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Burns JS, Bather JR, Sergeyev O, Lee MM, Korrick SA, Sokolov S, Kovalev S, Koch HM, Lebedev AT, Mínguez-Alarcón L, Hauser R, Williams PL. Longitudinal association of prepubertal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations with pubertal progression among a cohort of boys. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 233:116330. [PMID: 37348639 PMCID: PMC10575624 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116330] [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: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epidemiological studies have reported associations of anti-androgenic phthalate metabolite concentrations with later onset of male puberty, but few have assessed associations with progression. OBJECTIVES We examined the association of prepubertal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations with trajectories of pubertal progression among Russian boys. METHODS At enrollment (ages 8-9 years), medical history, dietary, and demographic information were collected. At entry and annually to age 19 years, physical examinations including testicular volume (TV) were performed and spot urines collected. Each boy's prepubertal urine samples were pooled, and 15 phthalate metabolites were quantified by isotope dilution LC-MS/MS at Moscow State University. Metabolites of anti-androgenic parent phthalates were included: butylbenzyl (BBzP), di-n-butyl (DnBP), diisobutyl (DiBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) (DEHP) and diisononyl (DiNP) phthalates. We calculated the molar sums of DEHP, DiNP, and all AAP metabolites. We used group-based trajectory models (GBTMs) to identify subgroups of boys who followed similar pubertal trajectories from ages 8-19 years based on annual TV. We used multinomial and ordinal regression models to evaluate whether prepubertal log-transformed phthalate metabolite concentrations were associated with slower or faster pubertal progression trajectories, adjusting for covariates. RESULTS 304 boys contributed a total of 752 prepubertal urine samples (median 2, range: 1-6) for creation of individual pools. The median length of follow-up was 10.0 years; 79% of boys were followed beyond age 15. We identified three pubertal progression groups: slower (34%), moderate (43%), and faster (23%) progression. A standard deviation increase in urinary log-monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) concentrations was associated with higher adjusted odds of being in the slow versus faster pubertal progression trajectory (aOR 1.47, 95% CI 1.06-2.04). None of the other phthalate metabolites were associated with pubertal progression. CONCLUSIONS On average, boys with higher concentrations of prepubertal urinary MBzP had a slower tempo of pubertal progression, perhaps attributable to the disruption of androgen-dependent biological pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Burns
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, 14th Floor, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - J R Bather
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 2, 4th Floor, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - O Sergeyev
- Group of Epigenetic Epidemiology, Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskye Gory, House 1, Building 40, Room 322, 119992, Moscow, Russia
| | - M M Lee
- Nemours Children's Health/Sidney Kimmel Medical School, Jefferson University, 1600 Rockland Road, Wilmington, DE, USA
| | - S A Korrick
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, 14th Floor, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 401 Park Drive, 3rd Floor West, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - S Sokolov
- Chemistry Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Leninskie Gory 1/3, Russia
| | - S Kovalev
- Chemistry Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Leninskie Gory 1/3, Russia
| | - H M Koch
- Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance - Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum (IPA), Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany
| | - A T Lebedev
- Chemistry Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Leninskie Gory 1/3, Russia
| | - L Mínguez-Alarcón
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, 14th Floor, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 401 Park Drive, 3rd Floor West, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - R Hauser
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, 14th Floor, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Kresge Building, 9th Floor, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - P L Williams
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 2, 4th Floor, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Kresge Building, 9th Floor, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
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Burns JS, Sergeyev O, Lee MM, Williams PL, Mínguez-Alarcón L, Plaku-Alakbarova B, Sokolov S, Kovalev S, Koch HM, Lebedev AT, Hauser R, Korrick SA. Associations of prepubertal urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations with pubertal onset among a longitudinal cohort of boys. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113218. [PMID: 35390299 PMCID: PMC9310051 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although phthalate exposures have been associated with adverse effects on male reproductive health, few studies have explored longitudinal associations with male pubertal development. OBJECTIVES We examined the association of prepubertal urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites with age at pubertal onset in a prospective cohort of Russian boys. METHODS At enrollment at ages 8-9 years, medical history, dietary, and demographic information was collected. At entry and annually, physical examinations and pubertal staging [Genitalia (G), Pubarche (P), and testicular volume (TV, in ml)] were conducted and spot urines were collected. Prepubertal urine samples (defined as either TV = 1, 2 and G = 1, 2 or TV = 3 and G = 1) were pooled for each boy and phthalate metabolite concentrations were quantified using isotope dilution LC-MS/MS at Moscow State University. We measured 15 metabolites including those from anti-androgenic parent phthalates (AAPs) such as di (2-ethylhexyl) (DEHP) and di-isononyl (DiNP) phthalates as well as monobenzyl (MBzP), mono-n-butyl (MnBP), and mono-isobutyl (MiBP) metabolites. We calculated the molar sums of DEHP (∑DEHP), DiNP (∑DiNP), and AAP (∑AAP) metabolites. Separate interval-censored models were used to assess associations of quartiles of prepubertal phthalate metabolites with each pubertal onset indicator, G2+, P2+ and TV > 3 mL, adjusted for covariates and urine specific gravity. RESULTS 304 boys had 752 prepubertal urine samples (median 2, range: 1-6) for pooling. In adjusted models, higher urinary AAPs were consistently associated with later pubertal onset (P2) with mean shifts ranging from 8.4 to 14.2 months for the highest versus lowest quartiles. Significantly later onset for G2 and TV > 3 mL was observed for higher versus lower quartiles of MiBP, MBzP, ∑DEHP and ∑DiNP. CONCLUSIONS On average, boys with higher concentrations of prepubertal urinary AAPs had later pubertal onset by six months to over a year. The impact of AAPs on timing of male puberty may be attributable to disruption of androgen-dependent biological pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane S Burns
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Oleg Sergeyev
- Group of Epigenetic Epidemiology, Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskye Gory, House 1, Building 40, Room 322, 119992, Moscow, Russia; Chapaevsk Medical Association, Meditsinskaya Str., 3a, Chapaevsk, Samara Region, 446100, Russia
| | - Mary M Lee
- Nemours Children's Health, 1600 Rockland Road, Wilmington, 19803, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Sidney Kimmel Medical School, Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Paige L Williams
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 2, Room 443, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave., Kresge Building, 9th Floor, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Lidia Mínguez-Alarcón
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 401 Park Drive, 3rd Floor West, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Bora Plaku-Alakbarova
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Epidemiology Division, Optuminsight Life Sciences, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sergey Sokolov
- Chemistry Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Leninskie Gory 1/3, Russian Federation
| | - Sergey Kovalev
- Chemistry Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Leninskie Gory 1/3, Russian Federation
| | - Holger M Koch
- Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance - Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum (IPA), Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, 44789, Bochum, Germany
| | - Albert T Lebedev
- Chemistry Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Leninskie Gory 1/3, Russian Federation
| | - Russ Hauser
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave., Kresge Building, 9th Floor, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Susan A Korrick
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 401 Park Drive, 3rd Floor West, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
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Agus S, Akkaya H, Daglioglu N, Eyuboglu S, Atasayan O, Mete F, Colak C, Sandal S, Yilmaz B. Polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in breast milk samples and their correlation with dietary and reproductive factors in lactating mothers in Istanbul. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:3463-3473. [PMID: 34386925 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-15863-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) continue to threaten the environment and human health. We have investigated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) in breast milk samples. A questionnaire was also obtained from the study participants. A total of 48 healthy lactating mothers (mean age: 29.5±0.8 years) living in Istanbul volunteered to participate in this study. High-resolution analyses of several OCPs and PCB congeners were done by gas chromatography. The levels of seven major PCB congeners (28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153, and 180) and eight OCPs (α-benzenehexachloride, β-benzenehexachloride, δ-benzenehexachloride, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and 2,4'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (2,4DDE), 4,4'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (4,4DDE), 2,4'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (2,4DDT), and 4,4'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (4,4DDT)) were determined. The analysis showed that the highest levels of PCBs were observed in PCB 52 (22.99±8.78 ng/g lipid), PCB 101 (12.22±7.8 ng/g lipid), PCB 28 (11.44±5.16 ng/g lipid), and PCB 153 (1.70±0.74 ng/g lipid). The highest OCPs detected were 4,4DDT (3.33±2.05 ng/g lipid) and 4,4DDE (0.86 ± 0.39 ng/g lipid), and the lowest was observed in HCB (0.016 ± 0.01 ng/g lipid). Our findings show that traces of PCBs and OCPs are still present in breast milk of lactating women living in Istanbul, and these pollutants decline in multipara women compared to primipara mothers. We also suggest that breast milk is a useful and representative biological tool for human biomonitoring of POPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sami Agus
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Yeditepe University, 34755, Atasehir, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Hatice Akkaya
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Biochemistry , University of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Nebile Daglioglu
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Forensic Medicine, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Signem Eyuboglu
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Yeditepe University, 34755, Atasehir, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ozge Atasayan
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Yeditepe University, 34755, Atasehir, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Fatih Mete
- Department of Pediatrics, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Training & Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Cemil Colak
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey
| | - Suleyman Sandal
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey
| | - Bayram Yilmaz
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, Yeditepe University, 34755, Atasehir, Istanbul, Turkey.
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Plaku-Alakbarova B, Sergeyev O, Williams PL, Burns JS, Lee MM, Hauser R, Korrick SA. Peripubertal serum levels of dioxins, furans and PCBs in a cohort of Russian boys: can empirical grouping methods yield meaningful exposure variables? CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 275:130027. [PMID: 33984909 PMCID: PMC8594624 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dioxins, furans and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are endocrine disruptors with half-lives of months to years in humans. Peripubertal exposure to these chemicals may disrupt pubertal timing. Biomarker exposure metrics like the sum of non-dioxin-like PCBs in serum (∑NDL-PCBs) involve chemicals with different hypothetical effects. Empirical exposure metrics represent an alternative that requires no knowledge of biological mechanisms. METHODS From 2003 to 2005, 516 Russian boys aged 8-9 residing near a plant that historically produced organochlorine pesticides were enrolled in the Russian Children's Study. At enrollment, blood was collected for measurement of organochlorine chemicals by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Variable cluster analysis was used to empirically group serum levels of 45 dioxins, furans and PCBs into eight cluster scores. These scores were compared to the sum of dioxin-like toxic equivalents (∑TEQs) and ∑NDL-PCBs using Spearman correlation coefficients. RESULTS Clustering appeared to reflect number and position of chlorine atoms. Clusters 4, 7 and 1 contained, respectively, tri/tetra-, tetra/penta-, and hexa/hepta-chlorinated PCBs with chlorines at the 4,4' positions. Clusters 2, 8 and 5 contained, respectively, tetra-to hexa-, hexa/hepta-, and hepta/octa-chlorinated PCBs with chlorines at the 2,2' positions. ∑NDL-PCBs were highly correlated with 4,4'-chlorinated clusters 1 and 7 (Spearman's ρ = 0.8) and less so with all other clusters (Spearman's ρ = 0.4-0.5). CONCLUSIONS In this cohort of Russian boys, baseline serum dioxins, furans and PCBs seemed to cluster by chlorination pattern, possibly reflecting shared persistence, metabolism or source of exposure. The widely used measure ∑NDL-PCB seemed most representative of 4,4'-chlorinated PCBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bora Plaku-Alakbarova
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Oleg Sergeyev
- Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskye Gory 1, Building 40, 119234, Moscow, Russia; Chapaevsk Medical Association, Meditsinskaya Str. 3a, 446100, Chapaevsk, Samara Region, Russia.
| | - Paige L Williams
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Jane S Burns
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Mary M Lee
- Nemours AI duPont Hospital for Children, 1600 Rockland Road, Wilmington, DE, USA; Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Russ Hauser
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
| | - Susan A Korrick
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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Burns JS, Williams PL, Lee MM, Revich B, Sergeyev O, Hauser R, Korrick SA. Peripubertal blood lead levels and growth among Russian boys. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2017; 106:53-59. [PMID: 28599171 PMCID: PMC5561550 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2017.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood blood lead levels (BLL) have been associated with growth impairment. OBJECTIVES We assessed associations of peripubertal BLL with adolescent growth and near adult height in a longitudinal cohort of Russian boys. METHODS 481 boys were enrolled at ages 8-9years and followed annually to age 18. At enrollment, BLL was measured, and height, weight, and pubertal staging were obtained annually during 10years of follow-up. Mixed effects models were used to assess the associations of BLL with longitudinal age-adjusted World Health OrganizationZ-scores for height (HT-Z) and body mass index (BMI-Z), and annual height velocity (HV). Interactions between boys' age and BLL on growth outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS The median (range) BLL was 3.0 (0.5-31.0) μg/dL. At age 18years, 79% of boys had achieved near adult height (HV <1.0cm/year), and means (SD) for HT-Z and BMI-Z were 0.15 (0.92) and -0.32 (1.24). Over 10years of follow-up, after covariate adjustment, boys with higher (≥5μg/dL) BLL compared with lower BLL were shorter (adjusted mean difference in HT-Z=-0.43, 95% CI -0.60, -0.25, p-value <0.001), translating to a 2.5cm lower height at age 18years. The decrement in height for boys with higher BLL was most pronounced at 12 to 15years of age (interaction p=0.03). Boys with higher BLL were leaner (adjusted mean difference in BMI-Z=-0.22, 95% CI: -0.45, 0.01, p=0.06). CONCLUSIONS Higher peripubertal BLLs were associated with shorter height through age 18years, suggesting a persistent effect of lead on linear growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane S Burns
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Paige L Williams
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mary M Lee
- Pediatric Endocrine Division, Department of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 N Lake Avenue, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Boris Revich
- Institute for Forecasting, Russian Academy of Sciences, 47 Nakhimovsky Prosp, Moscow 117418, Russia
| | - Oleg Sergeyev
- Department of Genomics and Human Genetics, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Gubkina Str. 3, Moscow 119333, Russia; Chapaevsk Medical Association, Meditsinskaya Str., 3a, Chapaevsk, Samara Region 446100, Russia
| | - Russ Hauser
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Susan A Korrick
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 181 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Sergeyev O, Burns JS, Williams PL, Korrick SA, Lee MM, Revich B, Hauser R. The association of peripubertal serum concentrations of organochlorine chemicals and blood lead with growth and pubertal development in a longitudinal cohort of boys: a review of published results from the Russian Children's Study. REVIEWS ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 2017; 32:83-92. [PMID: 28231067 PMCID: PMC5536108 DOI: 10.1515/reveh-2016-0052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Organochlorine chemicals and lead are environmental exposures that have endocrine disrupting properties (EDCs) which interfere with many aspects of hormone action. Childhood and adolescence are windows of susceptibility for adverse health effects of EDCs. Our ongoing study, the Russian Children's Study (RCS), is one of the few longitudinal studies investigating the impact of EDCs on growth and puberty in boys. It is conducted in the historically contaminated city of Chapaevsk, in the Samara region. The study focuses on evaluating the associations of persistent organochlorine chemicals and lead with growth and pubertal timing. At enrollment in 2003-2005, we collected blood from 516 boys at ages 8-9 years to measure dioxins, furans, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), chlorinated pesticides and lead. At enrollment and at annual visits through the ages of 18-19 years, a physician performed physical examinations that included pubertal staging and testicular volume measurements. We review the history of Chapaevsk as a research site and summarize published RCS data on the association of peripubertal serum concentrations of organochlorines and blood lead levels with growth, pubertal onset and sexual maturity. Overall, we found that persistent organochlorines and lead negatively affected growth during puberty. Our results also suggest that total toxic equivalents (TEQs), dioxin-like compounds, organochlorine pesticides and lead may delay, while nondioxin-like-PCBs may advance, the timing of male puberty. These findings promoted remediation programs in Chapaevsk, with improvement in health indicators, resulting in Chapaevsk being designated a member of the World Health Organization (WHO) network "Healthy Cities" in 2015.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg Sergeyev
- Department of Genomics and Human Genetics Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Chapaevsk Medical Association, Chapaevsk, Samara Region, Russia
| | - Jane S. Burns
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Paige L. Williams
- Departments of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Susan A. Korrick
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mary M. Lee
- Pediatric Endocrine Division, Departments of Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
- Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Boris Revich
- Institute for Forecasting, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Russ Hauser
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
- Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Burns JS, Lee MM, Williams PL, Korrick SA, Sergeyev O, Lam T, Revich B, Hauser R. Associations of Peripubertal Serum Dioxin and Polychlorinated Biphenyl Concentrations with Pubertal Timing among Russian Boys. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2016; 124:1801-1807. [PMID: 27187981 PMCID: PMC5089876 DOI: 10.1289/ehp154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Revised: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/02/2016] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dioxins, furans, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxin-like and non-dioxin-like, have been linked to alterations in puberty. OBJECTIVES We examined the association of peripubertal serum levels of these compounds [and their toxic equivalents (TEQs)] with pubertal onset and maturity among Russian boys enrolled at ages 8-9 years and followed prospectively through ages 17-18 years. METHODS At enrollment, 473 boys had serum dioxin-like compounds and PCBs measured. At the baseline visit and annually until age 17-18 years, a physician performed pubertal staging [genitalia (G), pubarche (P), and testicular volume (TV)]. Three hundred fifteen subjects completed the follow-up visit at 17-18 years of age. Pubertal onset was defined as TV > 3 mL, G2, or P2. Sexual maturity was defined as TV ≥ 20 mL, G5, or P5. Multivariable interval-censored models were used to evaluate associations of lipid-standardized concentrations with pubertal timing. RESULTS Medians (interquartile ranges) of the sum of dioxin-like compounds, TEQs, and non-dioxin-like PCBs were 362 pg/g lipid (279-495), 21.1 pg TEQ/g lipid (14.4-33.2), and 250 ng/g lipid (164-395), respectively. In adjusted models, the highest compared to lowest TEQ quartile was associated with later pubertal onset [TV = 11.6 months (95% CI: 3.8, 19.4); G2 = 10.1 months (95% CI: 1.4, 18.8)] and sexual maturity [TV = 11.6 months (95% CI: 5.7, 17.6); G5 = 9.7 months (95% CI: 3.1, 16.2)]. However, the highest compared to the lowest quartile of non-dioxin-like PCBs, when co-adjusted by TEQs, was associated with earlier pubertal onset [TV = -8.3 months (95% CI:-16.2, -0.3)] and sexual maturity [TV = -6.3 months (95% CI:-12.2, -0.3); G5 = -7.2 months (95% CI:-13.8, -0.6)]; the non-dioxin-like PCB associations were only significant when adjusted for TEQs. TEQs and PCBs were not significantly associated with pubic hair development. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that TEQs may delay, while non-dioxin-like PCBs advance, the timing of male puberty. Citation: Burns JS, Lee MM, Williams PL, Korrick SA, Sergeyev O, Lam T, Revich B, Hauser R. 2016. Associations of peripubertal serum dioxin and polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations with pubertal timing among Russian boys. Environ Health Perspect 124:1801-1807; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP154.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane S. Burns
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Address correspondence to J.S. Burns, Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave., Building 1, Room 1404E, Boston, MA 02115 USA. Telephone: (617) 432-1829. E-mail:
| | - Mary M. Lee
- Pediatric Endocrine Division, Department of Pediatrics, and
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Paige L. Williams
- Department of Biostatistics, and
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Susan A. Korrick
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Oleg Sergeyev
- Department of Genomics and Human Genetics, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
- Chapaevsk Medical Association, Chapaevsk, Samara Region, Russia
| | - Thuy Lam
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Gradient, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Boris Revich
- Institute for Forecasting, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Russ Hauser
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Park SH, Hong YS, Ha EH, Park H. Serum concentrations of PCBs and OCPs among prepubertal Korean children. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 23:3536-3547. [PMID: 26490932 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5578-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2015] [Accepted: 10/07/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Although children are more vulnerable than adults to environmental hazards, due to their physiological and behavioral characteristics, few studies have assessed their internal exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The objective of this study was to determine the serum levels of certain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) among pre-pubertal children in Korea and examine their variation with age and gender. We analyzed a total of 51 POPs in 214 children (age range, 7-9 years), using data from the Ewha Birth and Growth Cohort Study. To examine change over time, POP concentrations were measured at both 7 and 9 years of age in a sub-cohort of 26 children. The median and interquartile range (IQR, 25th to 75th percentiles) data for the sum of PCB congeners was 26.44 ng/g lipid (18.27-37.63 ng/g lipid). The median (IQR) concentration for the sum of OCPs was 74.82 ng/g lipid (51.11-112.45 ng/g lipid). Our results showed significant increases in serum concentrations of total PCBs with age (p = 0.0001), no gender dependence of total PCBs (p = 0.38) and total OCPs (p = 0.12), and strong correlations between individual POPs. Childhood exposure to POPs was relatively low compared to other studies carried out in different countries. However, even though the use of POPs has been banned since 2001, our results indicated that children in the general population are still exposed to various POPs. Because long-term, low-level exposure to POPs in the general population remains a concern for human health, future research should examine major routes of exposure and identification of risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Hyun Park
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, 1071, Anyangcheon-ro, Yangcheon-ku, Seoul, 158-710, Republic of Korea.
| | - Young Sun Hong
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Eun-Hee Ha
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, 1071, Anyangcheon-ro, Yangcheon-ku, Seoul, 158-710, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hyesook Park
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, 1071, Anyangcheon-ro, Yangcheon-ku, Seoul, 158-710, Republic of Korea.
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Galimova EF, Amirova ZK, Galimov SN. Dioxins in the semen of men with infertility. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 22:14566-9. [PMID: 24894758 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-014-3109-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2014] [Accepted: 05/26/2014] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to assess ejaculate contamination by polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans in male infertility. The database of 168 infertile and 49 fertile men was included in the study. Dioxin content was determined using gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry (GC/HRMS). In the ejaculate of infertile men, the content of dioxins and furans was 2.2-2.3 times higher than in fertile donors. The maximum level of the most toxic dioxin congener was detected in pathospermia. Contamination of semen of infertile men by polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans supports the hypothesis about the relationship between environmental factors and reproductive health.
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Affiliation(s)
- E F Galimova
- Central Research Laboratory, Bashkir State Medical University, 450000, Ufa, Russia.
| | - Z K Amirova
- State-financed Institution of the Republic of Bashkortostan Environmental Research and Protection Center, 450075, Ufa, Russia.
| | - Sh N Galimov
- Department of Biochemistry, Bashkir State Medical University, 450000, Ufa, Russia.
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10
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Burns JS, Williams PL, Korrick SA, Hauser R, Sergeyev O, Revich B, Lam T, Lee MM. Association between chlorinated pesticides in the serum of prepubertal Russian boys and longitudinal biomarkers of metabolic function. Am J Epidemiol 2014; 180:909-19. [PMID: 25255811 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwu212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) have been linked to adult metabolic disorders; however, few studies have examined these associations in childhood. We prospectively evaluated the associations of baseline serum OCPs (hexachlorobenzene, β-hexachlorocyclohexane, and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene) in Russian boys with subsequent repeated measurements of serum glucose, insulin, lipids, leptin, and calculated homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (IR). During 2003-2005, we enrolled 499 boys aged 8-9 years in a prospective cohort; 318 had baseline serum OCPs and serum biomarkers measured at ages 10-13 years. Multivariable generalized estimating equation and mediation regression models were used to examine associations and direct and indirect (via body mass index (BMI) (weight (kg)/height (m)(2))) effects of prepubertal OCP tertiles and quintiles with biomarkers. In multivariable models, higher p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (quintile 5 vs. quintile 1) was associated with lower leptin, with relative mean decreases of 61.8% (95% confidence interval: 48.4%, 71.7%) in models unadjusted for BMI and 22.2% (95% confidence interval: 7.1%, 34.9%) in models adjusted for BMI; the direct effect of p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene on leptin accounted for 27% of the total effect. IR prevalence was 6.6% at ages 12-13 years. Higher hexachlorobenzene (tertile 3 vs. tertile 1) was associated with higher odds of IR in models adjusted for BMI (odds ratio = 4.37, 95% confidence interval: 1.44, 13.28). These results suggest that childhood OCPs may be associated with IR and lower leptin.
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11
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Lam T, Williams PL, Burns JS, Sergeyev O, Korrick SA, Lee MM, Birnbaum LS, Revich B, Altshul LM, Patterson DG, Turner WE, Hauser R. Predictors of serum chlorinated pesticide concentrations among prepubertal Russian boys. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2013; 121:1372-1377. [PMID: 23955839 PMCID: PMC3855511 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1306480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2013] [Accepted: 08/15/2013] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Few studies have evaluated predictors of childhood exposure to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), a class of lipophilic persistent chemicals. OBJECTIVES Our goal was to identify predictors of serum OCP concentrations-hexachlorobenzene (HCB), β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH), and p,p-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p´-DDE)-among boys in Chapaevsk, Russia. METHODS Between 2003 and 2005, 499 boys 8-9 years of age were recruited in a prospective cohort. The initial study visit included a physical examination; blood collection; health, lifestyle, and food-frequency questionnaires; and determination of residential distance from a local factory complex that produced HCB and β-HCH. Fasting serum samples were analyzed for OCPs at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. General linear regression models were used to identify predictors of the boys' serum HCB, β-HCH, and p,p´-DDE concentrations. RESULTS Among 355 boys with OCP measurements, median serum HCB, β-HCH, and p,p´-DDE concentrations were 158, 167, and 284 ng/g lipid, respectively. Lower body mass index, longer breastfeeding duration, and local dairy consumption were associated with higher concentrations of OCPs. Boys who lived < 2 km from the factory complex had 64% (95% CI: 37, 96) and 57% (95% CI: 32, 87) higher mean HCB and β-HCH concentrations, respectively, than boys who lived ≥ 5 km away. Living > 3 years in Chapaevsk predicted higher β-HCH concentrations, and having parents who lacked a high school education predicted higher p,p´-DDE concentrations. CONCLUSIONS Among this cohort of prepubertal Russian boys, predictors of serum OCPs included consumption of local dairy products, longer local residence, and residential proximity to the local factory complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thuy Lam
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, and
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12
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Humblet O, Korrick SA, Williams PL, Sergeyev O, Emond C, Birnbaum LS, Burns JS, Altshul LM, Patterson DG, Turner WE, Lee MM, Revich B, Hauser R. Genetic modification of the association between peripubertal dioxin exposure and pubertal onset in a cohort of Russian boys. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2013; 121:111-117. [PMID: 23060366 PMCID: PMC3546349 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1205278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2012] [Accepted: 10/10/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to dioxins has been associated with delayed pubertal onset in both epidemiologic and animal studies. Whether genetic polymorphisms may modify this association is currently unknown. Identifying such genes could provide insight into mechanistic pathways. This is one of the first studies to assess genetic susceptibility to dioxins. OBJECTIVES We evaluated whether common polymorphisms in genes affecting either molecular responses to dioxin exposure or pubertal onset influence the association between peripubertal serum dioxin concentration and male pubertal onset. METHODS In this prospective cohort of Russian adolescent boys (n = 392), we assessed gene-environment interactions for 337 tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 46 candidate genes and two intergenic regions. Dioxins were measured in the boys' serum at age 8-9 years. Pubertal onset was based on testicular volume and on genitalia staging. Statistical approaches for controlling for multiple testing were used, both with and without prescreening for marginal genetic associations. RESULTS After accounting for multiple testing, two tag SNPs in the glucocorticoid receptor (GR/NR3C1) gene and one in the estrogen receptor-α (ESR1) gene were significant (q < 0.2) modifiers of the association between peripubertal serum dioxin concentration and male pubertal onset defined by genitalia staging, although not by testicular volume. The results were sensitive to whether multiple comparison adjustment was applied to all gene-environment tests or only to those with marginal genetic associations. CONCLUSIONS Common genetic polymorphisms in the glucocorticoid receptor and estrogen receptor-α genes may modify the association between peripubertal serum dioxin concentration and pubertal onset. Further studies are warranted to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Humblet
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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Dioxin and polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations in mother's serum and the timing of pubertal onset in sons. Epidemiology 2012; 22:827-35. [PMID: 21968773 DOI: 10.1097/ede.0b013e318230b0d1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal studies have demonstrated that timing of pubertal onset can be altered by prenatal exposure to dioxins or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), but studies of human populations have been quite limited. METHODS We assessed the association between maternal serum concentrations of dioxins and PCBs and the sons' age of pubertal onset in a prospective cohort of 489 mother-son pairs from Chapaevsk, Russia, a town contaminated with these chemicals during past industrial activity. The boys were recruited at ages 8 to 9 years, and 4 years of annual follow-up data were included in the analysis. Serum samples were collected at enrollment from both mothers and sons for measurement of dioxin and PCB concentrations using high-resolution mass spectrometry. The sons' pubertal onset--defined as pubertal stage 2 or higher for genitalia (G) or pubic hair (P), or testicular volume >3 mL--was assessed annually by the same physician. RESULTS In multivariate Cox models, elevated maternal serum PCBs were associated with earlier pubertal onset defined by stage G2 or higher (4th quartile hazard ratio = 1.7 [95% confidence interval = 1.1- 2.5]), but not for stage P2 or higher or for testicular volume >3 mL. Maternal serum concentrations of dioxin toxic equivalents were not consistently associated with the sons' pubertal onset, although a dose-related delay in pubertal onset (only for G2 or higher) was seen among boys who breast-fed for 6 months or more. CONCLUSIONS Maternal PCB serum concentrations measured 8 or 9 years after sons' births--which may reflect sons' prenatal and early-life exposures--were associated with acceleration in some, but not all, measures of pubertal onset.
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14
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Burns JS, Williams PL, Sergeyev O, Korrick SA, Lee MM, Revich B, Altshul L, Del Prato JT, Humblet O, Patterson DG, Turner WE, Starovoytov M, Hauser R. Serum concentrations of organochlorine pesticides and growth among Russian boys. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2012; 120:303-8. [PMID: 21984531 PMCID: PMC3279441 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1103743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2011] [Accepted: 10/07/2011] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Limited human data suggest an association of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) with adverse effects on children's growth. OBJECTIVE We evaluated the associations of OCPs with longitudinally assessed growth among peripubertal boys from a Russian cohort with high environmental OCP levels. METHODS A cohort of 499 boys enrolled in the Russian Children's Study between 2003 and 2005 at 8-9 years of age were followed prospectively for 4 years. At study entry, 350 boys had serum OCPs measured. Physical examinations were conducted at entry and annually. The longitudinal associations of serum OCPs with annual measurements of body mass index (BMI), height, and height velocity were examined by multivariate mixed-effects regression models for repeated measures, controlling for potential confounders. RESULTS Among the 350 boys with OCP measurements, median serum hexachlorobenzene (HCB), β-hexachlorocyclohexane (βHCH), and p,p´-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p´-DDE) concentrations were 159 ng/g lipid, 168 ng/g lipid, and 287 ng/g lipid, respectively. Age-adjusted BMI and height z-scores generally fell within the normal range per World Health Organization standards at entry and during follow-up. However, in adjusted models, boys with higher serum HCB, βHCH, and p,p´-DDE had significantly lower mean [95% confidence interval (CI)] BMI z-scores, by -0.84 (-1.23, -0.46), -1.32 (-1.70, -0.95), and -1.37 (-1.75, -0.98), respectively, for the highest versus lowest quintile. In addition, the highest quintile of p,p´-DDE was associated with a significantly lower mean (95% CI) height z-score, by -0.69 (-1.00, -0.39) than that of the lowest quintile. CONCLUSIONS Serum OCP concentrations measured at 8-9 years of age were associated with reduced growth, particularly reduced BMI, during the peripubertal period, which may affect attainment of optimal adult body mass and height.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane S Burns
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, 665 Huntington Ave., Building I, Room 1404E, Boston, MA 02115 USA.
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15
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Gasull M, Bosch de Basea M, Puigdomènech E, Pumarega J, Porta M. Empirical analyses of the influence of diet on human concentrations of persistent organic pollutants: a systematic review of all studies conducted in Spain. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2011; 37:1226-35. [PMID: 21683445 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2011.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2011] [Revised: 05/12/2011] [Accepted: 05/13/2011] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Numerous studies analyzed concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in human samples, and in many types of foods; however, food consumption is less commonly included in studies on the determinants of POP concentrations in humans, and these approaches are rarely integrated with surveys of food intake to estimate the amount and safety of human POP intake from food. OBJECTIVE To analyze the main characteristics and findings of all studies conducted in Spain that quantitatively assessed the influence of diet on human concentrations of POPs. METHODS Studies published until December 2010 (with no other time restrictions) were identified through Medline/PubMed, ISI-Thomson, ScienceDirect, and SciELO databases. RESULTS We identified 25 papers, from 19 different studies. Twelve papers were published in 2009-2010. All studies but one were based on subgroups not representative of the general population, and over half were limited to women. Serum was the most used biological matrix, while p,p'-DDE, HCB and PCBs were the most frequently analyzed compounds. Food intakes were measured with heterogeneous food frequency questionnaires. The most consistent association was between fish consumption and PCBs and HCB, followed by dairy products and PCBs. A few studies observed a relationship between meat and some POPs, whilst intake of vegetables, fruits and cereals was rarely related to POP levels. Only 3 studies did not find any relationship between dietary habits and POP concentrations. CONCLUSIONS In spite of methodological heterogeneity, the studies were able to quantify to what extent consumption of foods from animal origin (fish, milk, dairy products and meat) is related to higher body concentrations of POPs. As in a few other countries, in Spain food consumption is increasingly analyzed as a major determinant of human POP intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda Gasull
- Institut Municipal d'Investigació Mèdica, Barcelona, Spain
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Humblet O, Sergeyev O, Altshul L, Korrick SA, Williams PL, Emond C, Birnbaum LS, Burns JS, Lee MM, Revich B, Shelepchikov A, Feshin D, Hauser R. Temporal trends in serum concentrations of polychlorinated dioxins, furans, and PCBs among adult women living in Chapaevsk, Russia: a longitudinal study from 2000 to 2009. Environ Health 2011; 10:62. [PMID: 21696632 PMCID: PMC3142486 DOI: 10.1186/1476-069x-10-62] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2010] [Accepted: 06/22/2011] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The present study assessed the temporal trend in serum concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans, and biphenyls (PCBs) among residents of a Russian town where levels of these chemicals are elevated due to prior industrial activity. METHODS Two serum samples were collected from eight adult women (in 2000 and 2009), and analyzed with gas chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry. RESULTS The average total toxic equivalency (TEQ) decreased by 30% (from 36 to 25 pg/g lipid), and the average sum of PCB congeners decreased by 19% (from 291 to 211 ng/g lipid). Total TEQs decreased for seven of the eight women, and the sum of PCBs decreased for six of eight women. During this nine year period, larger decreases in serum TEQs and PCBs were found in women with greater increases in body mass index. CONCLUSIONS This study provides suggestive evidence that average serum concentrations of dioxins, furans, and PCBs are decreasing over time among residents of this town.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Humblet
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Oleg Sergeyev
- Department of Physical Education and Health, Samara State Medical University, Samara, Russia
- Chapaevsk Medical Association, Chapaevsk, Russia
| | - Larisa Altshul
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Environmental Health and Engineering, Inc., Needham, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Susan A Korrick
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Paige L Williams
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Claude Emond
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- BioSimulation Consulting Inc., Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jane S Burns
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mary M Lee
- Pediatric Endocrinology Division, Departments of Pediatrics and Cell Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Boris Revich
- Center for Demography and Human Ecology, Institute for Forecasting, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey Shelepchikov
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Denis Feshin
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Russ Hauser
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Burns JS, Williams PL, Sergeyev O, Korrick S, Lee MM, Revich B, Altshul L, Del Prato JT, Humblet O, Patterson DG, Turner WE, Needham LL, Starovoytov M, Hauser R. Serum dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls are associated with growth among Russian boys. Pediatrics 2011; 127:e59-68. [PMID: 21187307 PMCID: PMC3010086 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2009-3556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We evaluated the associations of serum dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) with longitudinally assessed growth measurements among peripubertal Russian boys. METHODS A total of 499 boys from Chapaevsk, Russia, aged 8 to 9 years were enrolled in the study from 2003 to 2005 and were followed prospectively for 3 years. Blood samples were collected and physical examinations were conducted at entry and repeated at annual study visits. Multivariate mixed-effects regression models for repeated measures were used to examine the associations of serum dioxins and PCBs with longitudinal measurements of BMI, height, and height velocity. RESULTS Serum dioxin (total 2005 toxic equivalency [TEQ] median: 21.1 pg/g lipid) and PCBs (median sum of PCBs: 250 ng/g lipid) were measured in 468 boys. At study entry and during 3 years of follow-up, >50% of the boys had age-adjusted BMI and height z scores within 1 SD of World Health Organization-standardized mean values for age. Boys in the highest exposure quintile of the sum of dioxin and PCB concentrations and total TEQs had a significant decrease in mean BMI z scores of 0.67 for dioxins and TEQs and 1.04 for PCBs, compared with boys in the lowest exposure quintile. Comparison of the highest versus the lowest quintile revealed that higher serum PCB concentrations were associated with significantly lower height z scores (mean z-score decrease: 0.41) and height velocity (mean decrease: 0.19 cm/year) after 3 years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that exposures to dioxins and PCBs are associated with reduced growth during the peripubertal period and may compromise adult body mass, stature, and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane S. Burns
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, and
| | - Paige L. Williams
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Oleg Sergeyev
- Department of Physical Education and Health, Samara State Medical University, Samara, Russia; ,Chapaevsk Medical Association, Chapaevsk, Samara Region, Russia
| | - Susan Korrick
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, and ,Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Mary M. Lee
- Pediatric Endocrine Division, Departments of Pediatrics and Cell Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Boris Revich
- Centers for Demography and Human Ecology, Institute for Forecasting, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Larisa Altshul
- Environmental Health and Engineering, Inc, Needham, Massachusetts
| | - Julie T. Del Prato
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, and
| | - Olivier Humblet
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, and
| | | | - Wayman E. Turner
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, Organic Analytical Toxicology Branch, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; and
| | - Larry L. Needham
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, Organic Analytical Toxicology Branch, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; and
| | | | - Russ Hauser
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, and
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Humblet O, Williams PL, Korrick SA, Sergeyev O, Emond C, Birnbaum LS, Burns JS, Altshul L, Patterson DG, Turner WE, Lee MM, Revich B, Hauser R. Predictors of serum dioxin, furan, and PCB concentrations among women from Chapaevsk, Russia. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2010; 44:5633-40. [PMID: 20578718 PMCID: PMC3128795 DOI: 10.1021/es100976j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Dioxins, furans, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent and bioaccumulative toxic chemicals that are ubiquitous in the environment. We assessed predictors of their serum concentrations among women living in a Russian town contaminated by past industrial activity. Blood samples from 446 mothers aged 23-52 years were collected between 2003-2005 as part of the Russian Children's Study. Serum dioxin, furan, and PCB concentrations were quantified using high-resolution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Potential determinants of exposure were collected through interviews. Multivariate linear regression models were used to identify predictors of serum concentrations and toxic equivalencies (TEQs). The median total PCB concentrations and total TEQs were 260 ng/g lipid and 25 pg TEQ/g lipid, respectively. In multivariate analyses, both total PCB concentrations and total TEQs increased significantly with age, residential proximity to a local chemical plant, duration of local farming, and consumption of local beef. Both decreased with longer breastfeeding, recent increases in body mass index, and later blood draw date. These demographic and lifestyle predictors showed generally similar associations with the various measures of serum dioxins, furans, and PCBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Humblet
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Paige L. Williams
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Susan A. Korrick
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Oleg Sergeyev
- Department of Physical Education and Health, Samara State Medical University, Samara, Russia
- Chapaevsk Medical Association, Chapaevsk, Russia
| | - Claude Emond
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Linda S. Birnbaum
- National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| | - Jane S. Burns
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Larisa Altshul
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Environmental Health and Engineering, Inc., Needham, Massachusetts
| | | | | | - Mary M. Lee
- Pediatric Endocrinology Division, Departments of Pediatrics and Cell Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Boris Revich
- Center for Demography and Human Ecology, Institute for Forecasting, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Russ Hauser
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Corresponding author: Russ Hauser, MD, ScD, MPH, Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building I, room 1405, Boston, MA 02115,
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Williams PL, Sergeyev O, Lee MM, Korrick SA, Burns JS, Humblet O, DelPrato J, Revich B, Hauser R. Blood lead levels and delayed onset of puberty in a longitudinal study of Russian boys. Pediatrics 2010; 125:e1088-96. [PMID: 20368318 PMCID: PMC3111933 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2009-2575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We evaluated the association of blood lead levels (BLLs) with pubertal onset in a longitudinal cohort of Russian boys. METHODS A total of 489 Russian boys were enrolled in 2003-2005, at 8 to 9 years of age, and were monitored annually through May 2008. Cox proportional-hazards models were used to evaluate the association of BLLs at enrollment with time to pubertal onset during follow-up monitoring. RESULTS A total of 481 boys had BLLs, with a median of 3 microg/dL and 28% with values of > or =5 microg/dL. The proportion of pubertal boys increased with age, from 12% at age 8 to 83% at age 12 for testicular volume of >3 mL, from 22% to 90% for genitalia stage 2 or higher, and from 4% to 40% for pubic hair stage 2 or higher. After adjustment for potential confounders including BMI and height, boys with high BLLs (> or =5 microg/dL) had 24% to 31% reduced risk of pubertal onset, on the basis of testicular volume of >3 mL (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.73 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.55-0.97]; P = .03), genitalia staging (HR: 0.76 [95% CI: 0.59-0.98]; P = .04), and pubic hair staging (HR: 0.69 [95% CI: 0.44-1.07]; P = .10), compared with those with lower BLLs. Pubertal onset occurred 6 to 8 months later, on average, for boys with high BLLs, compared with those with BLLs of <5 microg/dL. CONCLUSION Higher BLLs were associated with later pubertal onset in this prospective study of peripubertal Russian boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paige L. Williams
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, I-415, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Corresponding Author: Paige L, Williams, PhD, Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, PH: (617) 432-3872, Fax: (617) 432-2832,
| | - Oleg Sergeyev
- Samara State Medical University, Department of Physical Education and Health, Chapaevskaya Street 89, Samara 443099, Russia,Chapaevsk Medical Association, Meditsinskaya Street 3A, Chapaevsk, Samara region, 446100 Russia
| | - Mary M. Lee
- Pediatric Endocrine Division, Departments of Pediatrics and Cell Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - Susan A. Korrick
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Channing Laboratory, 181 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA,Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, I-1405, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jane S. Burns
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, I-1405, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Olivier Humblet
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, I-1405, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Julie DelPrato
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, I-1405, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Boris Revich
- Center for Demography and Human Ecology of Institute for Forecasting, Russian Academy of Sciences, RAS. 47 Nahimowski Avenue, Moscow 117418, Russia
| | - Russ Hauser
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, I-1405, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Burns JS, Williams PL, Sergeyev O, Korrick S, Lee MM, Revich B, Altshul L, Patterson DG, Turner WE, Needham LL, Saharov I, Hauser R. Predictors of serum dioxins and PCBs among peripubertal Russian boys. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2009; 117:1593-9. [PMID: 20019911 PMCID: PMC2790515 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.0800223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2008] [Accepted: 05/14/2009] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although sources and routes of exposure to dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been studied, information regarding exposure among children is limited. Breast-feeding and diet are two important contributors to early life exposure. To further understand other significant contributors to childhood exposure, we studied a cohort of children from a city with high environmental dioxin levels. OBJECTIVES We investigated predictors of serum concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs)/polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs)/co-planar PCBs (C-PCBs), toxic equivalents (TEQs), and PCBs among 8- to 9-year-old boys in Chapaevsk, Russia. METHODS We used general linear regression models to explore associations of log(10)-transformed serum concentrations of PCDDs/PCDFs/C-PCBs, TEQs, and PCBs at study entry with anthropometric, demographic, geographic, and dietary factors in 482 boys in Chapaevsk, Russia. RESULTS The median (25th, 75th percentile) concentration for total 2005 TEQs was 21.1 pg/g lipid (14.4, 33.2). Boys who were older, consumed local foods, were breast-fed longer, and whose mothers were employed at the Khimprom chemical plant (where chlorinated chemicals were produced) or gardened locally had significantly higher serum dioxins and PCBs, whereas boys with higher body mass index or more educated parents had significantly lower serum dioxins and PCBs. Boys who lived < 2 km from Khimprom had higher total TEQs (picograms per gram lipid) [adjusted mean = 30.6; 95% confidence interval (CI), 26.8-35.0] than boys who lived > 5 km away (adjusted mean = 18.8; 95% CI, 17.2-20.6). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that there are specific local sources of dioxin and PCB exposure among children in Chapaevsk including maternal gardening, consumption of locally grown food, and residential proximity to the Khimprom plant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane S Burns
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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Hauser R, Sergeyev O, Korrick S, Lee MM, Revich B, Gitin E, Burns JS, Williams PL. Association of blood lead levels with onset of puberty in Russian boys. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2008; 116:976-80. [PMID: 18629324 PMCID: PMC2453170 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.10516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2007] [Accepted: 03/19/2008] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epidemiologic studies suggest a temporal trend of earlier onset and longer duration of puberty, raising concerns regarding the potential impact of environmental factors on pubertal development. Lead exposure has been associated with delayed pubertal onset in girls; however, epidemiologic data in boys are limited. METHODS We used multivariable logistic regression models to explore the cross-sectional association of blood lead levels with growth and pubertal onset based on physician-assessed testicular volume (TV) and pubertal staging in 489 boys 8-9 years of age from Chapaevsk, Russia. We used multivariable linear regression models to assess associations of blood lead levels with somatic growth at the study entry visit. RESULTS The median (25th-75th percentile) blood lead level was 3 microg/dL (2-5 microg/dL). Height, weight, body mass index, birth weight, and gestational age were predictive of the onset of puberty as assessed either by TV (> 3 mL), genitalia stage (G2), or both. Blood lead level was inversely associated with height (p < 0.001) and weight (p = 0.06) after adjustment for birth weight, gestational age, and age at examination. In multivariable adjusted analyses, boys with blood lead levels > or = 5 microg/dL had 43% reduced odds of having entered G2 compared with those with lower levels (odds ratio = 0.57; 95% confidence interval, 0.34-0.95, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Relatively low environmental blood lead levels were associated with decreased growth and differences in pubertal onset in periadolescent Russian boys. Future analyses of this prospective cohort will address pubertal onset and progression in relation to lead and other environmental chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russ Hauser
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine and Epidemiology Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Weber R, Gaus C, Tysklind M, Johnston P, Forter M, Hollert H, Heinisch E, Holoubek I, Lloyd-Smith M, Masunaga S, Moccarelli P, Santillo D, Seike N, Symons R, Torres JPM, Verta M, Varbelow G, Vijgen J, Watson A, Costner P, Woelz J, Wycisk P, Zennegg M. Dioxin- and POP-contaminated sites--contemporary and future relevance and challenges: overview on background, aims and scope of the series. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2008; 15:363-93. [PMID: 18597132 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-008-0024-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 237] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2008] [Accepted: 06/10/2008] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND, AIM AND SCOPE Once they have been generated, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can persist in soils and sediments and in waste repositories for periods extending from decades to centuries. In 1994, the US EPA concluded that contaminated sites and other reservoirs are likely to become the major source of contemporary pollution problems with these substances. With this in mind, this article is the first in a new series in ESPR under the title 'Case Studies on Dioxin and POP Contaminated Sites--Contemporary and Future Relevance and Challenges', which will address this important issue. The series will document various experiences from sites contaminated with PCDD/F and other POPs. This article provides an overview of the content of the articles comprising the series. In addition, it provides a review of the subject in its own right and identifies the key issues arising from dioxin/POP-contaminated sites. Additionally, it highlights the important conclusions that can be drawn from these examples. The key aim of this article and of the series as a whole is to provide a comprehensive overview of the types of PCDD/F contaminated sites that exist as a result of historical activities. It details the various processes whereby these sites became contaminated and attempts to evaluate their contemporary relevance as sources of PCDD/Fs and other POPs. It also details the various strategies used to assess these historical legacies of contamination and the concepts developed, or which are under development, to effect their remediation. MAIN FEATURES Special sessions on 'Contaminated sites--Cases, remediation, risk and policy' were held at the DIOXIN conferences in 2006 and 2007, and this theme will be continued at DIOXIN 2008 to be held in Birmingham. Selected cases from the approximately 70 contributions made to these sessions, together with some additional invited case studies are outlined together with the key issues they raise. By evaluating these cases and adding details of experiences published in the current literature, an overview will be given of the different features and challenges of dioxin and POP-contaminated sites. RESULTS This article provides a systematic categorisation of types of PCDD/F and POP-contaminated sites. These are categorised according to the chemical or manufacturing process, which generated the PCDD/Fs or POPs and also includes the use and disposal aspects of the product life cycle in question. The highest historical PCDD/F and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination burdens have arisen as a result of the production of chlorine and of chlorinated organic chemicals. In particular, the production of chlorinated pesticides, PCBs and the related contaminated waste streams are identified being responsible for historical releases of toxic equivalents (TEQs) at a scale of many tonnes. Along with such releases, major PCDD/F contaminated sites have been created through the application or improper disposal of contaminated pesticides, PCBs and other organochlorine chemicals, as well through the recycling of wastes and their attempted destruction. In some extreme examples, PCDD/F contaminated sites have also resulted from thermal processes such as waste incinerators, secondary metal industries or from the recycling or deposition of specific waste (e.g. electronic waste or car shredder wastes), which often contain chlorinated or brominated organic chemicals. The examples of PCDD/F and dioxin-like PCB contamination of fish in European rivers or the impact of contaminated sites upon fishing grounds and upon other food resources demonstrate the relevance of these historical problems to current and future human generations. Many of the recent food contamination problems that have emerged in Europe and elsewhere demonstrate how PCDD/F and dioxin like PCBs from historical sources can directly contaminate human and animal feedstuffs and indeed highlight their considerable contemporary relevance in this respect. Accordingly, some key experiences and lessons learnt regarding the production, use, disposal and remediation of POPs from the contaminated sites are summarised. DISCUSSION An important criterion for evaluating the significance and risks of PCDD/Fs and other POPs at contaminated sites is their present or future potential for mobility. This, in turn, determines to a large degree their propensity for off-site transport and environmental accessibility. The detailed evaluation of contaminated site cases reveals different site-specific factors, which influence the varied pathways through which poor water-soluble POPs can be mobilised. Co-contaminants with greater water solubility are also typically present at such sites. Hence, pumping of groundwater (pump and treat) is often required in addition to attempting to physically secure a site. At an increasing number of contaminated sites, securing measures are failing after relatively short time spans compared to the time horizon, which applies to persistent organic pollutant contamination. Due to the immense costs and challenges associated with remediation of contaminated sites 'monitored natural attenuation' is increasingly gaining purchase as a conceptual remediation approach. However, these concepts may well prove limited in their practical application to contaminated sites containing persistent organic pollutants and other key pollutants like heavy metals. CONCLUSIONS It is inevitable, therefore, that dioxin/POP-contaminated sites will remain of contemporary and future relevance. They will continue to represent an environmental issue for future generations to address. The securing and/or remediation of dioxin/POP-contaminated sites is very costly, generally in the order of tens or hundreds of millions of dollars. Secured landfills and secured production sites need to be considered as constructions not made for 'eternity' but built for a finite time scale. Accordingly, they will need to be controlled, supervised and potentially repaired/renewed. Furthermore, the leachates and groundwater impacted by these sites will require ongoing monitoring and potential further remediation. These activities result in high maintenance costs, which are accrued for decades or centuries and should, therefore, be compared to the fully sustainable option of complete remediation. The contaminated site case studies highlight that, while extensive policies and established funds for remediation exist in most of the industrialised western countries, even these relatively well-regulated and wealthy countries face significant challenges in the implementation of a remediation strategy. This highlights the fact that ultimately only the prevention of contaminated sites represents a sustainable solution for the future and that the Polluter Pays Principle needs to be applied in a comprehensive way to current problems and those which may emerge in the future. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES With the continuing shift of industrial activities in developing and transition economies, which often have poor regulation (and weak self-regulation of industries), additional global challenges regarding POPs and other contaminated sites may be expected. In this respect, a comprehensive application of the "polluter pays principle" in these countries will also be a key to facilitate the clean-up of contaminated areas and the prevention of future contaminated sites. The threats and challenges of contaminated sites and the high costs of securing/remediating the problems highlight the need for a comprehensive approach based upon integrated pollution prevention and control. If applied to all polluting (and potentially polluting) industrial sectors around the globe, such an approach will prove to be both the cheapest and most sustainable way to underpin the development of industries in developing and transition economies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Weber
- POPs Environmental Consulting, Ulmenstrasse 3, 73035 Göppingen, Germany.
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Axmon A, Hagmar L, Jönsson BAG. Rapid decline of persistent organochlorine pollutants in serum among young Swedish males. CHEMOSPHERE 2008; 70:1620-8. [PMID: 17845816 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2007.07.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2007] [Revised: 07/25/2007] [Accepted: 07/31/2007] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
To investigate a possible time trend in serum concentrations of persistent organochlorine pollutants (POPs), representative samples of the young (median age 18 years) Swedish male population were investigated in the years 2000 and 2004. Due to their low age, these men were assumed not to have reached steady state of body burdens of POPs, why their serum concentrations were considered to represent ongoing dietary exposure. Serum concentrations of 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (CB-153) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (p,p'-DDE), two biomarkers of exposure to POPs, were available for 274 and 223 men, respectively, in 2000 and for 200 men in 2004. The percentage of men with CB-153 or p,p'-DDE below the limit of detection (LOD) was significantly higher in 2004 than in 2000 (30% vs. none, p < 0.001 for CB-153 and 65% vs. 6%, p < 0.001 for p,p'-DDE). Moreover, the median serum concentration of CB-153 decreased from 66 ng g(-1) lipid to 19 ng g(-1), corresponding to a yearly decrease of about 26%. The analogous analysis was not done for p,p'-DDE since the median serum concentration in 2004 was below the LOD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Axmon
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Psychiatric Epidemiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University Hospital, SE-221 85 Lund, Sweden.
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Rudel RA, Seryak LM, Brody JG. PCB-containing wood floor finish is a likely source of elevated PCBs in residents' blood, household air and dust: a case study of exposure. Environ Health 2008; 7:2. [PMID: 18201376 PMCID: PMC2267460 DOI: 10.1186/1476-069x-7-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2007] [Accepted: 01/17/2008] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent pollutants identified worldwide as human blood and breast milk contaminants. Because they bioaccumulate, consumption of meat, fish, and dairy products predicts human blood concentrations. PCBs were also used widely in building materials, including caulks and paints, but few studies have evaluated the contribution of these exposures to body burden. METHODS In an earlier study, we detected PCBs in indoor air in 31% of 120 homes on Cape Cod, MA. Two of the homes had much higher concentrations than the rest, so we retested to verify the initial finding, evaluate blood PCB concentrations of residents, and identify the PCB source. RESULTS Air and dust concentrations remained elevated over 5 years between initial and follow-up sampling. Blood serum concentrations of PCBs in residents of the homes were generally elevated above the 95th percentile of a representative sample of the US population. Serum concentrations in residents and air and dust concentrations were especially high in a home where a resident reported use of PCB-containing floor finish in the past, and where the floor of one room was sanded and refinished just prior to sample collection. CONCLUSION This case-study suggests that PCB residues in homes may be more significant contributors to overall exposure than diet for some people, and that use of a commercially-available PCB-containing wood floor finish in residences during the 1950s and 1960s is an overlooked but potentially important source of current PCB exposure in the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruthann A Rudel
- Silent Spring Institute, 29 Crafts Street, Newton, MA 02458, USA
| | - Liesel M Seryak
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, 320 West 10th Ave., Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Julia G Brody
- Silent Spring Institute, 29 Crafts Street, Newton, MA 02458, USA
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Petrik J, Drobna B, Pavuk M, Jursa S, Wimmerova S, Chovancova J. Serum PCBs and organochlorine pesticides in Slovakia: age, gender, and residence as determinants of organochlorine concentrations. CHEMOSPHERE 2006; 65:410-8. [PMID: 16530805 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2006.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2005] [Revised: 01/26/2006] [Accepted: 02/01/2006] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
We measured organochlorine concentrations of 15 polychlorinated biphenyl congeners and six organochlorine pesticides (PCB28, 52, 101, 123(+149), 118, 114, 153, 105, 138(+163), 167, 156(+171), 157, 180, 170, 189, alpha-, beta-, gamma-HCH, HCB, p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDE) in 2047 subjects from contaminated and background areas of eastern Slovakia. Data were collected in 2001 and analyzed by high-resolution gas chromatography with electron capture detection in 2002-2003. Elevated levels persist in subjects from Michalovce district, site of former production facility, after almost 20-years since the end of the PCB manufacturing. Sum of 15 PCB congeners was 3105 ng/g of lipid in the Michalovce district versus 871 ng/g of lipid for subjects from the background districts of Svidnik and Stropkov. Relatively high concentration in children from the Michalovce district, sum PCB = 766 ng/g of lipid versus 372 ng/g of lipid in children from background area suggest ongoing exposure from environmental reservoirs and contaminated food. Consistent differences between genders in both contaminated and background areas are reported here. Levels in males are about 20% higher in both districts. Levels of organochlorine pesticides, particularly of DDT metabolite DDE and hexachlorobenzene are also elevated in the Michalovce district, reflecting intensive use of pesticides in agriculture in the past. About 30% decrease in serum organochlorine levels was observed in comparison with our earlier samples collected in 1998. These results suggest that contamination with PCBs still remains a source of relatively high environmental exposure for subjects in the Michalovce district.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Petrik
- Department of Toxic Organic Pollutants, Slovak Medical University, Limbová 12, SK-83303 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
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