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Grimm FA, He X, Teesch LM, Lehmler HJ, Robertson LW, Duffel MW. Tissue Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion of 3,3'-Dichloro-4'-sulfooxy-biphenyl in the Rat. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:8087-95. [PMID: 26046945 PMCID: PMC4496304 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b01499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) with less chlorine atoms exhibit a greater susceptibility to metabolism than their more-chlorinated counterparts. Following initial hydroxylation of these less-chlorinated PCBs, metabolic sulfation to form PCB sulfates is increasingly recognized as an important component of their toxicology. Because procedures for the quantitative analysis of PCB sulfates in tissue samples have not been previously available, we have now developed an efficient, LC-ESI-MS/MS-based protocol for the quantitative analysis of 4-PCB 11 sulfate in biological samples. This procedure was used to determine the distribution of 4-PCB 11 sulfate in liver, kidney, lung, and brain as well as its excretion profile following its intravenous administration to male Sprague-Dawley rats. Following initial uptake of 4-PCB 11 sulfate, its concentration in these tissues and serum declined within the first hour following injection. Although biliary secretion was detected, analysis of 24 h collections of urine and feces revealed recovery of less than 4% of the administered 4-PCB 11 sulfate. High-resolution LC-MS analysis of bile, urine, and feces showed metabolic products derived from 4-PCB 11 sulfate. Thus, 4-PCB 11 sulfate at this dose was not directly excreted in the urine but was instead redistributed to tissues and/or subjected to further metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian A. Grimm
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Xianran He
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, The University of Iowa, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Lynn M. Teesch
- High Resolution Mass Spectrometry Facility, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA
| | - Hans-Joachim Lehmler
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, The University of Iowa, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Larry W. Robertson
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, The University of Iowa, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Michael W. Duffel
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Human Toxicology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Address correspondence to Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, The University of Iowa, 115 South Grand Ave, S325, Iowa City, IA, 52246. Telephone: 319-335-8840. Fax: 319-335-8766.
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Pedersen EB, Ebbehøj NE, Göen T, Meyer HW, Jacobsen P. Exposure to 27 polychlorinated biphenyls in the indoor environment of a workplace: a controlled bio-monitoring study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2015; 89:43-7. [PMID: 25893464 DOI: 10.1007/s00420-015-1050-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2014] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To assess the exposure to a broad-spectrum of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (PCBs) from the indoor environment through bio-monitoring of people working in a building with PCB-containing materials and elevated PCB levels in the indoor air. METHODS A cross-sectional study comparing the plasma concentration of 27 PCB congeners in 15 people working in a PCB-contaminated building and 30 matched controls. RESULTS Median concentration of eight low-chlorinated PCB congeners was significantly higher in the exposed than in the control group. The sum of median concentrations of tri + tetra-chlorinated PCB was almost ten times higher in the exposed group than in the unexposed, and sums of dioxin-like and non-dioxin-like PCB were both relatively increased by 60 % in the exposed group. CONCLUSIONS The occupational indoor environment may significantly add to PCB exposure, especially to the lower-chlorinated congeners. Health effect from this little-acknowledged exposure has not yet been documented, but data supporting lack of effect are sparse and research generating information on effect of exposure to specific congeners including at levels relevant for the indoor environment should be encouraged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Bøtker Pedersen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University, Bispebjerg Hospital, 2400, Copenhagen NV, Denmark.
| | - N E Ebbehøj
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University, Bispebjerg Hospital, 2400, Copenhagen NV, Denmark
| | - T Göen
- Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - H W Meyer
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University, Bispebjerg Hospital, 2400, Copenhagen NV, Denmark
| | - P Jacobsen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University, Bispebjerg Hospital, 2400, Copenhagen NV, Denmark.
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Klees M, Hiester E, Bruckmann P, Molt K, Schmidt TC. Polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in street dust of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 511:72-81. [PMID: 25531591 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2014] [Revised: 12/06/2014] [Accepted: 12/06/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
In this study the occurrence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDDs/PCDFs) in street dust samples was investigated using pressurized liquid extraction and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Street dust samples were taken from rural, urban, industrial and industrially influenced urban areas. PCB6 concentrations ranged from 5090±2200 μg/kg (average±standard error of mean) in dusts from industrial premises to 29±8.7 μg/kg in rural areas. Concentration ranges were for dioxin-like PCB toxicity equivalents (dl-PCB TEQ) from 362±164 ng/kg (industrial premises) to 6.5±1.8 ng/kg (rural areas), and for PCDD/PCDF TEQ from 503±448 ng/kg to 2.4±0.13 ng/kg, respectively. Area concentrations of PCB6 (0.040 μg/m2-22 μg/m2), dl-PCB TEQ (0.0038 ng/m2-2.6 ng/m2) and PCDD/PCDF TEQs (14 pg/m2-1980 pg/m2) were estimated. Furthermore, particle size related concentrations of PCBs and PCDD/PCDFs in street dusts were analysed showing throughout almost all samples a distinctive trend of increasing concentrations with decreasing particle sizes. Characterization of homologue patterns of PCBs and PCDDs/PCDFs in street dusts was performed showing a dependence of homologue patterns on different area types, especially for PCBs. It could be demonstrated that the analysis of concentrations in combination with specific homologue patterns of PCBs and PCDDs/PCDFs in street dust samples enables allocation of potential emission sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Klees
- North Rhine-Westphalian State Agency for Nature, Environment, and Consumer Protection (LANUV NRW), Wallneyer Str. 6, 45133 Essen, Germany; University Duisburg-Essen, Instrumental Analytical Chemistry, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Ernst Hiester
- North Rhine-Westphalian State Agency for Nature, Environment, and Consumer Protection (LANUV NRW), Wallneyer Str. 6, 45133 Essen, Germany
| | - Peter Bruckmann
- North Rhine-Westphalian State Agency for Nature, Environment, and Consumer Protection (LANUV NRW), Wallneyer Str. 6, 45133 Essen, Germany
| | - Karl Molt
- University Duisburg-Essen, Instrumental Analytical Chemistry, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - Torsten C Schmidt
- University Duisburg-Essen, Instrumental Analytical Chemistry, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany.
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Bohlin P, Audy O, Škrdlíková L, Kukučka P, Vojta Š, Přibylová P, Prokeš R, Čupr P, Klánová J. Evaluation and guidelines for using polyurethane foam (PUF) passive air samplers in double-dome chambers to assess semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in non-industrial indoor environments. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2014; 16:2617-2626. [PMID: 25274245 DOI: 10.1039/c4em00305e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Indoor air pollution has been recognized as an important risk factor for human health, especially in areas where people tend to spend most of their time indoors. Many semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) have primarily indoor sources and are present in orders of magnitude higher concentrations indoors than outdoors. Despite this, awareness of SVOCs in indoor air and assessment of the link between indoor concentrations and human health have lagged behind those of outdoor air. This is partially related to challenges associated with indoor sampling of SVOCs. Passive air samplers (PASs), which are widely accepted in established outdoor air monitoring networks, have been used to fill the knowledge gaps on indoor SVOCs distribution. However, their applicability for indoor environments and the assessment of human health risks lack sufficient experimental data. To address this issue, we performed an indoor calibration study of polyurethane foam (PUF) PAS deployed in a double-dome chamber, covering both legacy and new SVOC classes. PUF-PAS and a continuous low-volume active air sampler (AAS) were co-deployed for a calibration period of twelve weeks. Based on the results from this evaluation, PUF-PAS in a double-bowl chamber is recommended for indoor sampling and health risk assessment of gas phase SVOCs, including novel brominated flame retardants (nBFR) providing sufficient exposure time is applied. Data for particle associated SVOCs suffered from significant uncertainties caused by low level of detection and low precision in this study. A more open chamber design for indoor studies may allow for higher sampling rates (RS) and better performance for the particle associated SVOCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pernilla Bohlin
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 753/5, CZ-625 00 Brno, Czech Republic.
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Liu H, Liu H, Sun P, Wang Z. QSAR studies of bioconcentration factors of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) using DFT, PCS and CoMFA. CHEMOSPHERE 2014; 114:101-105. [PMID: 25113189 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.03.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2013] [Revised: 03/21/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The bioconcentration factors (BCFs) of 58 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were modeled by quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) using density functional theory (DFT), the position of Cl substitution (PCS) and comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) methods. All the models were robust and predictive, and especially, the best CoMFA model was significant with a correlation coefficient (R(2)) of 0.926, a cross-validation correlation coefficient (Q(2)) of 0.821 and a root mean square error estimated (RMSE) of 0.235. The results indicate that the electrostatic descriptors play a more significant role in BCFs of PCBs. Additionally, a test set was used to compare the predictive ability of our models to others, and results show that our CoMFA model present the lowest RMSE. Thus, the models obtain in this work can be used to predict the BCFs of remaining 152 PCBs without available experimental values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, PR China; College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314001, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Hongxia Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, PR China; College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314001, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Ping Sun
- College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314001, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Zunyao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu, PR China.
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50
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Mørck TA, Erdmann SE, Long M, Mathiesen L, Nielsen F, Siersma VD, Bonefeld-Jørgensen EC, Knudsen LE. PCB Concentrations and Dioxin-like Activity in Blood Samples from Danish School Children and Their Mothers living in Urban and Rural Areas. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol 2014; 115:134-44. [DOI: 10.1111/bcpt.12214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2013] [Accepted: 02/03/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Thit A. Mørck
- Section of Environmental Health; Department of Public Health; University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Simon E. Erdmann
- Department of Public Health; Centre for Arctic Health & Unit of Cellular and Molecular Toxicology; University of Aarhus; Aarhus Denmark
| | - Manhai Long
- Department of Public Health; Centre for Arctic Health & Unit of Cellular and Molecular Toxicology; University of Aarhus; Aarhus Denmark
| | - Line Mathiesen
- Section of Environmental Health; Department of Public Health; University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Flemming Nielsen
- Department of Environmental Medicine; Institute of Public Health; University of Southern Denmark; Odense Denmark
| | - Volkert D. Siersma
- Department of Public Health; The Research Unit for General Practice and Section of General Practice; University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Eva C. Bonefeld-Jørgensen
- Department of Public Health; Centre for Arctic Health & Unit of Cellular and Molecular Toxicology; University of Aarhus; Aarhus Denmark
| | - Lisbeth E. Knudsen
- Section of Environmental Health; Department of Public Health; University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen Denmark
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