Effects of organochlorine chemicals on the reproductive outcome of humans who consumed contaminated Great Lakes fish: an epidemiologic consideration

River otters as biomonitors for organochlorine pesticides, PCBs, and PBDEs in Illinois

The North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) is a biomonitor for organohalogenated compounds (OHCs) associated with a wide range of deleterious health effects in wildlife and humans. We determined concentrations of twenty OHCs in livers of 23 river otters salvaged by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources from 2009 to 2011, determined sex-dependent distribution of OHCs, and compared our results to the reported concentrations of four OHCs in Illinois river otters from 1984 to 1989. Since these contaminants have been banned for over 30 years, we predicted smaller mean concentrations than those previously reported in Illinois otters. We detected eleven of twenty OHCs; PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), dieldrin, and 4,4'-DDE (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene) were present in the greatest mean concentrations. We report the largest mean concentration of dieldrin to date in the liver of North American river otters (mean: 174, range: 14.4-534 parts per billion wet wt [ppb]). Mean PCB concentrations were significantly higher in males (mean: 851; range: 30-3450 ppb) than females (mean: 282; range: 40-850 ppb; p=0.04). Mean concentrations of dieldrin were greater than those detected in otters from 1984 to 1989 (mean: 90; range: 30-130 ppb; p<0.05). Our results suggest OHC exposure remains a concern. Future research in Illinois should focus on evaluating OHCs exposures, particularly dieldrin, at the watershed level.

Aroclor 1254 selectively inhibits expression of glial GLT-1 glutamate transporter in the forebrain of chronically exposed adult rat

Aroclor 1254, a commercially produced mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls, is known to cause many adverse conditions, including neurotoxicity. It has been recently postulated that upregulation of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) and enhanced glutamate signalling which leads to excitotoxicity, is the mechanism of Aroclor-induced neurotoxicity. To obtain insights into the mechanisms underlying glutamatergic overstimulation, we investigated the function and expression of sodium-dependent glutamate transporters which are known to regulate extracellular glutamate concentrations in the brain. Exposure to Aroclor 1254 was found to significantly lower the uptake of radioactive glutamate into gliosomal fractions obtained from adult rat brains. It also markedly decreased the expression of both protein and mRNA of GLT-1, the main glial glutamate transporter. This indicates that downregulation of GLT-1 may potentially lead to disturbances in glutamate clearance. The expression of GLAST, another astroglial glutamate transporter, was unchanged under conditions of Aroclor toxicity. Conversely, we observed enhanced glutamate uptake into nerve-endings fractions paralleled by increased EAAC1 protein expression. This may reflect the induction of protective mechanisms.

Human endometrial cell coculture reduces the endocrine disruptor toxicity on mouse embryo development

BACKGROUNDS

Previous studies suggested that endocrine disruptors (ED) are toxic on preimplantation embryos and inhibit development of embryos in vitro culture. However, information about the toxicity of endocrine disruptors on preimplantation development of embryo in human reproductive environment is lacking.

METHODS

Bisphenol A (BPA) and Aroclor 1254 (polychlorinated biphenyls) were used as endocrine disruptors in this study. Mouse 2-cell embryos were cultured in medium alone or vehicle or co-cultured with human endometrial epithelial layers in increasing ED concentrations.

RESULTS

At 72 hours the percentage of normal blastocyst were decreased by ED in a dose-dependent manner while the co-culture system significantly enhanced the rate and reduced the toxicity of endocrine disruptors on the embryonic development in vitro.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, although EDs have the toxic effect on embryo development, the co-culture with human endometrial cell reduced the preimplantation embryo from it thereby making human reproductive environment protective to preimplantation embryo from the toxicity of endocrine disruptors.

Environmental contaminants in male river otters from Oregon and Washington, USA, 1994-1999

This study reports hepatic concentrations and distribution patterns of select metals, organochlorine pesticides (OCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in 180 male river otters (Lontra canadensis) collected from Oregon and Washington, 1994-1999. Seven regional locations of western Oregon and Washington were delineated based on associations with major population centers, industry or agriculture. Cadmium (Cd) was not found above 0.5 microg g(-1), dry weight (dw) in juveniles, but increased with age in adults though concentrations were generally low (nd-1.18 microg g(-1), dw). Regional geometric means for total mercury (THg) ranged from 3.63 to 8.05 microg g(-1), dw in juveniles and 3.46-12.6 microg g(-1) (dw) in adults. The highest THg concentration was 148 microg g(-1), dw from an apparently healthy adult male from the Olympic Peninsula of Washington. Although THg increased with age in adult otters, the occurrence of the more toxic form methylmercury (MeHg) was not evaluated. Mean OC and PCB concentrations reported in this study declined dramatically from those reported in 1978-1979 from the lower Columbia River. Organochlorine pesticide and metabolite means for both juvenile and adult river otter males were all below 100 microg kg(-1), wet weight (ww), with only DDE, DDD and HCB having individual concentrations exceeding 500 microg kg(-1), ww. Mean SigmaPCB concentrations in both juvenile and adult male otters were below 1 microg g(-1) for all regional locations. Mean juvenile and adult concentrations of non-ortho substituted PCBs, PCDDs and PCDFs were in the low ng kg(-1) for all locations studied.

Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substances in fish: human health considerations

Fish are important dietary items that provide essential nutrients. Fish however, bioaccumulate monomethyl mercury (MMHg) and organo-halogenated pollutants (OHP) that are persistent bioaccumulative and toxic substances (PBTS). Unlike man-made OHP, MMHg is mainly of natural origin but background concentrations of aquatic systems are determined by the environmental Hg-methylating potential. Industrial activities can modulate environmental discharges and fish bioaccumulation of PBTS. Fish and seafood consumption are associated with human body load of PBTS, but farming practices that utilize fishmeal increase the terrestrial food chain resulting in farm-animal accumulation of PBTS. These substances are neurotoxic and endocrine active that can impact humans and wild life, but chemical characteristics of MMHg and OHP modulate interactions with animal tissues. MMHg is protein reactive with a faster metabolism (months) than OHP that are stored and slowly (years) metabolized in fat tissues. Except for brain-Hg, neither Hg nor OHP in tissues are markers of toxic effects; however, deficits in neurobehavioral test-scores of children have been shown in some fish-eating populations. These deficits are transient and within normal range, and are not prodromes of neurological diseases. Although population studies show that consumption of fish at current levels of contamination do not explain neurological disorders, endocrine activity remains controversial. Understanding risk of hazard caused by fish-PBTS consumption requires a wide range of expertise. We discuss chemical, toxic, metabolic, and ecological characteristics associated with PBTS in fish. There are proven health outcome derived from fish consumption, while risk of exposure to avoidable PBTS is a chance that can be minimized by societal actions.

Environmental chemicals: from the environment to food, to breast milk, to the infant

Food is a source of exposure to many environmental chemicals found in human milk and other biological specimens. Ingestion of foods containing high amounts of animal fat is the main route of human exposure to lipophilic chemicals, such as persistent organic pollutants, which tend to bioaccumulate in the lipid compartment. Bioaccumulation results in increased exposure of these chemicals for humans, but particularly to breastfeeding infants, who are at the top of the food chain. The extent to which food contributes to a person's overall exposure depends on individual dietary habits and the concentrations of chemical residues in the food. These, in turn, are affected by (1) application methods, (2) properties and amounts of the chemical, and (3) preparation, handling, and the properties of the food. Once the food is ingested by the lactating woman, the chemical's pharmacokinetics and the transport mechanisms producing the movement of solutes across mammary alveolar cells determine the passage of chemicals from the blood to the milk. Thus, several factors affect the presence in human milk of environmental chemicals from dietary sources.

Cellular and molecular mechanisms mediating the effect of polychlorinated biphenyls on oocyte in vitro maturation

Cellular and molecular mechanisms mediating the effect of polychlorinated biphenyls on oocyte in vitro maturation: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are stable, lipophilic compounds that accumulate in the environment and in the food chain. Recent studies provide evidence that exposure to PCBs can cause reproductive problems. PCBs have been identified in the ovarian follicle of women and other mammals and many data in the literature clearly indicate that both follicles and oocytes are particularly susceptible to these pollutants. In the present review we describe the multifaceted effects of PCBs on mammalian oocyte maturation in detail. Published studies clearly indicate that PCB congeners, both singly or as complex mixtures, disrupt mammalian oocyte maturation and subsequent embryo development. Specifically, data point out to the ability of PCBs to interfere with the organization of the microtubules cytoplasmic network resulting in an altered compartmentalization of the ooplasm. Furthermore, a critical role of cumulus cells in mediating PCB ovotoxicity has been observed, most likely related to a disregulation in intracellular communication between the germinal and the somatic compartment. Finally, since coplanar PCBs, induce gene expression via a ligand-dependent transactivating factor, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, this signalling pathway is also reviewed with respect to understanding the toxic mechanisms of these compounds.

Polybrominated Biphenyls, Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Body Weight, and Incidence of Adult-Onset Diabetes Mellitus

BACKGROUND

Prior studies have reported an increased risk of diabetes related to polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure. No study has yet investigated whether polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), which are similar in chemical structure, increase the incidence of diabetes.

METHODS

The Michigan PBB cohort was established in 1976 and surveyed again in 1991-1993 and in 2001. PBB and PCB serum levels were measured from blood collected at enrollment. To determine the incidence of adult-onset diabetes, we analyzed cohort members without diabetes at enrollment, ages 20 years and older, with known PBB and PCB levels, who participated in at least 1 follow-up survey (n = 1384). Using Poisson regression, we determined the incidence density ratio (IDR) of diabetes for different serum levels of PBB and PCB, controlling for age, body mass index, smoking, and alcohol consumption at enrollment.

RESULTS

Analyzing 25 years of follow-up data, we did not find that higher PBB serum levels were a risk factor for the incidence of diabetes mellitus. However, in women, but not in men, higher PCB serum levels were associated with increased incidence of diabetes (IDR = 2.33; 95% confidence interval = 1.25-4.34 in the highest PCB group compared with the lowest). In both men and women, overweight and obesity increased the diabetes incidence.

CONCLUSIONS

We found no association between PBB serum levels and diabetes incidence. In women, there was a positive linear association of diabetes incidence with PCB serum levels at enrollment. This finding is in agreement with 2 prior studies indicating a higher relative risk of diabetes in PCB-exposed women.

Maternal concentration of dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethylene (DDE) and initiation and duration of breast feeding

Dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethylene (DDE) has been shown to reduce the duration of breast feeding in two studies. In addition to duration, we examined whether DDE lowers the initiation of breast feeding. Between 1973 and 1991, the Michigan Department of Community Health conducted three surveys to assess polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and DDE serum concentrations in Michigan anglers. Through telephone interviews with parents, we retrospectively ascertained information on breast feeding. Based on repeated maternal serum measurements between 1973 and 1991, we arrived at the level of exposure at the time of delivery by extrapolating PCB and DDE serum levels. One mother may have contributed more than one child; however, serum concentrations varied between children from the same mother. The maternal DDE and PCB serum concentrations were categorised as follows: 0 to <5 microg/L, 5 to <10 microg/L, >or=10 microg/L. Repeated measurement models and survival analyses were used to determine the relationship between DDE and PCBs and characteristics of breast feeding while controlling for cohort effects, maternal age at delivery, education, and smoking during pregnancy. We focused on 176 pregnancies of 91 mothers who had maternal exposure information and gave birth between 1969 and 1995. Initiation of breast feeding was lowered by 39.5% and duration shortened by 66.4% in children of mothers who smoked during pregnancy. In children of non-smoking mothers, the incidence ratio for breast-feeding initiation was 0.45 [95% CI 0.15, 0.94] and 0.42 [95% CI 0.10, 1.03] when maternal DDE concentrations were 5 to <10 microg/L and >or=10 microg/L respectively, compared with the lowest DDE exposure group. In these offspring (of non-smoking mothers), breast-feeding duration was shorter when DDE concentrations were higher: 13 weeks for >or=10 microg/L DDE, compared with 21.7 weeks for lower DDE. We did not detect any association between PCBs and breast feeding. In the absence of the distorting effects of maternal smoking, DDE exposure may decrease initiation and duration of breast feeding.

An environmentally-relevant mixture of organochlorines and its vehicle control, dimethylsulfoxide, induce ultrastructural alterations in porcine oocytes

Organochlorine chemicals accumulate in the environment, particularly in the Arctic, and constitute potential developmental hazards to wildlife and human health. Although some of their harmful effects are recognized, their mechanisms of action within the target cells need to be better understood. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that an environmentally-relevant organochlorine mixture alters oocyte ultrastructure in the porcine model. Immature cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs), partially cultured (18 hr) COCs without treatment or exposed to the organochlorine mixture or its vehicle (0.1% dimethysulfoxide; DMSO) during culture were processed for light and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM). The organochlorines induced major ultrastructural changes in the COCs: decreased density of the lipid droplets, increased smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) volume and increased interactions among SER, mitochondria, lipid droplets and vesicles. We suggest that these ultrastructural changes facilitate energy formation necessary to produce metabolizing enzymes. Other ultrastructural changes may reflect some degree of organochlorine toxicity: fewer gap junctions and decreased electron density of the cortical granules. Unexpectedly, the DMSO control treatment also induced similar ultrastructural changes, but to a lesser degree than the organochlorine mixture. This study is the first to demonstrate the effect of environmental contaminants on mammalian oocyte ultrastructure.

Maternal concentration of polychlorinated biphenyls and dichlorodiphenyl dichlorethylene and birth weight in Michigan fish eaters: a cohort study

BACKGROUND

Studies on maternal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) reported inconsistent findings regarding birth weight: some studies showed no effect, some reported decreased birth weight, and one study found an increase in weights. These studies used different markers of exposure, such as measurement of PCBs in maternal serum or questionnaire data on fish consumption. Additionally maternal exposures, such as dichlorodiphenyl-dichloroethylene (DDE), which are related to PCB exposure and may interfere with the PCB effect, were rarely taken into account.

METHODS

Between 1973 and 1991, the Michigan Department of Community Health conducted three surveys to assess PCB and DDE serum concentrations in Michigan anglers. Through telephone interviews with parents, we gathered information on the birth characteristics of their offspring, focusing on deliveries that occurred after 1968. We used the maternal organochlorine (OC) measurement closest to the date of delivery as the exposure. Although one mother may have contributed more than one child, serum concentrations derived from measurements in different surveys could vary for different children from the same mother. The maternal DDE and PCB serum concentrations were categorized as follows: 0 -< 5 microg / L, 5 -< 15 microg / L, 15 -< 25 microg / L, >or=25 microg / L. Using repeated measurement models (Generalized Estimation Equation), we estimated the adjusted mean birth weight controlling for gender, birth order, gestational age, date of delivery as well as maternal age, height, education, and smoking status.

RESULTS

We identified 168 offspring who were born after 1968 and had maternal exposure information. We found a reduced birth weight for the offspring of mothers who had a PCB concentration >or=25 microg / L (adjusted birth weight = 2,958 g, p = 0.022). This group, however, was comprised of only seven observations. The association was not reduced when we excluded preterm deliveries. The birth weight of offspring was increased in women with higher DDE concentrations when controlling for PCBs; however, this association was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Our results contribute to the body of evidence that high maternal serum PCB concentration may reduce the birth weight in offspring. However, only a small proportion of mothers may actually be exposed to PCB concentrations >or=25 microg / L.

Environmental factors associated with a spectrum of neurodevelopmental deficits

A number of environmental agents have been shown to demonstrate neurotoxic effects either in human or laboratory animal studies. Critical windows of vulnerability to the effects of these agents occur both pre- and postnatally. The nervous system is relatively unique in that different parts are responsible for different functional domains, and these develop at different times (e.g., motor control, sensory, intelligence and attention). In addition, the many cell types in the brain have different windows of vulnerability with varying sensitivities to environmental agents. This review focuses on two environmental agents, lead and methylmercury, to illustrate the neurobehavioral and cognitive effects that can result from early life exposures. Special attention is paid to distinguishing between the effects detected following episodes of poisoning and those detected following lower dose exposures. Perinatal and childhood exposure to high doses of lead results in encephalopathy and convulsions. Lower-dose lead exposures have been associated with impairment in intellectual function and attention. At high levels of prenatal exposure, methylmercury produces mental retardation, cerebral palsy and visual and auditory deficits in children of exposed mothers. At lower levels of methylmercury exposure, the effects in children have been more subtle. Other environmental neurotoxicants that have been shown to produce developmental neurotoxicity include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, pesticides, ionizing radiation, environmental tobacco smoke, and maternal use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and cocaine. Exposure to environmental agents with neurotoxic effects can result in a spectrum of adverse outcomes from severe mental retardation and disability to more subtle changes in function depending on the timing and dose of the chemical agent.

Great lakes research--important human health findings and their impact on ATSDR's Superfund research program

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) was created by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, commonly known as Superfund. ATSDR is the principal United States federal public health agency involved with issues of public health and applied science concerning the human health impact of living in the vicinity of a hazardous waste site, or emergencies resulting from unplanned releases of hazardous substances into community environments. In pursuing these mandates, ATSDR's mission is to prevent exposure and adverse human health effects and diminished quality of life associated with exposure to hazardous substances from waste sites, unplanned releases, and other sources of pollution present in the environment. There are more than 2,000 toxic substances found at hazardous waste sites in the United States. ATSDR has developed a prioritized list of 275 substances that pose the greatest hazard to human health. In conducting its work ATSDR has identified data gaps in knowledge about the toxicity of various hazardous substances as well as gaps in human exposure characterization. As part of its mandate, ATSDR initiated a Substance-Specific Applied Research Program (SSARP) to address these data gaps. The ATSDR Great Lakes Human Health Effects Research Program (GLHHERP) is a congressionally-mandated research program that characterizes exposure to persistent toxic substances and investigates the potential for adverse health outcome in at-risk populations. The research findings from this program in the areas of exposure, sociodemographic data, and health effects have significant public health implications for ATSDR's Superfund research activities.

Metabolism of PCBs by the deepwater sculpin (Myoxocephalus thompsoni)

Methylsulfonyl-PCBs (MeSO2-PCBs) are hydrophobic organic contaminants that bioaccumulate in the environment similar to their parent molecules, PCBs. Previously, MeSO2-PCBs have primarily been identified in tissues of birds, humans, and other mammals. However, evidence now supports formation of these metabolites in deepwater sculpin, Myoxocephalus thompsoni, a benthic forage fish predominant in the Great Lakes. The ability of deepwater sculpin to form MeSO2-PCBs is unprecedented for a freshwater fish species and presents a novel biochemical pathway for organochlorine metabolism. Additionally, this appears to be a unique PCB metabolic pathway resulting in a reduction of as much as 10% in the sculpin PCB burden, which is further transformed into another class of organic contaminants in the Great Lakes ecosystem.

Impaired maturation, fertilization, and embryonic development of porcine oocytes following exposure to an environmentally relevant organochlorine mixture

The reproductive health risks related to exposure to persistent organic pollutants in the environment remain controversial. This debate is partly because most studies have investigated only one or two chemicals at a time, whereas populations are exposed to a large spectrum of persistent chemicals in their environment. Using the pig as a toxicological model, we hypothesized that exposing immature cumulus-oocyte complexes to an organochlorine mixture during in vitro maturation (IVM) would adversely affect oocyte maturation, fertilization, and subsequent embryo development. This organochlorine mixture mimics that which contaminates the Arctic marine food chain. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were cultured in IVM medium containing increasing concentrations of the organochlorine mixture, similar to that found in women of highly exposed populations. Organochlorines reduced the quality of cumulus expansion and the viability of cumulus cells in a dose-response manner. The proportion of apoptotic cumulus cells also increased due to organochlorine exposure. Half of the oocytes were fixed after insemination, and the remainders were cultured for 8 days. Concentrations of organochlorines did not affect the rates of oocyte degeneration, sperm penetration, and development to morula. However, incidence of incompletely matured oocytes increased and polyspermy rate decreased, both in a dose-response manner with increasing organochlorine concentrations. Blastocyst formation and number of cells per blastocyst declined with organochlorine concentration. Exposing porcine cumulus-oocyte complexes to an environmentally pertinent organochlorine mixture during IVM disturbs oocyte development, supporting recent concerns that such pollutants harm reproductive health in humans and other mammalian species.

Developmental considerations of neurotoxic exposures

In this article, the authors provide a conceptual framework in which to consider alternative approaches to identify the developmental consequences of exposing the developing brain to neurotoxic substances. Concepts underlying brain development and issues regarding neurobehavioral testing in children are reviewed. In addition, the authors selectively review preclinical data identifying mechanisms contributing to neurobehavioral compromise, and clinical data identifying deficits resulting from exposure to two classes of neurotoxins: exposure to drugs of abuse, including alcohol, nicotine, and cocaine; and exposure to environmental agents, including lead, methyl-mercury, PCBs, and organophosphorus compounds.

Health risks to infants from exposure to PCBs, PCDDs and PCDFs

Global contamination by a variety of anthropogenic persistent organic chemicals, such as dioxins and PCBs, has resulted in human exposure throughout all phases of development. Detectable concentrations of PCBs and dioxins have been found in amniotic fluid, placenta and foetal tissue samples while infants who are breast-fed can obtain blood levels greater than those of their mother's. In two separate food poisoning episodes where infants were exposed in utero to elevated levels of heat-degraded PCBs (PCBs, PCQs, PCDFs), a variety of adverse mental and physical developmental abnormalities have been observed. In additional human cohorts where exposure could be considered as environmental or background, more subtle effects, including lower birth weights, alterations in thyroid hormones and lymphocyte subpopulations and detriments in neurological development, have been consistently seen. In most instances, negative associations were made between in utero exposure to contaminants compared with lactational. Although the observed neurodevelopmental deficits have been described as subtle, there could be unknown consequences related to future intellectual functionality. Current regulatory efforts should focus on identification and control of environment and food chain contamination as in utero exposure is a direct consequence of the accumulated maternal body burdens.

Dioxin-like and non-dioxin-like toxic effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs): implications for risk assessment

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic contaminants in the environment. Individual PCB congeners exhibit different physicochemical properties and biological activities that result in different environmental distributions and toxicity profiles. The variable composition of PCB residues in environmental matrices and their different mechanisms of toxicity complicate the development of scientifically based regulations for the risk assessment. In this article various approaches for the assessment of risks of PCBs have been critically examined. Recent developments in the toxic equivalency factor (TEF) approach for the assessment of toxic effects due to dioxin-like PCBs have been examined. PCB exposure studies that describe non-dioxin-like toxic effects, particularly neurobehavioral effects and their effective doses in animals were compiled. A comparative assessment of effective doses for dioxin-like and non-dioxin-like effects by PCBs has been made to evaluate the relative significance of non-ortho-and ortho-substituted PCBs in risk assessment. Using mink as an example, relative merits and implications of using TEF and total PCB approaches for assessing the potential for toxic effects in wildlife was examined. There are several advantages and limitations associated with each method used for PCB risk assessment. Toxic effects due to coplanar PCBs occur at relatively smaller concentrations than those due to non-dioxin-like PCBs and therefore the TEF approach derives the risk assessment of PCBs, in the environment. The need for the refinement of TEF approach for more accurate assessment of risks is discussed.

Environmental endocrine modulators and human health: an assessment of the biological evidence

Recently, a great deal of attention and interest has been directed toward the hypothesis that exposure, particularly in utero exposure, to certain environmental chemicals might be capable of causing a spectrum of adverse effects as a result of endocrine modulation. In particular, the hypothesis has focused on the idea that certain organochlorine and other compounds acting as weak estrogens have the capability, either alone or in combination, to produce a variety of adverse effects, including breast, testicular and prostate cancer, adverse effects on male reproductive tract, endometriosis, fertility problems, alterations of sexual behavior, learning disability or delay, and adverse effects on immune and thyroid function. While hormones are potent modulators of biochemical and physiological function, the implication that exposure to environmental hormones (e.g., xenoestrogens) has this capability is uncertain. While it is reasonable to hypothesize that exposure to estrogen-like compounds, whatever their source, could adversely affect human health, biological plausibility alone is an insufficient basis for concluding that environmental endocrine modulators have adversely affected humans. Diethylstilbestrol (DES) is a potent, synthetic estrogen administered under a variety of dosing protocols to millions of women in the belief (now known to be mistaken) that it would prevent miscarriage. As a result of this use, substantial in utero exposure to large numbers of male and female offspring occurred. Numerous studies have been conducted on the health consequences of in utero DES exposure among the adult offspring of these women. There are also extensive animal data on the effects of DES and there is a high degree of concordance between effects observed in animals and humans. The extensive human data in DES-exposed cohorts provide a useful basis for assessing the biological plausibility that potential adverse effects might occur following in utero exposure to compounds identified as environmental estrogens. The effects observed in both animals and humans following in utero exposure to sufficient doses of DES are consistent with basic principles of dose response as well as the possibility of maternal dose levels below which potential non-cancer effects may not occur. Significant differences in estrogenic potency between DES and chemicals identified to date as environmental estrogens, as well as an even larger number of naturally occurring dietary phytoestrogens, must be taken into account when inferring potential effects from in utero exposure to any of these substances. The antiestrogenic properties of many of these same exogenous compounds might also diminish net estrogenic effects. Based on the extensive data on DES-exposed cohorts, it appears unlikely that in utero exposure to usual levels of environmental estrogenic substances, from whatever source, would be sufficient to produce many of the effects (i.e., endometriosis, adverse effects on the male reproductive tract, male and female fertility problems, alterations of sexual behavior, learning problems, immune system effects or thyroid effects) hypothesized as potentially resulting from exposure to chemicals identified to date as environmental estrogens.

A multigeneration study to ascertain the toxicological effects of Great Lakes salmon fed to rats: study overview and design

Fish from the Great Lakes can be contaminated with a plethora of industrial, agricultural, and environmental chemicals. These chemicals have been associated with reproductive and other toxicological effects in fish and fish-eating birds found in the Great Lakes basin. To obtain more insight into this association, several laboratory studies have been undertaken wherein fish have been incorporated into the experimental diets to determine the effect of their ingestion upon the test animals. In addition, several human epidemiological studies have found correlations between Great Lakes fish consumption and effects in neonates which have been attributed to polychlorinated biphenyls without any appreciable consideration as to what synergistic or antagonistic effects other chemicals or heavy metals may or may not have contributed to the observed findings. Herein is presented the design of a two-generation feeding-reproduction study that incorporated lyophilized chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tsawytscha) fillets into the diets of Sprague-Dawley rats. The findings of this study will be presented in the sections which follow.

The health Canada Great Lakes multigeneration study--summary and regulatory considerations

The Health Canada Multigeneration Study was initiated to determine the consequences in rodents consuming diets containing Lake Ontario (LO) or Lake Huron (LH) chinook salmon over successive generations. Following lyophilization, the contaminant levels in the salmon used in the formulation of the diets for this study exceeded a number of tolerances or guidelines established for contaminants in commercial fish and seafood products (PCBs, dioxin, mirex, chlordanes, mercury). Consumption of the fish diets by rats of two consecutive generations resulted in a variety of effects that can be described as adaptive responses or of limited biological significance. The two exceptions to this were (1) the suggestion of modification of working and reference memory in males of the high-dose groups 20% fish diets, which may have been related to decreases noted in neurotransmitters in several brain regions in these rats; and (2) an effect on thymus weights noted in the high-dose first generation (F1) reversibility study animals and an overall effect on T-helper/inducer lymphocyte subset numbers in the second generation (F2) male rats fed the LH diets compared to the LO diets. Relatively minor effects were observed in the rats consuming the 5% fish diets from either Great Lakes location (LH-5, LH-5), although their fish intake was approximately 16-fold greater on a daily basis than the average angler consuming Great Lakes sport fish (compared to a 60-fold greater intake in the 20% diet groups: LH-20, LO-20). Based on these study results with rats it would appear that for the average consumer of Great Lakes sports fish, the risk presented by the complex mixture of contaminants in chinook salmon collected from these two locations in the Great Lakes basin could be considered minimal, especially if sport fish consumption advisories are followed.

Effects of Great Lakes fish consumption on the immune system of Sprague-Dawley rats investigated during a two-generation reproductive study

The effects of Great Lakes fish on food consumption, body and organ weights, and hematological parameters were investigated in the first- (F1) and second- (F2) generation Sprague-Dawley rats assigned to immunological studies. The parent- (F0) generation rats were fed either a control diet or diets containing 5 or 20% lyophilized chinook salmon from Credit River (Lake Ontario, LO) or Owen Sound (Lake Huron, LH). The F1 and F2 pups were exposed to the fish diet in utero, through the dam's milk to 21 days of age and through the respective diets to 13 weeks of age. The study included an F1-reversibility (F1-R) phase in which rats at 13 weeks of exposure to fish or control diets were switched to the control diet for 3 months. Statistically significant effects included increased growth rates in the F1 male rats fed the LH fish diets compared to those fed the LO fish diets; increased liver weights in the F2-generation male rats fed the LH-20% and LO-20% diets compared to those fed the 5% fish diets; reduced thymus weights in the F1-R female rats fed the LO-20% fish diet compared to those fed the LO-5% or LH-20% fish diets and in the F2 male rats fed the LO diets compared to those fed the LH diets; increased kidney weights in the F2 male rats fed the LH-20% diet compared to those fed the LH-5% or LO-20% diets; reduced but reversible effects on red blood cell (RBC), white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil, lymphocyte, and monocyte numbers in the F1-generation female rats fed the fish diets; reduced red blood cell (RBC), white blood cell (WBC), and lymphocyte numbers in the F2 male rats fed the LO diets compared to those fed the LH diets; and reduced WBC and lymphocyte numbers in the F2 female rats fed the LO-20% diet compared to those fed the LH-20% fish diet. These results suggested that long-term exposure to Great Lakes fish contaminants may have adverse effects on some immune-related parameters. The impact of such changes on the functional aspects of the immune system of rats and consequently on human health needs to be further investigated.

Environmental exposures that affect the endocrine system: public health implications

In recent years much attention has been focused on the potential for a wide range of xenobiotic chemicals to interact with and disrupt the endocrine systems of animal and human populations. An overview of the chemicals that have been implicated as endocrine disruptors is presented. The ubiquity in the environment and associated body burdens of these chemicals in human populations are described. Potential mechanisms of action are reviewed, including the role of specific intracellular receptors and their interactions with endogenous and exogenous materials. The subsequent upregulation or downregulation of physiological processes at critical stages of development is discussed. The potential for joint toxic action and interaction of chemical mixtures is also discussed. The acknowledged role of wildlife populations as sentinels of potential human health effects is reviewed, and the weight of evidence for the role and impact of endocrine disruptors is presented. The implications of exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals for human health are reviewed, with special emphasis on the potential for transgenerational effects in at-risk populations. Recommendations for future research include the development of (1) structural activity and in vivo and in vitro functional toxicology methods to screen chemicals for their endocrine-disrupting ability, (2) biomarkers of exposure and effect, and (3) in situ sentinel systems.

Lack of effects of some individual polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners on human lymphocyte functions in vitro

The structural similarities between polybrominated diphenyl ethers and immunotoxic halogenated aromatic compounds suggest that the polybrominated diphenyl ethers might affect the immune system. The present study was undertaken to investigate the immunological effects of some purified PBDE-congeners on human lymphocyte function in vitro. Polychlorinated biphenyl congeners were also included in the study. Mitogen-induced DNA synthesis and immunoglobulin synthesis by lymphocytes from blood donors were examined following polybrominated diphenyl ether or polychlorinated biphenyl exposure in vitro in order to determine the immunotoxic potential of these substances. No effects on mitogen-induced proliferation or immunoglobulin synthesis were observed after exposure of cells to concentrations up to 10(-5) M. The negative findings in this study indicate that certain functions of human peripheral lymphocytes, i.e. proliferation and immunoglobulin synthesis, are insensitive to the direct action of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polychlorinated biphenyls. Our results are in accordance with other recent studies in which no effects on immunological parameters were demonstrated by exposure of lymphocytes to polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons in vitro.

Harmonizing human health studies in the Great Lakes

Epidemiological studies of exposed human populations can provide valuable evidence of human health effects. Information has been sparse on human health effects associated with consumption of contaminated Great Lakes fish. As part of its Great Lakes Human Health Effects Research Program, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has funded ten projects. Of these studies, eight are epidemiologic investigations of human exposure and potential health effects from consumption of contaminated fish. To strengthen and to enhance the findings and comparability across the health studies, ATSDR has initiated several activities. These activities include harmonizing questionnaires, analytical protocols, human health end points, and contaminants tested. Also included is the establishment of a quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) program and tissue bank. These activities will allow ATSDR to enhance exposure assessment in the Great Lakes basin. In addition, these research activities allow ATSDR to evaluate and to interpret data across all the projects, including a basin-wide health risk analysis on exposure, levels of contaminants or body burden, and the potential for human health effects from exposure to Great Lakes contaminants.

Persistent pesticides in Mexico

As part of the recent increase in the international interest in persistent organic pollutants and their environmental and health hazards, it was found that although most of them have been severely controlled in developed countries, in most developing countries--including Mexico--their import, use, and in some cases production have continued up to the present without sufficient or adequate controls. Despite the large and continuing use of persistent organic chemicals in Mexico in agriculture, public health, and industry, data on their import, production, use, disposal, and the presence of their residues in the environment, food, and human tissues are extremely scarce and widely dispersed. This review is devoted only to the use of persistent pesticides in Mexico; it is the first effort to locate, gather, and analyze this information and to summarize and discuss the past and current situation of the control of these chemicals in Mexico. This review discusses the general background for the use of these pesticides in the country, including historical development, the reasons for substitution by less persistent products in crops intended for export, and the undesirable effect of this substitution on the health of migratory agricultural workers. The current status of the legal framework for the control of pesticides in Mexico is presented with emphasis on its slow and haphazard development; the legal, technical, and administrative reasons for the insufficient enforcement and oversight of the existing regulations and standards are highlighted. The low priority of this research area for the Mexican science and technology authorities and the negative consequences of this low priority on the existence of sufficient reliable data on pesticide residues in the environment and humans in Mexico are also discussed. The available data on production and uses of persistent pesticides in Mexico are presented, and the existing information on their residues in the environment, biota, food, and human tissues in the country is summarized; maps with the location of the main studies are included to stress the lack of information for most of the country, especially for remote areas and regions of agriculture devoted to crops for local, domestic, or self-consumption. The major characteristics of these studies are discussed in specific sections and, on this basis, a general comment on the current situation and forecast for the near future is made. The conclusions summarize the information presented, with particular emphasis on the need to improve and update the legal framework and strengthen the technical and administrative infrastructure essential for the oversight and control of the regulations. The urgency of carrying out new studies, in particular interdisciplinary studies, to establish the current pattern for pollution by these chemicals in Mexico is stressed.

Immunotoxicity of PCBs (Aroclors) in relation to Great Lakes

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are among the most widespread environmental pollutants and a prominent contaminant of the Great Lakes basin. Due to their resistance to biodegradation and lipophilic properties, PCBs bioaccumulate in fish tissues and in fish-eating humans. PCBs are also known to cross the placenta and to be excreted into the mother's milk, thus predisposing the infant to potentially adverse health effects. For example, a higher incidence of bacterial infections was reported for breast-fed infants born to mothers who consumed large amounts of Great Lakes fish compared to the incidence in control infants whose mothers ingested low amounts of fish. While data regarding the PCB-induced immunotoxic effects in humans are scarce, data derived from the use of experimental animals, including nonhuman primates, indicate that the immune system is a potential target for the immunotoxic effects of PCBs. Such studies have used the commercially available PCB mixtures alone. However, PCBs have the potential of partially antagonizing the effects of other structurally related compounds including the highly toxic dioxins, which are also present in small amounts in the Great Lakes. Thus, to fully evaluate the magnitude of the immunotoxic risk PCBs pose to humans, consideration should be given to investigations in which the interactive effects of PCBs are combined with other contaminants present in the Great Lakes.

Arctic air pollution and human health: what effects should be expected?

Persistent contaminants such as heavy metals and organochlorine compounds are transported from distant sources to the Arctic by oceanic and atmospheric currents. Natives inhabiting the Arctic can be exposed, because they exist at the highest trophic level of the arctic aquatic food chain, along which biomagnification of contaminants occurs. We reviewed the data available on heavy metal and organochlorine body burden in natives from different regions of Nunavik (northern Québec) and assessed the potential risk of health effects. In addition, we investigated the relationship between each contaminant plasma level and omega-3 fatty acid content of plasma phospholipid, a surrogate measure for aquatic food consumption. Cadmium exposure appears to be unrelated to the consumption of species from the aquatic food chain (r = 0.0004; P = 0.99), whereas PCBs and mercury were (r = 0.49 and 0.52, respectively; P < or = 0.0001). Mean blood mercury levels measured in northern Québec natives were below those associated with significant neurological disorders. Typical daily intakes of dioxin-like compounds, PCBs, DDE, and dieldrin were estimated from the mean concentration in milk fat and pharmacokinetic models. The calculated PCB intake (0.3 microgram/kg/day) exceeds the acceptable daily intake, with effects on reproduction and development being the most relevant to assess in future epidemiological studies.

Reproductive toxicity of Aroclor-1254: effects on oocyte, spermatozoa, in vitro fertilization, and embryo development in the mouse

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been reported to adversely affect reproduction in laboratory and wild animals. The present study was undertaken to determine the toxic potential of Aroclor-1254 (A-1254) on in vitro fertilizing ability of oocytes and epididymal sperm and on preimplantation embryo development in the mouse. A-1254 was added to the IVF medium at concentrations of 0.01, 0.1, 1.0, and 10.0 micrograms/mL. Cumulus masses containing the oocytes were obtained from superovulated B6D2F1 mice and were placed in the culture medium containing A-1254 to which epididymal sperm, capacitated in a medium without A-1254, were added. The IVF rate was assessed 20 to 24 h after insemination. A-1254 significantly reduced the mean percent ova fertilized even at 0.1 microgram/mL. Incubation of the cumulus masses in various concentrations of A-1254 for 6 h, followed by insemination with sperm capacitated in the presence of A-1254, also significantly reduced the IVF rate. Capacitation of sperm in A-1254-containing medium, followed by coculture with untreated oocytes, failed to affect the IVF rate. No significant effect on sperm motility was observed following exposure to 1 and 10 micrograms/mL of A-1254. Estradiol-17 beta also reduced the IVF rate, however, the effect of A-1254 was more severe compared to the estradiol treatment. Furthermore, addition of A-1254 to the embryo culture medium was associated with a significant decrease in embryo growth at 48 h and 96 h. These results demonstrate adverse effects of A-1254 on oocytes, IVF, and embryonic development in the mouse.

Effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on in vitro fertilization in the mouse

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are industrial chemicals that are long-lasting global environmental contaminants. PCBs have been reported to adversely affect reproduction in laboratory and wild animals by reducing the incidence of breeding and the survival rate of young. The present study was undertaken to determine the toxic potential of PCBs on in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the mouse. Aroclor 1221, 1254, and 1268, and 3, 3', 4, 4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (TCB), a PCB congener, were added to IVF medium at various concentrations (0.01, 0.1, 1, and 10 micrograms/mL). Cumulus masses containing oocytes were obtained from superovulated B6D2F1 mice and cultured in medium containing PCB to which capacitated sperm were added. Oocytes were assessed for fertilization 20 to 24 h after insemination. A-1221, A-1268, and TCB reduced the fertilization rate at the 1 microgram/mL and 10 micrograms/mL doses, while inhibition of fertilization by A-1254 reached significance at 0.1 microgram/ml. Furthermore, all of these chemicals caused an increased incidence of degenerative ova and abnormal 2-cell embryos at the higher dose levels (1 microgram/mL and 10 micrograms/mL). The results suggest that higher dosages of PCB and TCB adversely affect fertilization and cause an increased incidence of degeneration of oocytes and abnormality in the early mouse embryos.

Interactive cytogenetic effects on rat bone-marrow due to chronic ingestion of 2,5,2',5' and 3,4,3',4' PCBs

Rats who were fed low doses of single PCBs, either 2,5,2',5' or 3,4,3',4', did not demonstrate any chromosome breakage or mitotic changes in their bone marrow cells. However, there was a significant increase in chromosome damage observed in bone marrow cells of rats ingesting 10 ppm 2,5,2',5' plus 0.1 ppm 3,3,3',4' in combination. It is suggested that this PCB combination, previously found to cause superadditive chromosome damage in vitro, is also capable of causing chromosome damage in vivo, but these effects do not compromise cell proliferation because the mitotic index is not depressed.