Exposures among pregnant women near the World Trade Center site on 11 September 2001

DNA Methylation as a Molecular Mechanism of Carcinogenesis in World Trade Center Dust Exposure: Insights from a Structured Literature Review

The collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) buildings in New York City generated a large plume of dust and smoke. WTC dust contained human carcinogens including metals, asbestos, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), persistent organic pollutants (POPs, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins), and benzene. Excess levels of many of these carcinogens have been detected in biological samples of WTC-exposed persons, for whom cancer risk is elevated. As confirmed in this structured literature review (n studies = 80), all carcinogens present in the settled WTC dust (metals, asbestos, benzene, PAHs, POPs) have previously been shown to be associated with DNA methylation dysregulation of key cancer-related genes and pathways. DNA methylation is, therefore, a likely molecular mechanism through which WTC exposures may influence the process of carcinogenesis.

Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substances and Associations with Pubertal Onset and Serum Reproductive Hormones in a Longitudinal Study of Young Girls in Greater Cincinnati and the San Francisco Bay Area

BACKGROUND

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), endocrine disrupting chemicals with worldwide exposure, cause changes in mammary gland development in rodents. A few human studies report delay in pubertal events with increasing perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) exposure, but to our knowledge none have examined reproductive hormone levels at thelarche.

METHODS

In a cohort of Greater Cincinnati (GC) and San Francisco Bay Area (SFBA) girls recruited at 6-8 years of age, clinical examinations were conducted annually or semiannually with sequential Tanner staging. PFAS concentrations were measured in the first serum sample of 704 girls. In 304 GC girls, estradiol (E 2 ), estrone (E 1 ), testosterone (T), and dihydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) were measured in serum at four time points around puberty. Relationships between PFAS and age at thelarche, pubarche, and menarche were analyzed using survival and structural equation models. The association between PFAS and reproductive hormones was assessed using linear regression models.

RESULTS

Median PFOA serum concentrations in GC (N = 353 , 7.3  ng / mL ) and the SFBA (N = 351 , 5.8  ng / mL ) were higher than in the U.S.

POPULATION

In multivariable Cox proportional hazard models [adjusted for race, body mass index (BMI)], increasing serum log-transformed PFOA was associated with a delay in pubarche [hazard ratio  ( HR ) = 0.83 ; 95% CI: 0.70, 0.99] and menarche (HR = 0.04 ; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.25). Structural equation models indicated a triangular relationship between PFOA, BMI percentile, and the age at the pubertal milestone. Increased PFOA had a statistically significant direct effect of delay on all three milestones, as did BMI. Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDeA), and 2-(N -methyl-perfluorooctane sulfonamido) acetic acid (Me-PFOSA-AcOH) also were associated with later thelarche, and Me-PFOSA-AcOH also with later pubarche. PFOA was inversely associated with DHEAS (p < 0.01 ), E 1 (p = 0.04 ), and T (p = 0.03 ) concentrations at 6 months prior to puberty.

CONCLUSIONS

PFAS may delay pubertal onset through the intervening effects on BMI and reproductive hormones. The decreases in DHEAS and E 1 associated with PFOA represent biological biomarkers of effect consistent with the delay in onset of puberty. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11811.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Mediates the Association between Traumatic World Trade Center Dust Cloud Exposure and Ongoing Systemic Inflammation in Community Members

Exposure to World Trade Center (WTC) dust/fumes and traumas on 11 September 2001 has been reported as a risk factor for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental/physical health symptoms in WTC-affected populations. Increased systemic inflammation and oxidative stress from the exposure and subsequent illnesses have been proposed as contributors to the underlying biological processes. Many blood-based biomarkers of systemic inflammation, including C-reactive protein (CRP), are useful for non-invasive diagnostic and monitoring of disease process, and also potential targets for therapeutic interventions. Twenty years after 9/11, however, the relationships between WTC exposure, chronic PTSD, and systemic inflammation are only beginning to be systematically investigated in the WTC-affected civilian population despite the fact that symptoms of PTSD and systemic inflammation are still common and persistent. This paper aims to address this knowledge gap, using enrollees of the WTC Environmental Health Center (EHC), a federally designated treatment and surveillance program for community members (WTC Survivors) exposed to the 9/11 terrorist attack. We conducted a mediation analysis to investigate the association between acute WTC dust cloud traumatic exposure (WDCTE) on 9/11, chronic PTSD symptoms, and levels of systemic inflammation. The data indicate that the chronic PTSD symptoms and some specific symptom clusters of PTSD significantly mediate the WDCTE on systemic inflammation, as reflected by the CRP levels. As both chronic PTSD and systemic inflammation are long-term risk factors for neurodegeneration and cognitive decline, further research on the implications of this finding is warranted.

Molecular Clustering Analysis of Blood Biomarkers in World Trade Center Exposed Community Members with Persistent Lower Respiratory Symptoms

The destruction of the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2001 (9/11) released large amounts of toxic dusts and fumes into the air that exposed many community members who lived and/or worked in the local area. Many community members, defined as WTC survivors by the federal government, developed lower respiratory symptoms (LRS). We previously reported the persistence of these symptoms in patients with normal spirometry despite treatment with inhaled corticosteroids and/or long-acting bronchodilators. This report expands upon our study of this group with the goal to identify molecular markers associated with exposure and heterogeneity in WTC survivors with LRS using a selected plasma biomarker approach. Samples from WTC survivors with LRS (n = 73, WTCS) and samples from healthy control participants of the NYU Bellevue Asthma Registry (NYUBAR, n = 55) were compared. WTCS provided information regarding WTC dust exposure intensity. Hierarchical clustering of the linear biomarker data identified two clusters within WTCS and two clusters within NYUBAR controls. Comparison of the WTCS clusters showed that one cluster had significantly increased levels of circulating matrix metalloproteinases (MMP1, 2, 3, 8, 12, 13), soluble inflammatory receptors (receptor for advanced glycation end-products-RAGE, Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), suppression of tumorigenicity (ST)2, triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM)1, IL-6Ra, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)RI, TNFRII), and chemokines (IL-8, CC chemokine ligand- CCL17). Furthermore, this WTCS cluster was associated with WTC exposure variables, ash at work, and the participant category workers; but not with the exposure variable WTC dust cloud at 9/11. A comparison of WTC exposure categorial variables identified that chemokines (CCL17, CCL11), circulating receptors (RAGE, TREM1), MMPs (MMP3, MMP12), and vascular markers (Angiogenin, vascular cell adhesion molecule-VCAM1) significantly increased in the more exposed groups. Circulating biomarkers of remodeling and inflammation identified clusters within WTCS and were associated with WTC exposure.

Understanding the Role of Persistent Organic Pollutants and Stress in the Association between Proximity to the World Trade Center Disaster and Birth Outcomes

Fetal growth is affected by exposure to both prenatal stress and environmental contaminants. The attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) resulted in exposure to chemicals and psychological stress amongst New York City residents. We measured prenatal maternal stress and exposure to persistent organic pollutants (polybrominated diphenyl ethers, polychlorinated biphenyls, and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs)) in 108 participants from a Columbia University WTC birth cohort. Principal component (PC) analyses were conducted to characterize the mixture of exposure to the three groups of chemicals. We evaluated the associations between geographical exposures (proximity to the WTC disaster) and both chemical exposures (PCs) and stress (demoralization). We then evaluated the effect these exposures (PCs and stress) had on previously reported associations between geographical WTC exposure and birth outcomes (birth weight and birth length) in this study population to understand their individual roles in the observed associations. Geographical exposure via proximity to the WTC was associated with the PC reflecting higher PCDD exposure (PC3) (β = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.03, 1.18 for living/working within 2 miles of the WTC; and β = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.08, 1.38 for living within 2 miles of WTC). Previously reported reductions in birth weight and length associated with WTC proximity (β = −215.2, 95% CI: −416.2, −14.3 and β = −1.47, 95% CI: −2.6, −0.34, respectively) were attenuated and no longer significant for birth weight (β = −156.4, 95% CI: −358.2, 45.4) after adjusting for PC3, suggesting that PCDDs may act as partial mediators in this previously observed association. The results of this study can help focus future research on the long-term health effects of these prenatally exposed populations.

Complex relationships between perfluorooctanoate, body mass index, insulin resistance and serum lipids in young girls

BACKGROUND

Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) has been used extensively in the manufacture of both commercial and household products. PFOA serum concentrations have been associated with adverse health effects, including lower body mass in children and infants.

OBJECTIVE

To determine if there is an association between serum PFOA concentration and body mass, serum insulin and lipid profile in exposed young girls.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study of PFAS environmental biomarkers and insulin resistance in 6 to 8 year-old girls from Greater Cincinnati (n=353). In 2004-2006, blood samples were obtained to measure polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), fasting insulin, glucose and lipids. Clinical exams included anthropometric measurements and pubertal maturation staging. Linear regression and mediation analyses, specifically structural equation modeling (SEM), were used to determine the strength and direction of the relationships between PFAS, pubertal maturation status, body mass index (BMI), cholesterol and insulin resistance.

RESULTS

The median PFOA (7.7ng/ml) was twice the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005-2006). Only PFOA, a PFAS sub-species, showed statistically significant relationships with the outcomes. In regression models, PFOA was associated with decreased BMI and waist-to-height ratio (p=0.0008; p=0.0343), HDL-cholesterol (p=0.0046) and had a borderline inverse association with the HOMA Index of insulin resistance (p=0.0864). In SEM, PFOA retained an inverse relationship with BMI (p<0.0001) but the relationships with HOMA and HDL-cholesterol were no longer statistically significant. Pubertal initiation (Tanner breast or pubic stage 2 or greater) and BMI were associated with increased HOMA Index (p<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest PFOA exposure in young girls affects both BMI and ultimately insulin resistance. In mediation analysis with puberty in the model, the direct effects of PFOA on insulin resistance and were reduced.

Perfluorooctanoate and changes in anthropometric parameters with age in young girls in the Greater Cincinnati and San Francisco Bay Area

METHODS

We conducted a study of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance biomarkers, including PFOA, in girls from Greater Cincinnati (CIN, N = 353) and the San Francisco Bay Area (SFBA, N = 351). PFOA was measured in the baseline serum sample collected in 2004-2007 of 704 girls at age 6-8 years. Mixed effects models were used to derive the effect of PFOA on BMI, waist-to-height and waist-to-hip ratios over increasing age in this longitudinal cohort.

RESULTS

Median PFOA serum concentrations were 7.3 (CIN) and 5.8 (SFBA) ng/mL, above the U.S. population median for children 12-19 years in 2005-2006 (3.8 ng/mL). Log-transformed serum PFOA had a strong inverse association with BMIz in the CIN girls (p = 0.0002) and the combined two-site data (p = 0.0008); the joint inverse effect of PFOA and Age*PFOA weakened at age at 10-11 years. However, in the SFBA group alone, the relationship was not significant (p = 0.1641) with no evidence of changing effect with age. The effect of PFOA on waist:height ratio was similar to BMIz at both sites, but we did not find a significant effect of PFOA on waist:hip ratio in either the CIN or SFBA girls.

CONCLUSIONS

PFOA is associated with decreased BMI and waist:height ratio in young girls, but the strength of the relationship decreases with age. Site heterogeneity may be due to greater early life exposure in Cincinnati.

DISCLAIMER

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the CDC, the Public Health Service, or the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Predicting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons using a mass fraction approach in a geostatistical framework across North Carolina

Currently in the United States there are no regulatory standards for ambient concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a class of organic compounds with known carcinogenic species. As such, monitoring data are not routinely collected resulting in limited exposure mapping and epidemiologic studies. This work develops the log-mass fraction (LMF) Bayesian maximum entropy (BME) geostatistical prediction method used to predict the concentration of nine particle-bound PAHs across the US state of North Carolina. The LMF method develops a relationship between a relatively small number of collocated PAH and fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) samples collected in 2005 and applies that relationship to a larger number of locations where PM2.5 is routinely monitored to more broadly estimate PAH concentrations across the state. Cross validation and mapping results indicate that by incorporating both PAH and PM2.5 data, the LMF BME method reduces mean squared error by 28.4% and produces more realistic spatial gradients compared to the traditional kriging approach based solely on observed PAH data. The LMF BME method efficiently creates PAH predictions in a PAH data sparse and PM2.5 data rich setting, opening the door for more expansive epidemiologic exposure assessments of ambient PAH.

Adolescents exposed to the World Trade Center collapse have elevated serum dioxin and furan concentrations more than 12years later

BACKGROUND

The collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2001 released a dust cloud containing numerous environmental contaminants, including polychlorinated dibenzo-para-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). PCDD/Fs are toxic and are associated with numerous adverse health outcomes including cancer, diabetes, and impaired reproductive and immunologic function. Prior studies have found adults exposed to the WTC disaster to have elevated levels of PCDD/Fs. This is the first study to assess PCDD/F levels in WTC-exposed children.

METHODS

This analysis includes 110 participants, a subset of the 2014-2016 WTC Adolescent Health Study, a group of both exposed youths who lived, attended school, or were present in lower Manhattan on 9/11 recruited from the WTC Health Registry (WTCHR) and unexposed youths frequency matched on age, sex, race, ethnicity, and income. Our sample was selected to maximize the contrast in their exposure to dust from the WTC collapse. Questionnaire data, including items about chronic home dust and acute dust cloud exposure, anthropometric measures, and biologic specimens were collected during a clinic visit. Serum PCDD/F concentrations were measured according to a standardized procedure at the New York State Department of Health Organic Analytical Laboratory. We used multivariable linear regression to assess differences in PCCD/Fs between WTCHR and non-WTCHR participants. We also compared mean and median PCDD/F and toxic equivalency (TEQ) concentrations in our cohort to 2003-4 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) levels for youths age 12-19.

RESULTS

Median PCDD/F levels were statistically significantly higher among WTCHR participants compared to non-WTCHR participants for 16 out of 17 congeners. Mean and median TEQ concentrations in WTCHR participants were >7 times those in non-WTCHR participants (72.5 vs. 10.1 and 25. 3 vs. 3.39pg/g lipid, respectively). Among WTCHR participants, median concentrations of several PCDD/Fs were higher than the NHANES 95th percentiles. After controlling for dust cloud exposure, home dust exposure was significantly associated with higher PCDD/F level.

CONCLUSIONS

Adolescents in lower Manhattan on the day of the WTC attack and exposed to particulate contamination from the WTC collapse had significantly elevated PCDD/F levels >12years later compared to a matched comparison group, driven by chronic home dust exposure rather than acute dust cloud exposure. PCDD/F and TEQ levels substantially exceeded those in similar-aged NHANES participants. Future studies are warranted to explore associations of PCDD/Fs with health and developmental outcomes among individuals exposed to the WTC disaster as children.

Cardiometabolic profiles of adolescents and young adults exposed to the World Trade Center Disaster

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Few studies have examined the possible cardiometabolic consequences of World Trade Center-related exposures on children who lived and/or attended school near the disaster site. Our objective was to compare cardiometabolic profiles of participants in the World Trade Center Health Registry (WTCHR) with a matched comparison group.

METHODS

We evaluated WTCHR enrollees who resided in New York City and were born between September 11, 1993 and September 10, 2001, and a matched comparison group. We assessed exposure to dust cloud, home dust, as well as traumatic exposure, and associations with blood pressure, arterial wall stiffness, body mass index (BMI), total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, and LDL.

RESULTS

A total of 402 participants completed the study, 222 in the comparison group and 180 in the WTCHR group. In multivariable regression analysis, after adjusting for relevant confounders we detected a weak association between participation in the WTCHR group and lower BMI (-1.12kg/m2, 95% CI -2.11, -0.12; p = 0.03), which became non-significant after adjusting for multiple comparisons. With respect to traumatic and psychosocial exposures, the only association that persisted in our multivariable model, below our predefined level of significance, was between post-traumatic stress disorder and higher BMI (2.06kg/m2, 95% CI 0.37, 3.74; p = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings do not support an association between self-reported exposures to the WTC disaster and adverse cardiometabolic profile. However, further longitudinal studies may better inform the full extent of WTC-related conditions associated with exposure to the disaster.

Reproductive Outcomes Following Maternal Exposure to the Events of September 11, 2001, at the World Trade Center, in New York City

OBJECTIVES

To estimate associations between exposure to the events of September 11, 2001, (9/11) and low birth weight (LBW), preterm delivery (PD), and small size for gestational age (SGA).

METHODS

We matched birth certificates filed in New York City for singleton births between 9/11 and the end of 2010 to 9/11-related exposure data provided by mothers who were World Trade Center Health Registry enrollees. Generalized estimating equations estimated associations between exposures and LBW, PD, and SGA.

RESULTS

Among 3360 births, 5.8% were LBW, 6.5% were PD, and 9% were SGA. Having incurred at least 2 of 4 exposures, having performed rescue or recovery work, and probable 9/11-related posttraumatic stress disorder 2 to 3 years after 9/11 were associated with PD and LBW during the early study period.

CONCLUSIONS

Disasters on the magnitude of 9/11 may exert effects on reproductive outcomes for several years. Women who are pregnant during and after a disaster should be closely monitored for physical and psychological sequelae.

PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS

In utero and maternal disaster exposure may affect birth outcomes. Researchers studying effects of individual disasters should identify commonalities that may inform postdisaster responses to minimize disaster-related adverse birth outcomes.

Serum biomarkers of polyfluoroalkyl compound exposure in young girls in Greater Cincinnati and the San Francisco Bay Area, USA

PFC serum concentrations were measured in 6-8 year-old girls in Greater Cincinnati (GC) (N = 353) and the San Francisco Bay Area (SFBA) (N = 351). PFOA median concentration was lower in the SFBA than GC (5.8 vs. 7.3 ng/mL). In GC, 48/51 girls living in one area had PFOA concentrations above the NHANES 95th percentile for children 12-19 years (8.4 ng/mL), median 22.0 ng/mL. The duration of being breast fed was associated with higher serum PFOA at both sites and with higher PFOS, PFHxS and Me-PFOSA-AcOH concentrations in GC. Correlations of the PFC analytes with each other suggest that a source upriver from GC may have contributed to exposures through drinking water, and water treatment with granular activated carbon filtration resulted in less exposure for SWO girls compared to those in NKY. PFOA has been characterized as a drinking water contaminant, and water treatment systems effective in removing PFCs will reduce body burdens.

Associations of World Trade Center exposures with pulmonary and cardiometabolic outcomes among children seeking care for health concerns

OBJECTIVE

Prior research on the physical health of children exposed to the World Trade Center (WTC) attacks has largely relied on parental report via questionnaire. We examined the impact of clinically-reported exposures on the physical health of children who lived and/or attended school in downtown Manhattan on September 11, 2001.

STUDY DESIGN

We performed a cross-sectional study of 148 patients who presented to the WTC Environmental Health Center/Survivors Health Program, and were ≤ 18 years old on September 11, 2001.

RESULTS

38.5% were caught in the dust cloud from the collapsing buildings on September 11; over 80% spent ≥ 1 day in their home between September 11 and 18, 2001; and 25.7% reported home dust exposure. New-onset nasal/sinus congestion was reported in 52.7%, while nearly one-third reported new gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) symptoms. Prehypertension or hypertension was identified in 45.5%. Multivariable regression with exposure variables, body mass index category, and age as covariates identified strongest associations of dust cloud with spirometry (17.1% decrease in maximum midexpiratory flow). Younger children experienced increased peripheral eosinophils (+0.098% per year, p=0.023), while older children experienced more new-onset GERD (OR 1.17, p=0.004), headaches (OR 1.10, p=0.011), and prehypertension (OR 1.09, p=0.024). Home dust exposure was associated with reduced high-density lipoprotein (-10.3mg/dL, p=0.027) and elevated triglycerides (+36.3mg/dL, p=0.033).

CONCLUSIONS

While these findings cannot be assumed to generalize to all children exposed to the WTC attacks, they strongly suggest the need for more extensive study of respiratory, metabolic, and cardiovascular consequences.

Exposure science for terrorist attacks and theaters of military conflict: minimizing contact with toxicants

The strategies for protecting our deployed U.S. Forces are outlined in National Research Council documents published in 1999-2000. This article summarizes experiences and information gathered and interpreted regarding population and rescue workers' exposures in the aftermath of the 2001 World Trade Center attacks, with the aim to provide insights on issues related to military deployment to locations with hazardous agents. Issues covered include phases of exposure, materials of concern, detection equipment, and personal protection equipment. The focus is on human exposure issues, which are primarily associated with strategies 1 through 3 of the National Research Council's report entitled "Protecting Those Who Serve: Strategies to Protect the Health of Deployed U.S. Forces". Contact and duration of contact with hazardous substances are critical areas of concern, which require prevention and intervention procedures and protocols to reduce the incidence of acute and long-term health outcomes.

Application of biological monitoring for exposure assessment following chemical incidents: a procedure for decision making

Determination of the level of exposure during and after a chemical incident is crucial for the assessment of public health risks and for appropriate medical treatment, as well as for subsequent health studies that may be part of disaster management. Immediately after such an incident, there is usually no opportunity to collect reliable quantitative information on personal exposures and environmental concentrations may fall below detectable levels shortly after the incident has passed. However, many substances persist longer in biological tissues and thus biological monitoring strategies may have the potential to support exposure assessment, as part of health studies, even after the acute phase of a chemical incident is over. Reported successful applications involve very persistent chemical substances such as protein adducts and include those rare cases in which biological tissues were collected within a few hours after an incident. The persistence of a biomarker in biological tissues, the mechanism of toxicity, and the sensitivity of the analysis of a biomarker were identified as the key parameters to support a decision on the feasibility and usefulness of biological monitoring to be applied after an incident involving the release of hazardous chemicals. These input parameters could be retrieved from published methods on applications of biomarkers. Methods for rapid decision making on the usefulness and feasibility of using biological monitoring are needed. In this contribution, a stepwise procedure for taking such a decision is proposed. The persistence of a biomarker in biological tissues, the mechanism of toxicity, and the sensitivity of the analysis of a biomarker were identified as the key parameters to support such a decision. The procedure proposed for decision making is illustrated by case studies based on two documented chemical incidents in the Netherlands.

Long-term effects of environmentally relevant doses of 2,2',4,4',5,5' hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB153) on neurobehavioural development, health and spontaneous behaviour in maternally exposed mice

Background

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are widespread in the environment, human food and breast milk. Seafood is known to contain nutrients beneficial for the normal development and function of the brain, but also contaminants such as PCBs which are neurotoxic. Exposure to non-coplanar PCBs during brain development can disrupt spontaneous behaviour in mice and lead to hyperactive behaviour. Humans are chronically exposed to the highest relative levels of organochlorines in early childhood during brain development, though usually at doses which do not give clinical symptoms of toxicity. This study aimed to elucidate the developmental and behavioural effects of 2,2',4,4',5,5' hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB153) in mice, mimicking human exposure during gestation and lactation.

Methods

Environmentally relevant doses of PCB153 were added to the experimental diets. Feed concentrations were approximately 0.5, 6.5, and 1500 μg PCB153/kg feed, representing a realistic and a worst case scenario of frequent consumption of contaminated fish. The study also investigated the effects of maternal nutrition, i.e. a standard rodent diet versus a high inclusion of salmon. Mice pups were examined for physical- and reflex development, sensorimotor function and spontaneous behaviour from five days after birth until weaning. A selection of pups were followed until 16 weeks of age and tested for open field behaviour and the acoustic startle response (ASR) with prepulse inhibition (PPI). Blood thyroid hormones and liver enzymes, blood lipids and PCB153 content in fat were examined at 16 weeks. Statistical analyses modelled the three way interactions of diet, PCB exposure and litter size on behaviour, using generalized linear models (GLM) and linear mixed effect models (LME). The litter was used as a random variable. Non-parametric tests were used for pair wise comparisons of biochemical analyses.

Results

Litter size consistently influenced pup development and behaviour. Few lasting PCB153 related changes were observed, but results indicated effects on synchronization of physical development. Perinatal PCB153 exposure appeared to reduce habituation and cause aggression in males, though not statistically significant.

Conclusions

Litter size and maternal diet influenced physical development and function more than PCB153 in perinatally exposed mouse pups and supports the developmental importance of maternal care and the social environment.

Body burdens of brominated flame retardants and other persistent organo-halogenated compounds and their descriptors in US girls

BACKGROUND

Levels of brominated flame retardants are increasing in US populations, yet little data are available on body burdens of these and other persistent hormonally active agents (HAAs) in school-aged children. Exposures to such chemicals may affect a number of health outcomes related to development and reproductive function.

OBJECTIVE

Determine the distribution of biomarkers of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organo-chlorinated pesticides (OCPs), such as DDT/DDE, in children, and their variation by key descriptor variables.

METHODS

Ethnically diverse cohorts of girls 6-8 y old at baseline are being followed for growth and pubertal development in a multi-site, longitudinal study. Nearly 600 serum samples from the California and Ohio sites were analyzed for lipids, 35 PCB congeners, 11 PBDE congeners, and 9 OCPs. The biomarker distributions were examined and geometric means compared for selected analytes across categories of age, race, site, body mass index (BMI), parental education, maternal age at delivery, and breast feeding in adjusted models.

RESULTS

Six PBDE congeners were detected among greater than 70% of samples, with BDE-47 having the highest concentration (median 42.2, range 4.9-855 ng/g lipid). Girls in California had adjusted geometric mean (GM) PBDE levels significantly higher than girls in Ohio. Furthermore, Blacks had significantly higher adjusted GMs of all six PBDE congeners than Whites, and Hispanics had intermediate values. GMs tended to be lower among more obese girls, while other variables were not strongly associated. In contrast, GMs of the six PCB congeners most frequently detected were significantly lower among Blacks and Hispanics than Whites. PCBs and the three pesticides most frequently detected were also consistently lower among girls with high BMI, who were not breast-fed, whose mothers were younger, or whose care-givers (usually parents) were less educated. Girls in California had higher GMs than in Ohio for the pesticides and most PCB congeners, but the opposite for CB-99 and -118.

CONCLUSIONS

Several of these potential HAAs were detected in nearly all of these young girls, some at relatively high levels, with variation by geographic location and other demographic factors that may reflect exposure pathways. The higher PBDE levels in California likely reflect differences in fire regulation and safety codes, with potential policy implications.

Asthma and lower respiratory symptoms in New York State employees who responded to the World Trade Center disaster

PURPOSE

To investigate whether New York State employees who responded to the World Trade Center disaster were more likely to report asthma or lower respiratory symptoms (LRS; cough, wheeze, chest tightness, shortness of breath) than non-exposed employees, 2 years post-September 11.

METHODS

Participants (578 exposed, 702 non-exposed) completed mailed questionnaires in 2003. A unique exposure assessment method was used; exposure scores were divided at the mean (at/below, above). Poisson regression was used.

RESULTS

Exposure was associated with LRS, but not asthma. Participants with exposure scores at/below the mean had a twofold increased risk of most LRS. Those with scores above the mean had a three to fourfold increased risk. For scores above the mean, the magnitude of effect was consistently higher for smoke exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

Moderately exposed responders may experience health impacts from exposures in later stages of a disaster. Exposure to smoke may have had a greater lower respiratory impact than resuspended dust.

Lack of association between estimated World Trade Center plume intensity and respiratory symptoms among New York City residents outside of Lower Manhattan

Researchers have reported adverse health effects among rescue/recovery workers and people living near the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The authors investigated the occurrence of respiratory symptoms among persons living outside of Lower Manhattan in areas affected by the World Trade Center particulate matter plume. Using a novel atmospheric dispersion model, they estimated relative cumulative plume intensity in areas surrounding the World Trade Center site over a 5-day period following the collapse of the buildings. Using data from a telephone survey of residents (n = 2,755) conducted approximately 6 months after the event, the authors evaluated associations between the estimated plume intensities at individual residence locations and self-reported respiratory symptoms among nonasthmatics, as well as symptoms and nonroutine care among asthmatics. Comparing persons at or above the 75th percentile of cumulative plume intensity with those below it, there was no statistically significant difference in self-reported new-onset wheezing/cough after September 11 (16.1% vs. 13.3%; adjusted odds ratio = 1.0, 95% confidence interval: 0.7, 1.7) and no worsening of asthma from before September 11 to the 4 weeks prior to the survey (13.9% vs. 16.6%; odds ratio = 1.0, 95% confidence interval: 0.3, 2.8). These results suggest that the plume was not strongly associated with respiratory symptoms outside of Lower Manhattan, within the limitations of this retrospective study.

Does acute maternal stress in pregnancy affect infant health outcomes? Examination of a large cohort of infants born after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001

Background

Infants in utero during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 may have been negatively affected by maternal stress. Studies to date have produced contradictory results.

Methods

Data for this retrospective cohort study were obtained from the Department of Defense Birth and Infant Health Registry and included up to 164,743 infants born to active-duty military families. Infants were considered exposed if they were in utero on September 11, 2001, while the referent group included infants gestating in the same period in the preceding and following year (2000 and 2002). We investigated the association of this acute stress during pregnancy with the infant health outcomes of male:female sex ratio, birth defects, preterm birth, and growth deficiencies in utero and in infancy.

Results

No difference in sex ratio was observed between infants in utero in the first trimester of pregnancy on September 11, 2001 and infants in the referent population. Examination of the relationship between first-trimester exposure and birth defects also revealed no significant associations. In adjusted multivariable models, neither preterm birth nor growth deficiencies were significantly associated with the maternal exposure to the stress of September 11 during pregnancy.

Conclusion

The findings from this large population-based study suggest that women who were pregnant during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 had no increased risk of adverse infant health outcomes.

Impact of September 11 World Trade Center disaster on children and pregnant women

BACKGROUND

Children are uniquely sensitive to toxic exposures in the environment. This sensitivity reflects children's disproportionately heavy exposures coupled with the biologic vulnerability that is a consequence of their passage through the complex transitions of early development.

METHODS AND RESULTS

To assess effects on children's health associated with the attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) of September 11, 2001, research teams at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and other academic health centers in New York City launched a series of clinical and epidemiologic studies. Mount Sinai investigators undertook a prospective analysis of pregnancy outcomes in 182 women who were pregnant on September 11, 2001, and who had been either inside or within 0.5 miles of the WTC at the time of the attacks; they found a doubling in incidence of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) among infants born to exposed mothers as compared to infants born to unexposed women in northern Manhattan. A Columbia research team examined pregnancy outcomes in 329 women who lived, worked or gave birth in lower Manhattan in the 9 months after September 11; they found that these women gave birth to infants with significantly lower birth weight and shorter length than women living at greater distances from Ground Zero. NYU investigators documented increased numbers of new asthma cases and aggravations of preexisting asthma in children living in lower Manhattan. Mount Sinai mental health researchers documented a significant increase in mental health problems in children who directly witnessed the attacks and subsequent traumatic events; these problems were most severe in children with a past history of psychological trauma. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene established a WTC Registry that has enrolled over 70,000 persons of all ages in lower Manhattan and will follow the health of these populations to document on a continuing basis the health consequences of September 11.

Concentration of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in household dust from various countries

Seven polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners were measured in the particulate fraction (<2mm) of household dust samples (n=40), collected in four different countries (Australia, Germany, Great Britain, and United States). Dust samples from Germany contained the lowest concentrations of total PBDEs (median: 74 ng/g, range: 17-550 ng/g dust). Australian dust contained the second lowest concentration (median: 1200 ng/g, range: 500-13,000 ng/g dust). The dust from the United States and Great Britain contained the highest measured amounts of total PBDEs (US median: 4200 ng/g dust, range: 520-29,000 ng/g; Great Britain median: 10,000 ng/g, range: 950-54,000 ng/g). Daily intake of PBDEs has been estimated from published reference values on daily dust intake rates. The highest daily intake of 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) found was in the United States (<1-330 ng/day) and the lowest was in Germany (<1-2 ng/day). The PBDE congeners present in commercially available pentabromodiphenyl ether were the highest in concentration in the United States, and the congener distribution was similar to that of the technical preparation (i.e., 2,2',4,4',5-pentabromodiphenyl ether [BDE-99] was similar in concentration to that of BDE-47). We conclude that further studies are required to investigate human indoor exposure to PBDEs across countries and to determine the risk factors related to indoor design factors.

Environmental exposures and puberty in inner-city girls

BACKGROUND

Hormonally active environmental exposures are suspected to alter onset of puberty in girls, but research on this question has been very limited.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated pubertal status in relation to hormonally active environmental exposures among a multiethnic group of 192 healthy 9-year-old girls residing in New York City.

METHODS

Information was collected on breast and pubic hair stages, weight and height. Phytoestrogen intake was estimated from a food-frequency questionnaire. Three phytoestrogens and bis-phenolA (BPA) were measured in urine. In a subset, 1,1'-dichloro-2,2'-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene (DDE), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in blood plasma and lead (Pb) in blood. Associations of exposures with pubertal stages (present=stage 2+ vs absent=stage 1) were examined using t-tests and Poisson multivariate regression to derive prevalence ratios (PR, 95%-confidence limits [CI]).

RESULTS

Breast development was present in 53% of girls. DDE, Pb, and dietary intakes of phytoestrogens were not significantly associated with breast stage. Urinary phytoestrogen biomarker concentrations were lower among girls with breast development compared with no development. In multivariate models, main effects were strongest for two urinary isoflavones, daidzein (PR 0.89 [0.83-0.96] per ln microg/g creatinine) and genistein (0.94 [0.88-1.01]). Body mass index (BMI) is a hormonally relevant, strong risk factor for breast development. Therefore, BMI-modification of exposure effects was examined, and associations became stronger. Delayed breast development was observed among girls with below-median BMI and third tertile (high exposure) of urinary daidzein (PR 0.46 [0.26-0.78]); a similar effect was seen with genistein, comparing to girls >or= median BMI and lowest two tertiles (combined) of these isoflavones. With urinary enterolactone a phytoestrogen effect was seen only among girls with high BMI, where breast development was delayed among those with high urinary enterolactone (PR 0.55 [0.32-0.96] for the upper tertile vs lower two combined). There was no main effect of PCBs on breast stage, but girls with below-median BMI and >or= median PCB levels had reduced risk for breast development (any vs none) compared with other BMI-PCB groups. No biomarkers were associated with hair development, which was present in 31% of girls.

CONCLUSIONS

Phytoestrogens and PCBs are environmental exposures that may delay breast development, especially in conjunction with BMI, which governs the endogenous hormonal milieu. Further research to confirm these findings may improve our understanding of the role of early life development in breast cancer risk and other chronic diseases related to obesity.

Challenges of exposure assessment for health studies in the aftermath of chemical incidents and disasters

Exposure assessment during and after acute chemical incidents and disasters is essential for health studies that may follow. During chemical incidents, the focus usually lies on risk assessment and afterward attention shifts toward possible (long-term) health effects. This may lead to insufficient available data on exposure to study the association between exposure and health outcome, and collection of additional exposure data is often required. Literature on health studies conducted after several chemical incidents was reviewed to obtain better insight on the needs of health studies. Four different types of scenarios were distinguished based on when exposure data were collected and the exposure data used for health studies. These four scenarios gave insight on exposure data needed for conclusive health studies and when different methods of exposure data collection should be used. Literature indicated that adequate and rapid exposure assessment during chemical incidents is vital for health studies, because data that are not collected during or directly after an incident may be irretrievably lost. Poor exposure assessment is not always the only problem in health studies. Problems in health studies including poor exposure assessment may be prevented when the general design and needs of health studies are taken into account when designing contingency plans. Together with measures that will help facilitate funding, design, and coordination of health studies, disaster management programs should, among others, prepare for methods that lead to a swift identification of released substances, determination of concentrations and dispersion of released substances, designing basic questionnaire outlines, and rapid evaluation of the usefulness and necessity of employing biological sampling.

Biomonitoring of perfluorochemicals in plasma of New York State personnel responding to the World Trade Center disaster

The collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2001 resulted in the release of several airborne pollutants in and around the site. Perfluorochemicals including perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which are used in soil- and stain-resistant coatings on upholstery, carpets, leather, floor waxes, polishes, and in fire-fighting foams were potentially released during the collapse of the WTC. In this pilot study, we analyzed 458 plasma samples of New York State (NYS) employees and National Guard personnel assigned to work in the vicinity of the WTC between September 11 and December 23, 2001, to assess exposure to perfluorochemicals released in dust and smoke. The plasma samples collected from NYS WTC responders were grouped based on estimated levels of exposure to dust and smoke, as follows: more dust exposure (MDE), less dust exposure (LDE), more smoke exposure (MSE), and less smoke exposure (LSE). Furthermore, samples were grouped, based on self-reported symptoms at the time of sampling, as symptomatic and asymptomatic. Eight perfluorochemicals were measured in 458 plasma samples. PFOS, PFOA, perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), were consistently detected in almost all samples. PFOA and PFHxS concentrations were approximately 2-fold higher in WTC responders than the concentrations reported for the U.S. general population. No significant difference was observed in the concentrations of perfluorochemicals between symptomatic and asymptomatic groups. Concentrations of PFHxS were significantly (p < or = 0.05) higher in the MDE group than in the LDE group. Concentrations of PFNA were significantly higher in the MSE group than in the LSE group. Significantly higher concentrations of PFOA and PFHxS were found in individuals exposed to smoke than in individuals exposed to dust. A significant negative correlation existed between plasma lipid content and concentrations of certain perfluorochemicals. Our initial findings suggest that WTC responders were exposed to perfluorochemicals, especially PFOA, PFNA, and PFHxS, through inhalation of dust and smoke released during and after the collapse of the WTC. The potential health implications of these results are unknown at this time. Expansion of testing to include all archived samples will be critical to help confirm these findings. In doing so, it may be possible to identify biological markers of WTC exposure and to improve our understanding of the health impacts of these compounds.

Modeling exposure to air pollution from the WTC disaster based on reports of perceived air pollution

We examined the utility of a newly developed perceived air pollution (PAP) scale and of a modeled air pollution (MAP) scale derived from it for predicting previously observed birth outcomes of pregnant women enrolled following September 11, 2001. Women reported their home and work locations in the four weeks after September 11, 2001 and the PAP at each site on a four-point scale designed for this purpose. Locations were geocoded and their distance from the World Trade Center (WTC) site determined. PAP values were used to develop a model of air pollution for a 20-mile radius from the WTC site. MAP values were assigned to each geocoded location. We examined the relationship of PAP and MAP values to maternal characteristics and to distance of home and work sites from the WTC site. Both PAP and MAP values were highly correlated with distance from the WTC. Maternal characteristics that were associated with PAP values reported for home or work sites (race, demoralization, material hardship, first trimester on September 11) were not associated with modeled MAP values. Relationships of several birth outcomes to proximity to the WTC, which we previously reported using this data set, were also seen when MAP values were used as the measure of exposure, instead of proximity. MAP developed from reports of PAP may be useful to identify high-risk areas and predict health outcomes when there are multiple sources of pollution and a "distance from source" analysis is impossible.

Exposure of Americans to polybrominated diphenyl ethers

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers, PBDEs, are a class of brominated flame retardants that, like other persistent organic pollutants (POPs), have been found in humans, wildlife, and biota worldwide. Unlike other POPs, however, the key routes of human exposure are not thought to be food and fish, but rather are from their use in household consumer products, and to the high levels of PBDEs found in house dust. The exposure of Americans to PBDEs was systematically evaluated in this study. First, exposure media data on PBDE congeners were compiled. Then, an adult intake dose was derived using exposure factors in combination with these data. The exposure pathways evaluated included food and water ingestion, inhalation, and ingestion and dermal contact to house dust. These intakes were converted to a body burden using a simple pharmacokinetic (PK) model. The predicted body burdens were compared with representative profiles of PBDEs in blood and milk. The adult intake dose of total PBDEs was estimated to be 7.7 ng/kg body weight/day, and children's estimated intakes were higher at 49.3 ng/kg/day for ages 1-5, 14.4 ng/kg/day for 6-11, and 9.1 ng/kg/day for 12-19. The much higher dose for the child age 1-5 was due to the doubling of dust ingestion from 50 to 100 mg/day. The predicted adult body burden of total PBDEs was 33.8 ng/kg lipid weight (lwt), compared to representative measurements in blood and milk at 64.0 and 93.7 ng/g lwt, respectively Most of this apparent underprediction in total concentration was due to an underprediction of the key congener, BDE 47. The value for BDE 47 half-life in the body was identified as the variable most likely in error in this exercise. Other congener predictions compared well with measurements, suggesting general validity with the approach. An important finding from this assessment is that the food intake estimate of about 1.3 ng/kg/day (of the 7.7 ng/kg/day total) cannot explain current US body burdens; exposures to PBDEs in house dust accounted for 82% of the overall estimated intakes.

Prehospital preparedness for pediatric mass-casualty events

OBJECTIVES

Recent events have reiterated the need for well-coordinated planning for mass-casualty events, including those that involve children. The objective of this study was to document the preparedness of prehospital emergency medical services agencies in the United States for the care of children who are involved in mass-casualty events.

METHODS

A national list of all licensed prehospital emergency medical services agencies was prepared through contact with each state's emergency medical services office. A survey was mailed to 3748 emergency medical services agencies that were selected randomly from the national list in November 2004; a second survey was mailed to nonresponders in March 2005. Descriptive statistics were used to describe study variables.

RESULTS

Most (72.9%) agencies reported having a written plan for response to a mass-casualty event, but only 248 (13.3%) reported having pediatric-specific mass-casualty event plans. Most (69%) services reported that they did not have a specific plan for response to a mass-casualty event at a school. Most (62.1%) agencies reported that their mass-casualty event plan does not include provisions for people with special health care needs. Only 19.2% of the services reported using a pediatric-specific triage protocol for mass-casualty events, and 12.3% reported having a pediatrician involved in their medical control. Although most (69.3%) agencies reported participation in a local or regional disaster drill in the past year, fewer than half of those that participated in drills (49.0%) included pediatric victims.

CONCLUSIONS

Although children are among the most vulnerable in the event of disaster, there are substantial deficiencies in the preparedness plans of prehospital emergency medical services agencies in the United States for the care of children in a mass-casualty event.

Assessment of inhalation exposures and potential health risks to the general population that resulted from the collapse of the World Trade Center towers

In the days following the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) towers on September 11, 2001 (9/11), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiated numerous air monitoring activities to better understand the ongoing impact of emissions from that disaster. Using these data, EPA conducted an inhalation exposure and human health risk assessment to the general population. This assessment does not address exposures and potential impacts that could have occurred to rescue workers, firefighters, and other site workers, nor does it address exposures that could have occurred in the indoor environment. Contaminants evaluated include particulate matter (PM), metals, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, asbestos, volatile organic compounds, particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, silica, and synthetic vitreous fibers (SVFs). This evaluation yielded three principal findings. (1) Persons exposed to extremely high levels of ambient PM and its components, SVFs, and other contaminants during the collapse of the WTC towers, and for several hours afterward, were likely to be at risk for acute and potentially chronic respiratory effects. (2) Available data suggest that contaminant concentrations within and near ground zero (GZ) remained significantly elevated above background levels for a few days after 9/11. Because only limited data on these critical few days were available, exposures and potential health impacts could not be evaluated with certainty for this time period. (3) Except for inhalation exposures that may have occurred on 9/11 and a few days afterward, the ambient air concentration data suggest that persons in the general population were unlikely to suffer short-term or long-term adverse health effects caused by inhalation exposures. While this analysis by EPA evaluated the potential for health impacts based on measured air concentrations, epidemiological studies conducted by organizations other than EPA have attempted to identify actual impacts. Such studies have identified respiratory effects in worker and general populations, and developmental effects in newborns whose mothers were near GZ on 9/11 or shortly thereafter. While researchers are not able to identify specific times and even exactly which contaminants are the cause of these effects, they have nonetheless concluded that exposure to WTC contaminants (and/or maternal stress, in the case of developmental effects) resulted in these effects, and have identified the time period including 9/11 itself and the days and few weeks afterward as a period of most concern based on high concentrations of key pollutants in the air and dust.

Low birthweight in New York City and upstate New York following the events of September 11th

BACKGROUND

We examined pregnancy outcomes in New York City (NYC) and upstate New York after the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center disaster.

METHODS

Using birth certificate data for NY residents (n = 1,660,401 births), we estimated risk of low birthweight (LBW: <2,500 g) and preterm birth (<37 weeks) one week after September 11th versus three weeks before, and for 10 four-week intervals post-disaster versus these intervals in the two previous years. To corroborate regression results, we used time-series analysis.

RESULTS

One week after September 11th in NYC, we observed an adjusted odds of 1.44 for births <1,500 g (P = 0.07) and 1.67 for births 1,500-1,999 g (P = 0.01), but a decreased odds of 2,000-2,499 g. We found no immediate change in LBW upstate or preterm in either location. In extended analyses, we found, in both locations, increased odds of <1,500-g births around New Year and 33-36 weeks post-disaster and decreased odds of moderate preterm for several weeks post-disaster. Time-series analyses yielded similar findings.

CONCLUSIONS

The events of September 11, 2001 in NYC were associated with immediate increases in births <2,000 g, slightly delayed decreased preterm delivery, and delayed increases in LBW among infants exposed periconception or in the first two trimesters. Stress may contribute to observed associations.

Prenatal pesticide and PCB exposures and birth outcomes

Evidence is inconsistent or poorly understood for links between polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 1,1'-dichloro-2,2'-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene (DDE), and organophosphate (OP) pesticides and adverse pregnancy outcomes, although they are known developmental toxicants. We measured biomarkers of maternal exposure to DDE, PCB, and OP metabolites in the third trimester of pregnancy among 404 mothers in a multiethnic cohort in New York City. We also determined maternal paraoxonase (PON1), butyrylcholinesterase (BuChe), and PON1Q192R gene variant. Higher multivariate-adjusted DDE levels (but not PCB) were associated with lower birth weight (-98 g/log10 DDE, p = 0.096) and head circumference (-0.54 cm/log10 DDE, p = 0.030). DDE and PCB levels were not related to birth length, Ponderal index, or gestational age. Birth length was shorter for mothers with PON192RR slow genotype compared with PON192QQ (p = 0.026), and head circumference was inversely associated with maternal PON1 activity (p = 0.004). With slow-activity PON1 or PON192, urinary diethylphosphates (SigmaDEPs) were associated with lower birth weight and dimethylphosphates (SigmaDMPs) with shorter birth length. No associations were found between birth outcomes and BuChe. In summary, we found suggestive relationships between prenatal environmental biomarkers and birth outcomes in this population. Maternal susceptibility factors including PON1 and maternal weight contributed to the observed effects.

Pilot study of urinary biomarkers of phytoestrogens, phthalates, and phenols in girls

BACKGROUND

Hormonally active environmental agents have been measured among U.S. children using exposure biomarkers in urine. However, little is known about their variation by race, age, sex, and geography, and no data exist for newly developed biomarkers.

OBJECTIVE

Our goal was to characterize relevant, prevalent exposures for a study of female pubertal development.

METHODS

In a pilot study among 90 girls from New York City, New York, Cincinnati, Ohio, and northern California, we measured 25 urinary analytes representing 22 separate agents from three chemical families: phytoestrogens, phthalates, and phenols. Exposures occur chiefly from the diet and from household or personal care products.

RESULTS

Participants represented four racial/ethnic groups (Asian, black, Hispanic, white), with mean age of 7.77 years. Most analytes were detectable in > 94% of samples. The highest median concentrations for individual analytes in each family were for enterolactone (298 microg/L), monoethylphthalate (MEP; 83.2 microg/L), and benzophenone-3 (BP3; 14.7 microg/L). Few or no data have been reported previously for four metabolites: mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate, tridosan, bisphenol A (BPA), and BP3; these were detected in 67-100% of samples with medians of 1.8-53.2 microg/L. After multivariate adjustment, two analytes, enterolactone and BPA, were higher among girls with body mass index < 85th reference percentile than those at or above the 85th percentile. Three phthalate metabolites differed by race/ethnicity [MEP, mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, and mono-3-carboxypropylphthalate].

CONCLUSIONS

A wide spectrum of hormonally active exposure biomarkers were detectable and variable among young girls, with high maximal concentrations (> 1,000 microg/L) found for several analytes. They varied by characteristics that may be relevant to development.

The anatomy of the exposures that occurred around the World Trade Center site: 9/11 and beyond

The attack on the World Trade Center (WTC) resulted in a new era of awareness on terrorism in the United States and the issues surrounding the potential for acute and/or long-term health outcomes caused by personal exposures to toxicants released during a terrorist event or an accident. The aftermath of the collapse yielded a situation usually not encountered in environmental health science: a large population's exposure to a previously uncharacterized complex mixture of airborne gases and particles, and re-suspendable particles (>2.5 microm in diameter). This led to a series of rapidly changing potential and actual exposure categories, both in space and time that were associated with the complex mixture of heterogeneous composition and character; e.g., very large particles mixed with much smaller amounts of fine particles, and gases released by uncontrolled combustion. The four categories of outdoor exposure that were encountered will be discussed over the period from September 11 until the fires ended on December 20, 2001. Further, the complex issue of indoor exposure to deposited dust will be highlighted from the beginning through the residual exposure issues being examined today (Category 5 period). The strength of the information on the initial WTC dust and smoke, and the smoke plumes from the fires and the continuing (permanent) gaps in our knowledge within the exposure sciences will be discussed, as well as our attempt to reconstruct exposure for various segments of the population in southern Manhattan and the surrounding areas. This all will be tied to lessons that must be considered in response to future events, natural or otherwise.

From a theoretical framework of human exposure and dose assessment to computational system implementation: the Modeling ENvironment for TOtal Risk Studies (MENTOR)

Georgopoulos and Lioy (1994) presented a theoretical framework for exposure analysis, incorporating multiple levels of empirical and mechanistic information while characterizing/reducing uncertainties. The present review summarizes efforts towards implementing that framework, through the development of a mechanistic source-to-dose Modeling ENvironment for TOtal Risks studies (MENTOR), a computational toolbox that provides various modeling and data analysis tools to facilitate assessment of cumulative and aggregate (multipathway) exposures to contaminant mixtures. MENTOR adopts a "Person Oriented Modeling" (POM) approach that can be applied to either specific individuals or to populations/subpopulations of interest; the latter is accomplished by defining samples of "virtual" individuals that statistically reproduce the physiological, demographic, etc., attributes of the populations studied. MENTOR implementations currently incorporate and expand USEPA's SHEDS (Stochastic Human Exposure and Dose Simulation) approach and consider multiple exposure routes (inhalation, food, drinking water intake; non-dietary ingestion; dermal absorption). Typically, simulations involve: (1) characterizing background levels of contaminants by combining model predictions and measurement studies; (2) characterizing multimedia levels and temporal profiles of contaminants in various residential and occupational microenvironments; (3) selecting sample populations that statistically reproduce essential demographics (age, gender, race, occupation, education) of relevant population units (e.g., census tracts); (4) developing activity event sequences for each member of the sample by matching attributes to entries of USEPA's Consolidated Human Activity Database (CHAD); (5) calculating intake rates for the sample population members, reflecting physiological attributes and activities pursued; (6) combining intake rates from multiple routes to assess exposures; (7) estimating target tissue doses with physiologically based dosimetry/toxicokinetic modeling.

The effect of maternal PTSD following in utero trauma exposure on behavior and temperament in the 9-month-old infant

In view of evidence of in utero glucocorticoid programming, and our prior observation of lower cortisol levels in 9-month-old infants of mothers with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to mothers without PTSD, we undertook an examination of the effect of in utero maternal stress, as determined by PTSD symptom severity, and maternal cortisol levels on behavioral outcomes in the infant.

METHODS

Ninety-eight pregnant women directly exposed to the World Trade Center (WTC) collapse on 9/11 provided salivary cortisol samples and completed a PTSD symptom questionnaire and a behavior rating scale to measure infant temperament, including distress to limitations, and response to novelty.

RESULTS

Mothers who developed PTSD in response to 9/11 had lower morning and evening salivary cortisol levels, compared to mothers who did not develop PTSD. Maternal morning cortisol levels were inversely related to their rating of infant distress and response to novelty (i.e., loud noises, new foods, unfamiliar people). Also, mothers who had PTSD rated their infants as having greater distress to novelty than did mothers without PTSD (t = 2.77, df = 61, P = 0.007).

CONCLUSION

Longitudinal studies are needed to determine how the association between maternal PTSD symptoms and cortisol levels and infant temperament reflect genetic and/or epigenetic mechanisms of intergenerational transmission.

Endocrine Disruptors: Challenges for Environmental Research in the 21st Century

During the past 10 years, there has been a worldwide decline in the use and human exposure to many chemicals, including pesticides and persistent organic pollutants (POPs). However, a new generation of chemicals that have endocrine disrupting (ED) potential have emerged. Their presence in the environment and concomitant levels in humans are prevalent, although the sources of these contemporary-use industrial chemicals are not entirely identified. They include the phthalates, alkylphenols, brominated diphenyl ethers, and perfluorinated organics (PFOCs). The alkylphenols, especially bisphenol A, are potent EDs. Levels vary by geography, race/ethnicity, age and gender, and human health effects are just beginning to be assessed. This article discusses the toxicology, human exposure, and potential health effects of EDs that are likely to be important in the 21st century.

Health consequences of the September 11 World Trade Center attacks: a review

In the aftermath of the September 11 World Trade Center (WTC) attack, a large number of people sustained potential exposures to smoke, dust, particulate matter, and a variety of toxins, including asbestos, pulverized concrete, glass fibers, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated furans and dioxins. Additionally, many had exposure to psychological traumatogens. The most common effects seen to date are respiratory and mental health consequences. The long-term consequences of exposures are not yet known, and there remains concern about the potential for late-emerging diseases such as cancers. This article reviews WTC-related health effects, the spectrum of exposures and how they were documented, and discusses future preventive efforts.

Psychological trauma associated with the World Trade Center attacks and its effect on pregnancy outcome

The destruction of the World Trade Center (WTC) on 11 September 2001 was a source of enormous psychological trauma that may have consequences for the health of pregnant women and their fetuses. In this report, we describe the impact of extreme trauma on the birth outcomes of women highly exposed to the WTC. We enrolled 187 women who were pregnant and living or working within close proximity to the WTC on 11 September. Among women with singleton pregnancies, 52 completed at least one psychological assessment prior to delivery. In adjusted multivariable models, both post-traumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS) and moderate depression were associated with longer gestational durations, although only PTSS was associated with decrements in infant head circumference at birth (beta=-0.07, SE=0.03, P=0.01). The impact of stress resulting from extreme trauma may be different from that which results from ordinary life experiences, particularly with respect to cortisol production. As prenatal PTSS was associated with decrements in head circumference, this may influence subsequent neurocognitive development. Long-term follow-up of infants exposed to extreme trauma in utero is needed to evaluate the persistence of these effects.