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Trang TB, Tai PT, Nishijo M, Anh TN, Thao PN, Hoa VT, Nghi TN, Van Luong H, Nishijo H. Adverse effects of dioxins on cognitive ability and motor performance of 5-year-old children residing in a hotspot of dioxin contamination originating from Agent Orange in Vietnam: A prospective cohort study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 833:155138. [PMID: 35405238 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Bien Hoa airbase is the most dioxin-polluted hotspot in Vietnam. In 2012, a birth cohort living around Bien Hoa airbase was recruited for assessment of physical and neurological development. In the present study, neurodevelopment scores at 5 years of age were assessed by the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition for 185 children in Bien Hoa and 104 children in Ha Dong (unexposed control group) to clarify the effects of dioxin. 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin concentrations in breast milk of women in Bien Hoa were approximately three times higher than those of women in Ha Dong (2.33 vs. 0.69 pg/g fat, p < 0.001). In general, neurodevelopment scores were lower in Bien Hoa children than in Ha Dong children. In boys, scores differed for number recall (12.6 vs. 14.0, p = 0.036), triangles (10.7 vs. 12.4, p = 0.005), manual dexterity (8.3 vs. 9.7, p = 0.037), balance (7.4 vs. 10.3, p < 0.001), and total movement scores (8.0 vs. 10.1, p = 0.003). After adjusting for covariates, linear regression analysis indicated that the scores of the triangles, balance, and total movement tests were inversely associated with levels of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin and of toxic equivalency of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans. In girls, scores differed for the triangles test (11.0 vs. 12.6, p = 0.005), hand movement test (9.6 vs. 11.3, p = 0.003), and balance test (9.1 vs. 10.7, p = 0.050); toxic equivalency of polychlorinated dibenzofurans was inversely associated with hand movement and balance scores. Overall, perinatal dioxin exposure appears to have a long-term impact on neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thieu Ban Trang
- Department of Anatomy, Vietnam Military Medical University, 160-Phung Hung, Ha Dong, Ha Noi, Viet Nam
| | - Pham The Tai
- Institute of Biomedicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam Military Medical University, 222-Phung Hung, Ha Dong, Ha Noi, Viet Nam.
| | - Muneko Nishijo
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Kanazawa Medical University, 1-1 Daigaku, Uchinada, Ishikawa 920-0293, Japan.
| | - Tran Ngoc Anh
- Department of Anatomy, Vietnam Military Medical University, 160-Phung Hung, Ha Dong, Ha Noi, Viet Nam
| | - Pham Ngoc Thao
- Military Hospital 103, Vietnam Military Medical University, 261-Phung Hung, Ha Dong, Ha Noi, Viet Nam
| | - Vu Thi Hoa
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Kanazawa Medical University, 1-1 Daigaku, Uchinada, Ishikawa 920-0293, Japan
| | - Tran Ngoc Nghi
- Ministry of Health, 138 A-Giang Vo, Kim Ma, Ba Dinh, Ha Noi, Viet Nam
| | - Hoang Van Luong
- Institute of Biomedicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam Military Medical University, 222-Phung Hung, Ha Dong, Ha Noi, Viet Nam
| | - Hisao Nishijo
- System Emotional Science, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Japan
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Yim G, Minatoya M, Kioumourtzoglou MA, Bellavia A, Weisskopf M, Ikeda-Araki A, Miyashita C, Kishi R. The associations of prenatal exposure to dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls with neurodevelopment at 6 Months of age: Multi-pollutant approaches. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 209:112757. [PMID: 35065939 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.112757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants, including polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs), and nondioxin-like PCBs (NDL-PCBs), has been hypothesized to have a detrimental impact on neurodevelopment. However, the association of prenatal exposure to a dioxin and PCB mixture with neurodevelopment remains largely inconclusive partly because these chemical levels are correlated. OBJECTIVES We aimed to elucidate the association of in utero exposure to a mixture of dioxins and PCBs with neurodevelopment measured at 6 months of age by applying multipollutant methods. METHODS A total of 514 pregnant women were recruited between July 2002 and October 2005 in the Sapporo cohort, Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children's Health. The concentrations of individual dioxin and PCB isomers were assessed in maternal peripheral blood during pregnancy. The mental and psychomotor development of the study participants' infants was evaluated using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-2nd Edition (n = 259). To determine both the joint and individual associations of prenatal exposure to a dioxin and PCB mixture with infant neurodevelopment, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and quantile-based g-computation were employed. RESULTS Suggestive inverse associations were observed between in utero exposure to a dioxin and PCB mixture and infant psychomotor development in both the BKMR and quantile g-computation models. In contrast, we found no association of a dioxin and PCB mixture with mental development. When group-specific posterior inclusion probabilities were estimated, BKMR suggested prenatal exposure to mono-ortho PCBs as the more important contributing factors to early psychomotor development compared with the other dioxin or PCB groups. No evidence of nonlinear exposure-outcome relationships or interactions among the chemical mixtures was detected. CONCLUSIONS Applying the two complementary statistical methods for chemical mixture analysis, we demonstrated limited evidence of inverse associations of prenatal exposure to dioxins and PCBs with infant psychomotor development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyeyoon Yim
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Machiko Minatoya
- Hokkaido University Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Kita 12, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
| | | | - Andrea Bellavia
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marc Weisskopf
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Atsuko Ikeda-Araki
- Hokkaido University Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Kita 12, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan; Hokkaido University Faculty of Health Sciences, Kita 12, Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Chihiro Miyashita
- Hokkaido University Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Kita 12, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Reiko Kishi
- Hokkaido University Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Kita 12, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan.
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Latchney SE, Majewska AK. Persistent organic pollutants at the synapse: Shared phenotypes and converging mechanisms of developmental neurotoxicity. Dev Neurobiol 2021; 81:623-652. [PMID: 33851516 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The developing nervous system is sensitive to environmental and physiological perturbations in part due to its protracted period of prenatal and postnatal development. Epidemiological and experimental studies link developmental exposures to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and benzo(a)pyrene to increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders in children. Mechanistic studies reveal that many of the complex cellular processes that occur during sensitive periods of rapid brain development are cellular targets for developmental neurotoxicants. One area of research interest has focused on synapse formation and plasticity, processes that involve the growth and retraction of dendrites and dendritic spines. For each chemical discussed in this review, we summarize the morphological and electrophysiological data that provide evidence that developmental POP exposure produces long-lasting effects on dendritic morphology, spine formation, glutamatergic and GABAergic signaling systems, and synaptic transmission. We also discuss shared intracellular mechanisms, with a focus on calcium and thyroid hormone homeostasis, by which these chemicals act to modify synapses. We conclude our review highlighting research gaps that merit consideration when characterizing synaptic pathology elicited by chemical exposure. These gaps include low-dose and nonmonotonic dose-response effects, the temporal relationship between dendritic growth, spine formation, and synaptic activity, excitation-inhibition balance, hormonal effects, and the need for more studies in females to identify sex differences. By identifying converging pathological mechanisms elicited by POP exposure at the synapse, we can define future research directions that will advance our understanding of these chemicals on synapse structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Latchney
- Department of Biology, St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary's City, MD, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Ania K Majewska
- Department of Neuroscience, Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.,Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
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Johanson SM, Swann JR, Umu ÖCO, Aleksandersen M, Müller MHB, Berntsen HF, Zimmer KE, Østby GC, Paulsen JE, Ropstad E. Maternal exposure to a human relevant mixture of persistent organic pollutants reduces colorectal carcinogenesis in A/J Min/+ mice. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 252:126484. [PMID: 32199166 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
An increased risk of developing colorectal cancer has been associated with exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and alteration in the gut bacterial community. However, there is limited understanding about the impact of maternal exposure to POPs on colorectal cancer and gut microbiota. This study characterized the influence of exposure to a human relevant mixture of POPs during gestation and lactation on colorectal cancer, intestinal metabolite composition and microbiota in the A/J Min/+ mouse model. Surprisingly, the maternal POP exposure decreased colonic tumor burden, as shown by light microscopy and histopathological evaluation, indicating a restriction of colorectal carcinogenesis. 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy-based metabolomic analysis identified alterations in the metabolism of amino acids, lipids, glycerophospholipids and energy in intestinal tissue. In addition, 16S rRNA sequencing of gut microbiota indicated that maternal exposure modified fecal bacterial composition. In conclusion, the results showed that early-life exposure to a mixture of POPs reduced colorectal cancer initiation and promotion, possibly through modulation of the microbial and biochemical environment. Further studies should focus on the development of colorectal cancer after combined maternal and dietary exposures to environmentally relevant low-dose POP mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silje M Johanson
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 369 Sentrum, NO-0102, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Jonathan R Swann
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom.
| | - Özgün C O Umu
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 369 Sentrum, NO-0102, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Mona Aleksandersen
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 369 Sentrum, NO-0102, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Mette H B Müller
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 369 Sentrum, NO-0102, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Hanne F Berntsen
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 369 Sentrum, NO-0102, Oslo, Norway; National Institute of Occupational Health, P.O. Box 5330 Majorstuen, NO-0304, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Karin E Zimmer
- Department of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 369 Sentrum, NO-0102, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Gunn C Østby
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 369 Sentrum, NO-0102, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Jan E Paulsen
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 369 Sentrum, NO-0102, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Erik Ropstad
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 369 Sentrum, NO-0102, Oslo, Norway.
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Gagnon-Chauvin A, Bastien K, Saint-Amour D. Environmental toxic agents: The impact of heavy metals and organochlorides on brain development. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2020; 173:423-442. [PMID: 32958188 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64150-2.00030-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to environmental toxicants can have deleterious effects on the development of physical, cognitive, and mental health. Extensive laboratory and clinical studies have demonstrated how the developing brain is uniquely sensitive to toxic agents. This chapter focuses on the main neurologic impairments linked to prenatal and postnatal exposure to lead, methylmercury, and polychlorinated biphenyls, three legacy environmental contaminants whose neurotoxic effects have been extensively studied with respect to cognitive and behavioral development. The main cognitive, emotion regulation, sensory, and motor impairments in association with these contaminants are briefly reviewed, including the underlying neural mechanisms such as neuropathologic damages, brain neurotransmission, and endocrine system alterations. The use of neuroimaging as a novel tool to better understand how the brain is affected by exposure to environmental contaminants is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avril Gagnon-Chauvin
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Kevin Bastien
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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Chu CP, Wu SW, Huang YJ, Chiang MC, Hsieh ST, Guo YL. Neuroimaging signatures of brain plasticity in adults with prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls: Altered functional connectivity on functional MRI. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 250:960-968. [PMID: 31085483 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.04.105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), persistent organic pollutants in food chains and environment, exerts negative effects on children's cognitive function. To study the long-term effects, we examined cognitive functions in the male children of women with substantial PCB exposure in Taiwan during 1978-1979 and investigated neural basis of cognitive function changes through structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and functional MRI (fMRI), which included resting-state and task-activated fMRI with two paradigms: a 2-back task and a picture rotation task. Ten men aged 30.0 ± 3.7 years with prenatal exposure to PCBs and 11 unexposed controls aged 28.1 ± 3.1 years participated. Both groups had similar cognitive phenotypes and behavioral results. Structural MRI analysis results showed that the PCB group had increased cortical thickness over the right inferior parietal lobule. In the resting-state study, the PCB group showed alterations in the default mode network. During the tasks, the PCB group showed decreased task-induced deactivation signals in cognition-associated brain areas during the 2-back task but enhanced deactivations during the picture rotation task. This study demonstrated altered structural MRI as well as resting and task-related fMRI in men with prenatal PCB exposure, suggesting altered brain plasticity and compensatory neuropsychological performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Pang Chu
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Science, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of Psychosomatic Medicine, Taipei City Hospital Songde Branch, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shao-Wei Wu
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Science, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Jie Huang
- Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Chang Chiang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Sung-Tsang Hsieh
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Science, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yue Leon Guo
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, National Taiwan University and National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Occupational Medicine and Industrial Hygiene, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan.
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Kim YA, Park JB, Woo MS, Lee SY, Kim HY, Yoo YH. Persistent Organic Pollutant-Mediated Insulin Resistance. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:E448. [PMID: 30717446 PMCID: PMC6388367 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16030448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as organochlorine (OC) pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) have become wide-spread environmental contaminants as a consequence of their extensive use, long-range transport, and persistence. Because POPs are highly resistant to metabolic degradation, humans bioaccumulate these lipophilic and hydrophobic pollutants in fatty tissues for many years. Previous studies have demonstrated that POPs including PCBs are involved in the development of diabetes mellitus (DM) type 2 and insulin resistance. Numerous epidemiological studies suggest an association between POP burden and DM type 2/metabolic syndrome. In addition, several experimental studies have provided additional evidence supporting the association between POP exposure and DM type 2 or insulin resistance. Epidemiological and experimental studies have provided compelling evidence indicating that exposure to POPs increases the risk of developing insulin resistance and metabolic disorders. However, the detailed molecular mechanism underlying POP-induced insulin resistance is yet to be elucidated. In this article, we review literature that has reported on the association between POP burden and insulin resistance and the mechanism underlying POP-induced insulin resistance, and discuss implications for public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeon A Kim
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Mitochondria Hub Regulation Center, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan 49201, Korea.
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital, Changwon 51472, Korea.
- Institute of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea.
| | - Joon Beom Park
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Mitochondria Hub Regulation Center, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan 49201, Korea.
| | - Min Seok Woo
- Department of Convergence Medical Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52727, Korea.
| | - Sang Yeob Lee
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Mitochondria Hub Regulation Center, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan 49201, Korea.
- Department of Rheumatology, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan 49201, Korea.
| | - Hye Young Kim
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Mitochondria Hub Regulation Center, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan 49201, Korea.
| | - Young Hyun Yoo
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Mitochondria Hub Regulation Center, Dong-A University College of Medicine, Busan 49201, Korea.
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Prenatal dioxin exposure and neuropsychological functioning in the Seveso Second Generation Health Study. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2019; 222:425-433. [PMID: 30638868 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2018.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) exposure has been shown to alter sexual differentiation of the brain in animal models, impacting pubertal development, behavior, cortical dominance, and cognition. The effects of early life exposure to dioxin-like compounds on human neurodevelopment, however, are less clear and warrant further investigation. METHODS The Seveso Women's Health Study (SWHS), initiated in 1996, is a well-characterized cohort of 981 Italian women who lived in proximity to an industrial accident in July 1976 that resulted in one of the highest residential TCDD exposures on record. In 2014-2016, we enrolled offspring born after the accident into the Seveso Second Generation Health Study. Children aged 7-17 years old (n = 161) completed a neuropsychological assessment spanning executive function and reverse learning (Wisconsin Card Sort), non-verbal intelligence (Raven's Progressive Matrices), attention and hyperactivity (Connor's Continuous Performance (CPT), and memory (Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning). We used multivariate regression with robust standard error estimates accounting for clustering of siblings to model the associations between these outcomes and prenatal exposure defined as TCDD measured in maternal serum collected soon after the explosion and estimated to pregnancy. RESULTS The children (82 male, 79 female) averaged 13.1 (±2.9) years of age. Adjusting for covariates, a 10-fold increase in maternal serum TCDD was not adversely associated with reverse learning/set-shifting, memory, attention/impulsivity, or non-verbal intelligence. In sex-stratified models, prenatal TCDD was associated with more non-perseverative errors in boys but not in girls (pint = 0.04). TCDD was also associated with attention deficits on the CPT but only among children with the shortest breastfeeding histories. CONCLUSIONS While overall, there were no significant associations, the observed differential neurotoxic sensitivities to TCDD by sex and lactation history may warrant confirmation in future studies.
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Adamou TY, Riva M, Muckle G, Laouan-Sidi EA, Ayotte P. Socio-economic inequalities in blood mercury (Hg) and serum polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations among pregnant Inuit women from Nunavik, Canada. Canadian Journal of Public Health 2018; 109:671-683. [PMID: 30030682 DOI: 10.17269/s41997-018-0077-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We examined the relationships between socio-economic characteristics and mercury (Hg) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations among pregnant Inuit women from Nunavik. METHOD We used biomonitoring data from 208 pregnant Inuit women recruited in the 14 villages of Nunavik between September 2011 and December 2013. Blood samples were collected to monitor levels of blood Hg and serum congener PCB-153 (surrogate of total PCB concentration). Ratio of omega 3/omega 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, a validated biomarker of marine country food consumption, was also measured in red blood cell membranes to determine maternal dietary profile. Data on socio-economic characteristics (income and education), health-related lifestyles, and reproductive history were collected through questionnaires. Association between socio-economic characteristics and contaminant concentrations was assessed using linear regressions. RESULTS We observed a significant inverse relationship between education and Hg levels. Lower concentrations of Hg were observed among women who had completed high school compared to women who had not completed high school. However, no association was observed between level of education and concentration of PCBs. CONCLUSION Socio-economic disparities in maternal exposure to Hg exist in Nunavik. Further research is needed to determine whether environmental health inequalities also exist in other subgroups of the Nunavik population and in other Indigenous communities in Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thérèse Yéro Adamou
- Population Health and Practice-changing Research Group, CHU de Québec Research Centre, Hôpital Saint-Sacrement, 1050 Chemin Sainte-Foy, Québec, Qc, G1S 4L8, Canada. .,Faculty of Nursing, Université Laval, Pavillon Ferdinand Vandry, 1050 avenue de la médecine, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.
| | - Mylène Riva
- Department of Geography, McGill University, Burnside Hall Building, 805 Sherbrooke street west, Montreal, QC, H3A 0B9, Canada.,Institute for Health and Social Policy, McGill University, Avenue des pins, Montréal, QC, H3A 1A3, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- Population Health and Practice-changing Research Group, CHU de Québec Research Centre, Hôpital Saint-Sacrement, 1050 Chemin Sainte-Foy, Québec, Qc, G1S 4L8, Canada.,School of Psychology, Université Laval, Pavillon Félix-Antoine-Savard, 2325 rue des Bibliothèques, Québec, Qc, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Elhadji Anassour Laouan-Sidi
- Population Health and Practice-changing Research Group, CHU de Québec Research Centre, Hôpital Saint-Sacrement, 1050 Chemin Sainte-Foy, Québec, Qc, G1S 4L8, Canada
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Population Health and Practice-changing Research Group, CHU de Québec Research Centre, Hôpital Saint-Sacrement, 1050 Chemin Sainte-Foy, Québec, Qc, G1S 4L8, Canada.,Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec, 945 avenue Wolfe, Québec, Qc, G1V 5B3, Canada
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Nakajima S, Saijo Y, Miyashita C, Ikeno T, Sasaki S, Kajiwara J, Kishi R. Sex-specific differences in effect of prenatal exposure to dioxin-like compounds on neurodevelopment in Japanese children: Sapporo cohort study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 159:222-231. [PMID: 28803151 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2017.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Consistent reports are not available on the effects of dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD)/ polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF) (dioxin-like compounds [DLCs]) on child neurodevelopment. Further, the effect of background-level exposure to individual DLC isomers is not known. OBJECTIVES We carried out the Sapporo cohort study to evaluate the effect of prenatal exposure to each DLC isomer on child neurodevelopment at 6 and 18 months of age, and assessed sex-specific differences in these effects. METHODS The levels of all and each individual DLC isomers were estimated in maternal peripheral blood. Neurodevelopment was evaluated using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-2nd Edition for 6-month-old infants (n = 190) and 18-month-old children (n = 121). RESULTS In male children, levels of 10 DLC isomers were significantly negatively associated with the Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI) at 6 months of age after adjustment for potential confounding variables. However, at 18 months of age, these associations were absent. In female children, the level of only one DLC isomer was significantly negatively associated with PDI at 6 months of age. However, in contrast to the male children, the levels of six DLC isomers in 18-month-old female children were significantly positively associated with the Mental Developmental Index. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that adverse neurodevelopmental effects of prenatal background-level exposure to DLCs may be stronger in male children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonomi Nakajima
- School of Health Sciences, Sapporo Medical University, Minami 1, Nishi 17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8556, Japan.
| | - Yasuaki Saijo
- Department of Health Sciences, Asahikawa Medical University, Midorigaoka-Higashi 2-1-1-1, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan.
| | - Chihiro Miyashita
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita 12, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan.
| | - Tamiko Ikeno
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita 12, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan.
| | - Seiko Sasaki
- Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 15, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
| | - Junboku Kajiwara
- Fukuoka Institute of Health and Environmental Sciences, Mukaizano 39, Dazaifu 818-0135, Japan.
| | - Reiko Kishi
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita 12, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan.
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Tavakoly Sany SB, Hashim R, Salleh A, Rezayi M, Karlen DJ, Razavizadeh BBM, Abouzari-Lotf E. Dioxin risk assessment: mechanisms of action and possible toxicity in human health. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 22:19434-50. [PMID: 26514567 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5597-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2015] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Dioxin-like compounds (DLCs) have been classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the most persistent toxic chemical substances in the environment, and they are associated with several occupational activities and industrial accidents around the world. Since the end of the 1970s, these toxic chemicals have been banned because of their human toxicity potential, long half-life, wide dispersion, and they bioaccumulate in the food web. This review serves as a primer for environmental health professionals to provide guidance on short-term risk assessment of dioxin and to identify key findings for health and exposure assessment based on policies of different agencies. It also presents possible health effects of dioxins, mechanisms of action, toxic equivalency factors (TEFs), and dose-response characterization. Key studies related to toxicity values of dioxin-like compounds and their possible human health risk were identified through PubMed and supplemented with relevant studies characterized by reviewing the reference lists in the review articles and primary literature. Existing data decreases the scope of analyses and models in relevant studies to a manageable size by focusing on the set of important studies related to the perspective of developing toxicity values of DLCs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rosli Hashim
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Aishah Salleh
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Majid Rezayi
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, University Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - David J Karlen
- Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County, 3629 Queen Palm Drive, Tampa, FL, 33619-1309, USA
| | - Bi Bi Marzieh Razavizadeh
- Department of Food Chemistry, Research Institute of Food Science and Technology, P.O. Box: 91735-147, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Ebrahim Abouzari-Lotf
- Advanced Materials Research Group, Institute of Hydrogen Economy, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, International Campus, 54100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 54100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Høyer BB, Ramlau-Hansen CH, Pedersen HS, Góralczyk K, Chumak L, Jönsson BA, Bonde JP, Toft G. Motor development following in utero exposure to organochlorines: a follow-up study of children aged 5-9 years in Greenland, Ukraine and Poland. BMC Public Health 2015; 15:146. [PMID: 25885170 PMCID: PMC4332728 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-015-1465-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Prior studies on the association between prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and child motor development have found contradicting results. Using data collected in the INUENDO cohort in Kharkiv (Ukraine), Warsaw (Poland) and Greenland (N = 1,103) between the years 2002 and 2012, we examined relations of prenatal exposure to 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene (p,p′-DDE) and 2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (CB-153) on motor development and developmental milestones; crawling, standing-up and walking. Methods CB-153 and p,p′-DDE were measured in maternal blood in second or third trimester of pregnancy. Motor development was measured in terms of the parentally assessed screening tool Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire 2007 and developmental milestones were assessed via retrospective parental reports of child age at the first time of crawling, standing-up and walking. Results We saw no associations between tertiles of CB-153 and p,p′-DDE or log-transformed exposures and retrospective reports of the developmental milestones crawling, standing-up and walking in infancy or the motor skills measured as developmental coordination disorder at young school age. Conclusions In utero exposure to CB-153 and p,p′-DDE was not associated with parentally retrospectively assessed developmental milestones in infancy or parentally assessed motor skills at young school age. The use of a more sensitive outcome measure may be warranted if subtle effects should be identified. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-015-1465-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Bjerre Høyer
- Danish Ramazzini Centre, Department of Occupational Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, build. 2c, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Cecilia Høst Ramlau-Hansen
- Department of Public Health, Section for Epidemiology, Aarhus University, Bartholins Allé 2, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | | | - Katarzyna Góralczyk
- Department of Toxicology and Risk Assessment, National Institute of Public Health-National Institute of Hygiene, Chocimska 24, 00-791, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Lyubov Chumak
- Department of Social Medicine and Organization of Public Health, Kharkiv National Medical University, 61022, Kharkiv, Ukraine.
| | - Bo Ag Jönsson
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, S-221 85, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Jens Peter Bonde
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, 2400, Copenhagen NV, Denmark.
| | - Gunnar Toft
- Danish Ramazzini Centre, Department of Occupational Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Nørrebrogade 44, build. 2c, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.
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13
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Pestana D, Teixeira D, Faria A, Domingues V, Monteiro R, Calhau C. Effects of environmental organochlorine pesticides on human breast cancer: putative involvement on invasive cell ability. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY 2015; 30:168-176. [PMID: 23913582 DOI: 10.1002/tox.21882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2012] [Revised: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 05/22/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Human exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is a certainty, even to long banned pesticides like o,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (o,p'-DDT), and its metabolites p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE), and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (p,p'-DDD). POPs are known to be particularly toxic and have been associated with endocrine-disrupting effects in several mammals, including humans even at very low doses. As environmental estrogens, they could play a critical role in carcinogenesis, such as in breast cancer. With the purpose of evaluating their effect on breast cancer biology, o,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE, and p,p'-DDD (50-1000 nM) were tested on two human breast adenocarcinoma cell lines: MCF-7 expressing estrogen receptor (ER) α and MDA-MB-231 negative for ERα, regarding cell proliferation and viability in addition to their invasive potential. Cell proliferation and viability were not equally affected by these compounds. In MCF-7 cells, the compounds were able to decrease cell proliferation and viability. On the other hand, no evident response was observed in treated MDA-MB-231 cells. Concerning the invasive potential, the less invasive cell line, MCF-7, had its invasion potential significantly induced, while the more invasive cell line MDA-MB-231, had its invasion potential dramatically reduced in the presence of the tested compounds. Altogether, the results showed that these compounds were able to modulate several cancer-related processes, namely in breast cancer cell lines, and underline the relevance of POP exposure to the risk of cancer development and progression, unraveling distinct pathways of action of these compounds on tumor cell biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diogo Pestana
- Department of Biochemistry (U38-FCT), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Centro de Investigação Médica, Rua Dr. Plácido da Costa, Porto, Portugal
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Gore AC, Martien KM, Gagnidze K, Pfaff D. Implications of prenatal steroid perturbations for neurodevelopment, behavior, and autism. Endocr Rev 2014; 35:961-91. [PMID: 25211453 PMCID: PMC4234775 DOI: 10.1210/er.2013-1122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2013] [Accepted: 08/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The prenatal brain develops under the influence of an ever-changing hormonal milieu that includes endogenous fetal gonadal and adrenal hormones, placental and maternal hormones, and exogenous substances with hormonal activity that can cross the placental barrier. This review discusses the influences of endogenous fetal and maternal hormones on normal brain development and potential consequences of pathophysiological hormonal perturbations to the developing brain, with particular reference to autism. We also consider the effects of hormonal pharmaceuticals used for assisted reproduction, the maintenance of pregnancy, the prevention of congenital adrenal hypertrophy, and hormonal contraceptives continued into an unanticipated pregnancy, among others. These treatments, although in some instances life-saving, may have unintended consequences on the developing fetuses. Additional concern is raised by fetal exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals encountered universally by pregnant women from food/water containers, contaminated food, household chemicals, and other sources. What are the potential outcomes of prenatal steroid perturbations on neurodevelopmental and behavioral disorders, including autism-spectrum disorders? Our purposes here are 1) to summarize some consequences of steroid exposures during pregnancy for the development of brain and behavior in the offspring; 2) to summarize what is known about the relationships between exposures and behavior, including autism spectrum disorders; 3) to discuss the molecular underpinnings of such effects, especially molecular epigenetic mechanisms of prenatal steroid manipulations, a field that may explain effects of direct exposures, and even transgenerational effects; and 4) for all of these, to add cautionary notes about their interpretation in the name of scientific rigor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712; Massachusetts General Hospital for Children (K.M.M.), Lexington, Massachusetts, 02421; and Laboratory of Neurobiology and Behavior (K.G., D.P.), Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021
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15
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Orenstein STC, Thurston SW, Bellinger DC, Schwartz JD, Amarasiriwardena CJ, Altshul LM, Korrick SA. Prenatal organochlorine and methylmercury exposure and memory and learning in school-age children in communities near the New Bedford Harbor Superfund site, Massachusetts. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2014; 122:1253-9. [PMID: 25062363 PMCID: PMC4216164 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1307804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2013] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides, and methylmercury (MeHg) are environmentally persistent with adverse effects on neurodevelopment. However, especially among populations with commonly experienced low levels of exposure, research on neurodevelopmental effects of these toxicants has produced conflicting results. OBJECTIVES We assessed the association of low-level prenatal exposure to these contaminants with memory and learning. METHODS We studied 393 children, born between 1993 and 1998 to mothers residing near a PCB-contaminated harbor in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Cord serum PCB, DDE (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene), and maternal peripartum hair mercury (Hg) levels were measured to estimate prenatal exposure. Memory and learning were assessed at 8 years of age (range, 7-11 years) using the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (WRAML), age-standardized to a mean ± SD of 100 ± 15. Associations with each WRAML index-Visual Memory, Verbal Memory, and Learning-were examined with multivariable linear regression, controlling for potential confounders. RESULTS Although cord serum PCB levels were low (sum of four PCBs: mean, 0.3 ng/g serum; range, 0.01-4.4), hair Hg levels were typical of the U.S. fish-eating population (mean, 0.6 μg/g; range, 0.3-5.1). In multivariable models, each microgram per gram increase in hair Hg was associated with, on average, decrements of -2.8 on Visual Memory (95% CI: -5.0, -0.6, p = 0.01), -2.2 on Learning (95% CI: -4.6, 0.2, p = 0.08), and -1.7 on Verbal Memory (95% CI: -3.9, 0.6, p = 0.14). There were no significant adverse associations of PCBs or DDE with WRAML indices. CONCLUSIONS These results support an adverse relationship between low-level prenatal MeHg exposure and childhood memory and learning, particularly visual memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara T C Orenstein
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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16
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Dovydaitis T. Fish Consumption During Pregnancy: An Overview of the Risks and Benefits. J Midwifery Womens Health 2010; 53:325-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmwh.2008.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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17
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Hasegawa M, Tsukamoto N. [Epidemiological research on children's environmental health]. Nihon Eiseigaku Zasshi 2009; 64:782-785. [PMID: 19797846 DOI: 10.1265/jjh.64.782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
In accordance with the Declaration of the Environment Leaders of the Eight on Children's Environmental Health (Miami Declaration) in 1997, the Japanese government (the Ministry of Environment, Japan) organized a commission tasked to discuss issues related to the present situation of the environmental health of children (Advisory Commission for Children's Environmental Health). Epidemiological research on children's environmental health has been recommended as one of the priority projects by the commission because the effects of environmental factors on children's health are clarified by only studies using children as subjects, particularly, a birth cohort study, and not by animal experiments. The Advisory Committee of Epidemiological Research on Children's Environmental Health was established in 2007 and decided to start a nationwide birth cohort study following up children from pregnancy to 12 years old. Under the Advisory Committee, a working group composed of scientific experts, including epidemiologists, toxicologists, obstetricians, orthopedists, and statisticians, was organized in 2008. Pilot studies are going to be conducted in several areas in Japan with the support of the working group. Study hypotheses will also be decided by the working group soon. The full-scale survey will start in 2010.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manabu Hasegawa
- Environmental Risk Assessment Office, Environmental Health Department, Ministry of the Environment, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
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18
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Schell LM, Gallo MV, Denham M, Ravenscroft J, DeCaprio AP, Carpenter DO. Relationship of thyroid hormone levels to levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, lead, p,p'- DDE, and other toxicants in Akwesasne Mohawk youth. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2008; 116:806-13. [PMID: 18560538 PMCID: PMC2430238 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.10490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2007] [Accepted: 02/25/2008] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is well documented that acute exposure to high levels of persistent organic pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), p,p'-dichlorophenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB), can affect human health including thyroid function. Chronic exposure to multiple toxicants is common but difficult to analyze, and most prior studies have focused on adults or newborns, creating a gap in our understanding of multitoxicant effects among adolescents. OBJECTIVE We investigated whether levels of PCBs, p,p'-DDE, HCB, mirex, lead, and mercury reflecting past chronic exposure are associated with alterations in levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T(3)), total thyroxine (TT(4)), and free thyroxine (FT(4)) among older children and adolescents. METHODS The sample consists of youth from the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation (n=232) who reside in proximity to several industries that have contaminated the local environment. We used multiple regression analysis to examine the effect of PCB groupings, p,p'-DDE, HCB, lead, and mercury on thyroid hormones after adjusting for sociodemographic covariates and controlling for all other toxicants. RESULTS Exposure to PCBs affects the thyroid hormone profile in adolescents. The group of persistent PCBs was positively associated with TSH but inversely related to FT(4). Nonpersistent PCBs were significantly and negatively related to FT(4) only. HCB was negatively associated with T(4), and lead was positively associated with T(3). Breast-fed adolescents had higher levels of persistent PCBs and p,p'-DDE but not of nonpersistent PCBs or any other toxicant when compared with non-breast-fed adolescents. Though having lower levels of persistent PCBs and p,p'-DDE, non-breast-fed adolescents exhibited significant relationships between persistent PCBs and TSH and FT(4), but breast-fed adolescents did not. It appears that PCBs from breast milk obscure the relationship between prenatal PCB exposure and thyroid function by adding random variation in PCB levels. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate a reduction in thyroid function in adolescents in relation to their current serum levels of PCBs. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that pre-natal exposure to PCBs alters thyroid function in a long-lasting manner but does not exclude the possibility that postnatal exposure is influential also.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence M Schell
- Department of Anthropology, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York 12222, USA.
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Wigle DT, Arbuckle TE, Turner MC, Bérubé A, Yang Q, Liu S, Krewski D. Epidemiologic evidence of relationships between reproductive and child health outcomes and environmental chemical contaminants. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART B, CRITICAL REVIEWS 2008; 11:373-517. [PMID: 18074303 DOI: 10.1080/10937400801921320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 281] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
This review summarizes the level of epidemiologic evidence for relationships between prenatal and/or early life exposure to environmental chemical contaminants and fetal, child, and adult health. Discussion focuses on fetal loss, intrauterine growth restriction, preterm birth, birth defects, respiratory and other childhood diseases, neuropsychological deficits, premature or delayed sexual maturation, and certain adult cancers linked to fetal or childhood exposures. Environmental exposures considered here include chemical toxicants in air, water, soil/house dust and foods (including human breast milk), and consumer products. Reports reviewed here included original epidemiologic studies (with at least basic descriptions of methods and results), literature reviews, expert group reports, meta-analyses, and pooled analyses. Levels of evidence for causal relationships were categorized as sufficient, limited, or inadequate according to predefined criteria. There was sufficient epidemiological evidence for causal relationships between several adverse pregnancy or child health outcomes and prenatal or childhood exposure to environmental chemical contaminants. These included prenatal high-level methylmercury (CH(3)Hg) exposure (delayed developmental milestones and cognitive, motor, auditory, and visual deficits), high-level prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and related toxicants (neonatal tooth abnormalities, cognitive and motor deficits), maternal active smoking (delayed conception, preterm birth, fetal growth deficit [FGD] and sudden infant death syndrome [SIDS]) and prenatal environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure (preterm birth), low-level childhood lead exposure (cognitive deficits and renal tubular damage), high-level childhood CH(3)Hg exposure (visual deficits), high-level childhood exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) (chloracne), childhood ETS exposure (SIDS, new-onset asthma, increased asthma severity, lung and middle ear infections, and adult breast and lung cancer), childhood exposure to biomass smoke (lung infections), and childhood exposure to outdoor air pollutants (increased asthma severity). Evidence for some proven relationships came from investigation of relatively small numbers of children with high-dose prenatal or early childhood exposures, e.g., CH(3)Hg poisoning episodes in Japan and Iraq. In contrast, consensus on a causal relationship between incident asthma and ETS exposure came only recently after many studies and prolonged debate. There were many relationships supported by limited epidemiologic evidence, ranging from several studies with fairly consistent findings and evidence of dose-response relationships to those where 20 or more studies provided inconsistent or otherwise less than convincing evidence of an association. The latter included childhood cancer and parental or childhood exposures to pesticides. In most cases, relationships supported by inadequate epidemiologic evidence reflect scarcity of evidence as opposed to strong evidence of no effect. This summary points to three main needs: (1) Where relationships between child health and environmental exposures are supported by sufficient evidence of causal relationships, there is a need for (a) policies and programs to minimize population exposures and (b) population-based biomonitoring to track exposure levels, i.e., through ongoing or periodic surveys with measurements of contaminant levels in blood, urine and other samples. (2) For relationships supported by limited evidence, there is a need for targeted research and policy options ranging from ongoing evaluation of evidence to proactive actions. (3) There is a great need for population-based, multidisciplinary and collaborative research on the many relationships supported by inadequate evidence, as these represent major knowledge gaps. Expert groups faced with evaluating epidemiologic evidence of potential causal relationships repeatedly encounter problems in summarizing the available data. A major driver for undertaking such summaries is the need to compensate for the limited sample sizes of individual epidemiologic studies. Sample size limitations are major obstacles to exploration of prenatal, paternal, and childhood exposures during specific time windows, exposure intensity, exposure-exposure or exposure-gene interactions, and relatively rare health outcomes such as childhood cancer. Such research needs call for investments in research infrastructure, including human resources and methods development (standardized protocols, biomarker research, validated exposure metrics, reference analytic laboratories). These are needed to generate research findings that can be compared and subjected to pooled analyses aimed at knowledge synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald T Wigle
- McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
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Cromwell HC, Johnson A, McKnight L, Horinek M, Asbrock C, Burt S, Jolous-Jamshidi B, Meserve LA. Effects of polychlorinated biphenyls on maternal odor conditioning in rat pups. Physiol Behav 2007; 91:658-66. [PMID: 17498760 PMCID: PMC4138982 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.03.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2006] [Revised: 01/23/2007] [Accepted: 03/27/2007] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are pervasive environmental contaminants that can have damaging effects on physiologic, motoric and cognitive function. Results from studies on PCBs and behavior have shown that exposure can alter learning and memory processes and that these shifts in cognitive abilities can be related to changes in hormonal and neural function. Little experimentation has been done on the impact of exposure to PCBs on social and emotional development. Previous work has shown that exposure to PCBs in children can alter play behavior. Importantly, exposure to PCBs has been found to change aspects of maternal-offspring interactions in rodents. The present study examined the impact of PCBs on maternal odor conditioning in rat pups 12-14 days of age. A modified version of the conditioned place preference paradigm was used that incorporated a maternal-associated odor cue (lemon scent) as the conditioned stimulus. PCBs significantly depressed the preference for the maternal-associated cue but did not impair discrimination for a novel odor. These effects could arise due to changes in the social dynamics between the dam and offspring after co-exposure to PCBs. For example, dams exposed to PCBs during gestation have been found to show elevated grooming directed towards pups exposed to PCBs. This change in maternal care can have dramatic effects on behavioral and hormonal systems in the developing rat pup. In conclusion, perinatal PCBs alter important social behaviors of both the mother and pup, and these alterations could have long-lasting effects on behavioral, cognitive and emotional development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard C Cromwell
- Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA.
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21
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Li QQ, Loganath A, Chong YS, Tan J, Obbard JP. Persistent organic pollutants and adverse health effects in humans. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART A 2006; 69:1987-2005. [PMID: 16982537 DOI: 10.1080/15287390600751447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are synthetic chemicals that have an intrinsic resistance to natural degradation processes, and are therefore environmentally persistent. The introduction of POPs into the environment from anthropogenic activities resulted in their widespread dispersal and accumulation in soils and water bodies, as well as in human and ecological food chains, where they are known to induce toxic effects. Due to their ubiquity in the environment and lipophilic properties, there is mounting concern over the potential risks of human exposure to POPs. This has led to the establishment of monitoring programs worldwide to determine prevailing levels of POPs in the population and to investigate the adverse health risks associated with background exposure. This article reviews the state of knowledge regarding residual levels of POPs in human adipose tissue worldwide, and highlights research data for POPs in the environment and human maternal adipose tissue in Singapore. Although concentrations are comparable to those observed elsewhere, longer term monitoring of a larger cross section of the population is warranted in order to establish temporal trends and potential risks to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Qing Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Knowledge of genetic influences, on developmental disorders such as autism spectrum, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and learning disabilities, has increased the opportunities for understanding the influences of the early environment. METHODS This paper provides a selective, narrative review for clinicians of the effects of factors such as exposure to toxins and stresses in utero and in postnatal life; brain injuries and perinatal compromise; neglect, malnutrition and selective food deficiencies. It also considers what is known about the mechanisms through which early adversities operate. RESULTS Gaps in the research are identified and suggestions made about clinical investigations. Several types of environmental adversity have associations with later disorders that suggest a causal role. The effects are often on a broad range of psychological processes, and are not always quickly reversible. Several adversities often coexist, calling for skilled judgement about priorities in treatment. CONCLUSIONS Individuals vary considerably in their exposure to adversity and their vulnerability to its effects, and genetic inheritance can influence both.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Taylor
- Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London, UK.
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Dellinger JA. Exposure assessment and initial intervention regarding fish consumption of tribal members of the Upper Great Lakes Region in the United States. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2004; 95:325-340. [PMID: 15220067 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2003.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2003] [Revised: 07/01/2003] [Accepted: 07/09/2003] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The Ojibwe Health Study (OHS) has concluded 10 years of data collection and exposure assessment. Eight hundred and twenty-two participants from tribes in the states of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota (USA) completed fish consumption and environmental risk perception questionnaires. Many participants provided hair and blood samples for mercury and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) residue analyses as body burden indicators of these persistent environmental pollutants. Fish were collected by the tribal organizations and contaminants were analyzed for numerous tribal reports and professional environmental journal articles, these data were used by the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission to produce tribal-specific geographic information systems maps as part of a public health intervention strategy. These maps are currently available at for six Wisconsin tribes that regularly harvest walleye. To determine the health impacts (if any) of pollutants on cancer, diabetes, and reproduction, it was necessary to know the recent trends in key indicators such as cancer mortality ratios and birth gender ratios. The Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council provided the OHS and each participating tribe in Wisconsin and Michigan with a health profile. Total fish consumption (estimated by recall) for 720 tribal participants was self-reported as 60 g/day, but the highest actual consumption was measured as 11.2 g/day in one of the tribal groups. The highest blood concentrations in tribal participants were 18.6 ppb total serum PCBs and 11.8 ppb total blood mercury. Ninety percent of the participants had less than 3.8 ppb total serum PCBs and 2.6 ppb total blood mercury. Compared to other studies of subsistence fishing populations, these exposures were only moderately elevated and not high enough to warrant widespread restrictions on diets. Furthermore, the benefits of eating a fish diet must be continually emphasized. However, sport fishermen and their families who consume larger and more contaminated fish should abide by their state fish consumption advisories to minimize their health risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Dellinger
- College of Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, P.O. Box 413, 53201, USA.
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Cook-Cottone C. Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs): Implications for school psychologists. PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS 2004. [DOI: 10.1002/pits.20012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Cicchetti DV, Kaufman AS, Sparrow SS. The relationship between prenatal and postnatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and cognitive, neuropsychological, and behavioral deficits: A critical appraisal. PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS 2004. [DOI: 10.1002/pits.20000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Mendola P, Selevan SG, Gutter S, Rice D. Environmental factors associated with a spectrum of neurodevelopmental deficits. MENTAL RETARDATION AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES RESEARCH REVIEWS 2002; 8:188-97. [PMID: 12216063 DOI: 10.1002/mrdd.10033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Mendola
- National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, USA.
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Norgil Damgaard I, Main KM, Toppari J, Skakkebaek NE. Impact of exposure to endocrine disrupters in utero and in childhood on adult reproduction. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab 2002; 16:289-309. [PMID: 12064894 DOI: 10.1053/beem.2002.0205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Recent reports have demonstrated a decline in human male reproductive health: high and probably increasing prevalence of cryptorchidism and hypospadias, low and probably decreasing semen quality, a rising incidence of testicular cancer and a growing demand for assisted reproduction. These changes seem to be interrelated and may be symptoms of a common underlying entity, the testicular dysgenesis syndrome, with foundations in fetal life due to adverse environmental influences. Wildlife experience and animal studies have provided evidence that fetal or perinatal exposure to endocrine disrupters results in disturbed sexual differentiation and urogenital malformations followed by decreased reproductive health in adult life. This chapter reviews existing evidence for a connection between (i) exposure to endocrine disrupters in fetal life and childhood and (ii) adult reproductive health in humans. This topic is not only relevant to basic scientists but also to clinical endocrinologists, who should also be encouraged to participate in research concerning this problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Norgil Damgaard
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence from twin and adoption studies has highlighted the importance of gene-environment interaction in the aetiology of mental disorders, and advances in molecular genetics have raised hopes of more rapid progress in this field of investigation. AIMS To review epidemiological knowledge concerning genetic and environmental risk factors for a cross-section of psychiatric conditions, and evidence of interaction between the two types. METHOD Searches of the literature in genetic and psychiatric epidemiology, including contributions to this supplement. RESULTS Overall, firm knowledge on both genetic and environmental causal factors is still fragmentary, although progress has varied among diagnostic categories. Environmental aspects have been dealt with only perfunctorily in most genetic epidemiological research. CONCLUSIONS Better definition and classification of environmental hazards, and closer inter-disciplinary cooperation, will be necessary in future. Specific gene-environment interaction effects seem likely to prove most important in neuropsychiatric syndromes, and a less specific genetic influence on susceptibility to environmental stress among the common mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Cooper
- Section of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK.
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Affiliation(s)
- A T Cheng
- Division of Epidemiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
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