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Jung AM, Beitel SC, Gutenkunst SL, Billheimer D, Jahnke SA, Littau SR, White M, Hoppe-Jones C, Cherrington NJ, Burgess JL. Excretion of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and AhR activation in breastmilk among firefighters. Toxicol Sci 2023; 192:kfad017. [PMID: 36856729 PMCID: PMC10109531 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfad017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Excretion of toxicants accumulated from firefighter exposures through breastmilk represents a potential hazard. We investigated if firefighting exposures could increase the concentration of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation in excreted breastmilk. Firefighters and non-firefighters collected breastmilk samples prior to any firefighting responses (baseline) and at 2, 8, 24, 48, and 72 hours after a structural fire (firefighters only). Five PBDE analytes (BDEs 15, 28, 47, 99, and 153) detected in at least 90% of samples were summed for analyses. The AhR in vitro DR CALUX® bioassay assessed the mixture of dioxin-like compounds and toxicity from breastmilk extracts. Baseline PBDEs and AhR response were compared between firefighters and non-firefighters. Separate linear mixed models assessed changes in sum of PBDEs and AhR response among firefighters over time and effect modification by interior or exterior response was assessed. Baseline PBDE concentrations and AhR responses did not differ between the 21 firefighters and 10 non-firefighters. There were no significant changes in sum of PBDEs or AhR response among firefighters over time post-fire, and no variation by interior or exterior response. Plots of sum of PBDEs and AhR response over time demonstrated individual variation but no consistent pattern. Currently, our novel study results do not support forgoing breastfeeding after a fire exposure. However, given study limitations and the potential hazard of accumulated toxicants from firefighter exposures excreted via breastfeeding, future studies should consider additional contaminants and measures of toxicity by which firefighting may impact maternal and child health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alesia M Jung
- Department of Community, Environment and Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724, USA
| | - Shawn C Beitel
- Department of Community, Environment and Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724, USA
| | - Shannon L Gutenkunst
- Statistics Consulting Lab, BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
- Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
| | - Dean Billheimer
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724, USA
- Statistics Consulting Lab, BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
- Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
| | - Sara A Jahnke
- Center for Fire, Rescue, & EMS Health Research, NDRI-USA, Leawood, Kansas 66224, USA
| | - Sally R Littau
- Department of Community, Environment and Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724, USA
| | - Mandie White
- Department of Community, Environment and Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724, USA
| | | | - Nathan J Cherrington
- Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
| | - Jefferey L Burgess
- Department of Community, Environment and Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724, USA
- Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
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