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vom Saal FS, Antoniou M, Belcher SM, Bergman A, Bhandari RK, Birnbaum LS, Cohen A, Collins TJ, Demeneix B, Fine AM, Flaws JA, Gayrard V, Goodson WH, Gore AC, Heindel JJ, Hunt PA, Iguchi T, Kassotis CD, Kortenkamp A, Mesnage R, Muncke J, Myers JP, Nadal A, Newbold RR, Padmanabhan V, Palanza P, Palma Z, Parmigiani S, Patrick L, Prins GS, Rosenfeld CS, Skakkebaek NE, Sonnenschein C, Soto AM, Swan SH, Taylor JA, Toutain PL, von Hippel FA, Welshons WV, Zalko D, Zoeller RT. The Conflict between Regulatory Agencies over the 20,000-Fold Lowering of the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) for Bisphenol A (BPA) by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Environ Health Perspect 2024; 132:45001. [PMID: 38592230 PMCID: PMC11003459 DOI: 10.1289/ehp13812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommended lowering their estimated tolerable daily intake (TDI) for bisphenol A (BPA) 20,000-fold to 0.2 ng / kg body weight ( BW ) / day . BPA is an extensively studied high production volume endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC) associated with a vast array of diseases. Prior risk assessments of BPA by EFSA as well as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have relied on industry-funded studies conducted under good laboratory practice protocols (GLP) requiring guideline end points and detailed record keeping, while also claiming to examine (but rejecting) thousands of published findings by academic scientists. Guideline protocols initially formalized in the mid-twentieth century are still used by many regulatory agencies. EFSA used a 21st century approach in its reassessment of BPA and conducted a transparent, but time-limited, systematic review that included both guideline and academic research. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) opposed EFSA's revision of the TDI for BPA. OBJECTIVES We identify the flaws in the assumptions that the German BfR, as well as the FDA, have used to justify maintaining the TDI for BPA at levels above what a vast amount of academic research shows to cause harm. We argue that regulatory agencies need to incorporate 21st century science into chemical hazard identifications using the CLARITY-BPA (Consortium Linking Academic and Regulatory Insights on BPA Toxicity) nonguideline academic studies in a collaborative government-academic program model. DISCUSSION We strongly endorse EFSA's revised TDI for BPA and support the European Commission's (EC) apparent acceptance of this updated BPA risk assessment. We discuss challenges to current chemical risk assessment assumptions about EDCs that need to be addressed by regulatory agencies to, in our opinion, become truly protective of public health. Addressing these challenges will hopefully result in BPA, and eventually other structurally similar bisphenols (called regrettable substitutions) for which there are known adverse effects, being eliminated from all food-related and many other uses in the EU and elsewhere. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP13812.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick S. vom Saal
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Michael Antoniou
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King’s College London School of Medicine, London, UK
| | - Scott M. Belcher
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ake Bergman
- Department of Environmental Science (ACES), Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ramji K. Bhandari
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Linda S. Birnbaum
- Scientist Emeritus and Former Director, National Toxicology Program (NTP), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
- Scholar in Residence, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Aly Cohen
- Integrative Rheumatology Associates, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Terrence J. Collins
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Barbara Demeneix
- Comparative Physiology Laboratory, Natural History Museum, Paris, France
| | - Anne Marie Fine
- Environmental Medicine Education International, Mancos, Colorado, USA
| | - Jodi A. Flaws
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois Urbana—Champaign, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
| | - Veronique Gayrard
- ToxAlim (Research Centre in Food Toxicology), University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - William H. Goodson
- California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Andrea C. Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Jerrold J. Heindel
- Healthy Environment and Endocrine Disruptor Strategies, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Patricia A. Hunt
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Taisen Iguchi
- Graduate School of Nanobioscience, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Christopher D. Kassotis
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Andreas Kortenkamp
- Centre for Pollution Research and Policy, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
| | - Robin Mesnage
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King’s College London School of Medicine, London, UK
| | - Jane Muncke
- Food Packaging Forum Foundation, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Angel Nadal
- Instituto de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación en Biotecnología Sanitaria de Elche (IDiBE) and CIBERDEM, Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, Elche, Alicante, Spain
| | - Retha R. Newbold
- Scientist Emeritus, NTP, NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Vasantha Padmanabhan
- Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Paola Palanza
- Unit of Neuroscience, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Parmigiani
- Unit of Evolutionary and Functional Biology, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Lyn Patrick
- Environmental Medicine Education International, Mancos, Colorado, USA
| | - Gail S. Prins
- Department of Urology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Cheryl S. Rosenfeld
- Biomedical Sciences, Thompson Center for Autism and Neurobehavioral Disorders, University of Missouri—Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA
- MU Institute of Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri—Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Niels E. Skakkebaek
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carlos Sonnenschein
- Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ana M. Soto
- Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shanna H. Swan
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Julia A. Taylor
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Pierre-Louis Toutain
- Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, UK
- NTHERES, INRAE, ENVT, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Frank A. von Hippel
- Department of Community, Environment & Policy, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Wade V. Welshons
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri—Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Daniel Zalko
- ToxAlim (Research Centre in Food Toxicology), University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - R. Thomas Zoeller
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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Zuccaro P, Thompson DC, de Boer J, Llompart M, Watterson A, Bilott R, Birnbaum LS, Vasiliou V. The European Union Ban on Microplastics Includes Artificial Turf Crumb Rubber Infill: Other Nations Should Follow Suit. Environ Sci Technol 2024; 58:2591-2594. [PMID: 38301275 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Philip Zuccaro
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, United States
- Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, United States
| | - David C Thompson
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, United States
| | - Jacob de Boer
- Amsterdam Institute for Life and Environment, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maria Llompart
- CRETUS, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition, and Food Sciences, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, E-15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Andrew Watterson
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland
| | - Robert Bilott
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, United States
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, United States
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27710, United States
| | - Vasilis Vasiliou
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, United States
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Iamandii I, De Pasquale L, Giannone ME, Veneri F, Generali L, Consolo U, Birnbaum LS, Castenmiller J, Halldorsson TI, Filippini T, Vinceti M. Does fluoride exposure affect thyroid function? A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. Environ Res 2024; 242:117759. [PMID: 38029816 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Fluoride exposure may have various adverse health effects, including affecting thyroid function and disease risk, but the pattern of such relation is still uncertain. METHODS We systematically searched human studies assessing the relation between fluoride exposure and thyroid function and disease. We compared the highest versus the lowest fluoride category across these studies, and we performed a one-stage dose-response meta-analysis for aggregated data to explore the shape of the association. RESULTS Most retrieved studies (27 of which with a cross-sectional design) were conducted in Asia and in children, assessing fluoride exposure through its concentrations in drinking water, urine, serum, or dietary intake. Twenty-four studies reported data on thyroid function by measuring thyroid-related hormones in blood (mainly thyroid-stimulating-hormone - TSH), 9 reported data on thyroid disease, and 4 on thyroid volume. By comparing the highest versus the lowest fluoride categories, overall mean TSH difference was 1.05 μIU/mL. Dose-response curve showed no change in TSH concentrations in the lowest water fluoride exposure range, while the hormone levels started to linearly increase around 2.5 mg/L, also dependending on the risk of bias of the included studies. The association between biomarkers of fluoride exposure and TSH was also positive, with little evidence of a threshold. Evidence for an association between fluoride exposure and blood concentrations of thyroid hormones was less evident, though there was an indication of inverse association with triiodothyronine. For thyroid disease, the few available studies suggested a positive association with goiter and with hypothyroidism in both children and adults. CONCLUSIONS Overall, exposure to high-fluoride drinking water appears to non-linearly affect thyroid function and increase TSH release in children, starting above a threshold of exposure, and to increase the risk of some thyroid diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga Iamandii
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN), Section of Public Health, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Lisa De Pasquale
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Maria Edvige Giannone
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN), Section of Public Health, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Federica Veneri
- Department of Surgery, Medicine, Dentistry and Morphological Sciences with Transplant Surgery, Oncology and Regenerative Medicine Relevance (CHIMOMO), Unit of Dentistry & Oral-Maxillo-Facial Surgery, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; PhD Program in Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Luigi Generali
- Department of Surgery, Medicine, Dentistry and Morphological Sciences with Transplant Surgery, Oncology and Regenerative Medicine Relevance (CHIMOMO), Unit of Dentistry & Oral-Maxillo-Facial Surgery, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Ugo Consolo
- Department of Surgery, Medicine, Dentistry and Morphological Sciences with Transplant Surgery, Oncology and Regenerative Medicine Relevance (CHIMOMO), Unit of Dentistry & Oral-Maxillo-Facial Surgery, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jacqueline Castenmiller
- Office for Risk Assessment & Research, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Thorhallur I Halldorsson
- Department of Epidemiology Research, Centre for Fetal Programming, Copenhagen, Denmark; Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Tommaso Filippini
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN), Section of Public Health, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Marco Vinceti
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN), Section of Public Health, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
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Chen X, Birnbaum LS, Babich MA, de Boer J, White KW, Barone S, Fehrenbacher C, Stapleton HM. Opportunities in Assessing and Regulating Organohalogen Flame Retardants (OFRs) as a Class in Consumer Products. Environ Health Perspect 2024; 132:15001. [PMID: 38175186 PMCID: PMC10766010 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2015, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) received and then, in 2017, granted a petition under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act to declare certain groups of consumer products as banned hazardous substances if they contain nonpolymeric, additive organohalogen flame retardants (OFRs). The petitioners asked the CPSC to regulate OFRs as a single chemical class with similar health effects. The CPSC later sponsored a National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report in 2019, which ultimately identified 161 OFRs and grouped them into 14 subclasses based on chemical structural similarity. In 2021, a follow-up discussion was held among a group of scientists from both inside and outside of the CPSC for current research on OFRs and to promote collaboration that could increase public awareness of CPSC work and support the class-based approach for the CPSC's required risk assessment of OFRs. OBJECTIVES Given the extensive data collected to date, there is a need to synthesize what is known about OFR and how class-based regulations have previously managed this information. This commentary discusses both OFR exposure and OFR toxicity and fills some gaps for OFR exposure that were not within the scope of the NASEM report. The objective of this commentary is therefore to provide an overview of the OFR research presented at SOT 2021, explore opportunities and challenges associated with OFR risk assessment, and inform CPSC's work on an OFR class-based approach. DISCUSSION A class-based approach for regulating OFRs can be successful. Expanding the use of read-across and the use of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in assessing and regulating existing chemicals was considered as a necessary part of the class-based process. Recommendations for OFR class-based risk assessment include the need to balance fire and chemical safety and to protect vulnerable populations, including children and pregnant women. The authors also suggest the CPSC should consider global, federal, and state OFR regulations. The lack of data or lack of concordance in toxicity data could present significant hurdles for some OFR subclasses. The potential for cumulative risks within or between subclasses, OFR mixtures, and metabolites common to more than one OFR all add extra complexity for class-based risk assessment. This commentary discusses scientific and regulatory challenges for a class-based approach suggested by NASEM. This commentary is offered as a resource for anyone performing class-based assessments and to provide potential collaboration opportunities for OFR stakeholders. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12725.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinrong Chen
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Linda S. Birnbaum
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Jacob de Boer
- Department of Environment and Health, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Stanley Barone
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | | | - Heather M. Stapleton
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Veneri F, Iamandii I, Vinceti M, Birnbaum LS, Generali L, Consolo U, Filippini T. Fluoride Exposure and Skeletal Fluorosis: a Systematic Review and Dose-response Meta-analysis. Curr Environ Health Rep 2023; 10:417-441. [PMID: 37861949 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-023-00412-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis on the relation between fluoride exposure and skeletal fluorosis (SF) using a novel statistical methodology for dose-response modeling. RECENT FINDINGS Skeletal fluorosis, a major health issue that is endemic in some regions, affects millions of people worldwide. However, data regarding the dose-response relation between fluoride exposure and SF are limited and outdated. We included twenty-three studies in the meta-analysis. When comparing the highest versus the lowest fluoride category, the summary risk ratio (RR) for SF prevalence was 2.05 (95% CI 1.60; 2.64), with a value of 2.73 (95% CI 1.92; 3.90) for drinking water and 1.40 (95% CI 0.90; 2.17) for urinary fluoride. The RR by the risk of bias (RoB) was 2.37 (95% CI 1.56; 3.58) and 1.78 (95% CI 1.34; 2.36) for moderate and high RoB studies, respectively. The dose-response curve based on a one-stage cubic spline regression model showed an almost linear positive relation between exposure and SF occurrence starting from relatively low concentrations up to 5 mg/L and 2.5 mg/L, respectively, for water and urinary fluoride, with no substantial increase above this threshold. The RR for developing moderate-severe forms increases at 5.00 mg/L and 2.5 mg/L of water and urinary fluoride, respectively. Better-quality studies are needed to confirm these results, but greater attention should be given to water fluoride levels to prevent SF, in addition to the other potential adverse effects of fluoride exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Veneri
- Department of Surgery, Medicine, Dentistry and Morphological Sciences with Transplant Surgery, Oncology and Regenerative Medicine Relevance (CHIMOMO), Unit of Dentistry & Oral-Maxillo-Facial Surgery - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41124, Modena, Italy
- PhD Program in Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41124, Modena, Italy
| | - Inga Iamandii
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN), Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Medical School - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41124, Modena, Italy
| | - Marco Vinceti
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN), Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Medical School - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41124, Modena, Italy.
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Luigi Generali
- Department of Surgery, Medicine, Dentistry and Morphological Sciences with Transplant Surgery, Oncology and Regenerative Medicine Relevance (CHIMOMO), Unit of Dentistry & Oral-Maxillo-Facial Surgery - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41124, Modena, Italy
| | - Ugo Consolo
- Department of Surgery, Medicine, Dentistry and Morphological Sciences with Transplant Surgery, Oncology and Regenerative Medicine Relevance (CHIMOMO), Unit of Dentistry & Oral-Maxillo-Facial Surgery - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41124, Modena, Italy
| | - Tommaso Filippini
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN), Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Medical School - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41124, Modena, Italy
- School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
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Zoeller RT, Birnbaum LS, Collins TJ, Heindel J, Hunt PA, Iguchi T, Kortenkamp A, Myers JP, vom Saal FS, Sonnenschein C, Soto AM. European Medicines Agency Conflicts With the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on Bisphenol A Regulation. J Endocr Soc 2023; 7:bvad107. [PMID: 37873497 PMCID: PMC10590640 DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvad107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has revised their estimate of the toxicity of bisphenol A (BPA) and, as a result, have recommended reducing the tolerable daily intake (TDI) by 20 000-fold. This would essentially ban the use of BPA in food packaging such as can liners, plastic food containers, and in consumer products. To come to this conclusion, EFSA used a systematic approach according to a pre-established protocol and included all guideline and nonguideline studies in their analysis. They found that Th-17 immune cells increased with very low exposure to BPA and used this endpoint to revise the TDI to be human health protective. A number of regulatory agencies including the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have written formal disagreements with several elements of EFSA's proposal. The European Commission will now decide whether to accept EFSA's recommendation over the objections of EMA. If the Commission accepts EFSA's recommendation, it will be a landmark action using knowledge acquired through independent scientific studies focused on biomarkers of chronic disease to protect human health. The goal of this Perspective is to clearly articulate the monumental nature of this debate and decision and to explain what is at stake. Our perspective is that the weight of evidence clearly supports EFSA's proposal to reduce the TDI by 20 000-fold.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Thomas Zoeller
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- School of Science and Technology, University of Örebro, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Scholar in Residence, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Terrence J Collins
- Teresa Heinz Professor of Green Chemistry, and Director, Institute for Green Science, Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | | | - Patricia A Hunt
- School of Molecular Biosciences, Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Taisen Iguchi
- Graduate School of Nanobioscience, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 236-0027, Japan
| | - Andreas Kortenkamp
- Centre for Pollution Research and Policy, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - John Peterson Myers
- Environmental Health Sciences, Charlottesville, VA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie, Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Frederick S vom Saal
- Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Carlos Sonnenschein
- Centre Cavaillès, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
- Institut for Advanced Studies, Nantes, France
- Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
| | - Ana M Soto
- Centre Cavaillès, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
- Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
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Fuoco RE, Kwiatkowski CF, Birnbaum LS, Blum A. Effective communications strategies to increase the impact of environmental health research. Environ Health 2023; 22:47. [PMID: 37460989 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-023-00997-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are the subject of a growing body of research with the potential to positively impact public and ecological health. However, to effect positive change, findings must be communicated beyond the scientific community. OBJECTIVE We sought to (a) evaluate the relationships between communications strategy, media attention, and scholarly citations of PFAS research and (b) offer guidance for researchers and communications professionals who would like to publicize future work and increase its impact. METHODS We analyzed 273 peer-reviewed epidemiological studies on PFAS human health impacts with publication years 2018-2020, as collected by a pre-existing database. We investigated whether a press release was issued, open-access status, abstract and press release readability, timing of publication and press release distribution, journal impact factor, study type and sample size, statistical significance of finding(s), number of scholarly citations, and the Altmetric Attention Score (a measure of media attention). DISCUSSION Of papers reporting a statistically significant association with health harm, those with a press release received 20 times more media attention (as assessed by Altmetric scores) than those that did not. However, only 6.2% of all papers and 7.8% of significant papers issued one. Among papers with a press release, media attention was positively correlated with better abstract and press release readability and speed in issuing the press release. Scholarly citations were positively correlated with media attention, presence of a press release, and open-access status. CONCLUSION Most papers with significant findings on PFAS are published without a press release and receive little or no media attention. This reduces the likelihood that important research is reaching the public and decisionmakers who can translate science into action. Issuing a press release and receiving media attention also appear to increase scholarly citations. We provide recommendations for authors to increase the reach and impact of future papers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carol F Kwiatkowski
- Green Science Policy Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, USA
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Scientist Emeritus, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Arlene Blum
- Green Science Policy Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA
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Pavuk M, Rosenbaum PF, Lewin MD, Serio TC, Rago P, Cave MC, Birnbaum LS. Polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, pesticides, and diabetes in the Anniston Community Health Survey follow-up (ACHS II): single exposure and mixture analysis approaches. Sci Total Environ 2023; 877:162920. [PMID: 36934946 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds measurements were added to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides to expand the exposure profile in a follow-up to the Anniston Community Health Survey (ACHS II, 2014) and to study diabetes associations. Participants of ACHS I (2005-2007) still living within the study area were eligible to participate in ACHS II. Diabetes status (type-2) was determined by a doctor's diagnosis, fasting glucose ≥125 mg/dL, or being on any glycemic control medication. Incident diabetes cases were identified in ACHS II among those who did not have diabetes in ACHS I, using the same criteria. Thirty-five ortho-substituted PCBs, 6 pesticides, 7 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD), 10 furans (PCDF), and 3 non-ortho PCBs were measured in 338 ACHS II participants. Dioxin toxic equivalents (TEQs) were calculated for all dioxin-like compounds. Main analyses used logistic regression models to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI). In models adjusted for age, race, sex, BMI, total lipids, family history of diabetes, and taking lipid lowering medication, the highest ORs for diabetes were observed for PCDD TEQ: 3.61 (95 % CI: 1.04, 12.46), dichloro-diphenyl dichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE): 2.07 (95 % CI 1.08, 3.97), and trans-Nonachlor: 2.55 (95 % CI 0.93, 7.02). The OR for sum 35 PCBs was 1.22 (95 % CI: 0.58-2.57). To complement the main analyses, we used BKMR and g-computation models to evaluate 12 mixture components including 4 TEQs, 2 PCB subsets and 6 pesticides; suggestive positive associations for the joint effect of the mixture analyses resulted in ORs of 1.40 (95% CI: -1.13, 3.93) for BKMR and 1.32 (95% CI: -1.12, 3.76) for g-computation. The mixture analyses provide further support to previously observed associations of trans-Nonachlor, p,p'- DDE, PCDD TEQ and some PCB groups with diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Pavuk
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - P F Rosenbaum
- SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, United States of America.
| | - M D Lewin
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - T C Serio
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, United States of America; ATSDR/CDC, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - P Rago
- ATSDR/CDC, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - M C Cave
- University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States of America
| | - L S Birnbaum
- NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States of America
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9
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Southerland E, Birnbaum LS. What Limits Will the World Health Organization Recommend for PFOA and PFOS in Drinking Water? Environ Sci Technol 2023; 57:7103-7105. [PMID: 37127903 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c02260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Southerland
- Office of Science and Technology, Office of Water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C. 20460, United States
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- National Institute of Environmental Health Science and National Toxicology Program, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
- Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
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10
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Veneri F, Vinceti M, Generali L, Giannone ME, Mazzoleni E, Birnbaum LS, Consolo U, Filippini T. Fluoride exposure and cognitive neurodevelopment: Systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. Environ Res 2023; 221:115239. [PMID: 36639015 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Many uncertainties still surround the possible harmful effect of fluoride exposure on cognitive neurodevelopment in children. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to characterize this relation through a dose-response approach, by comparing the intelligence quotient (IQ) scores in the highest versus the lowest fluoride exposure category with a random-effects model, within a one-stage dose-response meta-analysis based on a cubic spline random-effects model. Out of 1996 potentially relevant literature records, 33 studies were eligible for this review, 30 of which were also suitable for meta-analysis. The summary mean difference of IQ score, comparing highest versus lowest fluoride categories and considering all types of exposure, was -4.68 (95% confidence interval-CI -6.45; -2.92), with a value of -5.60 (95% CI -7.76; -3.44) for drinking water fluoride and -3.84 (95% CI -7.93; 0.24) for urinary fluoride. Dose-response analysis showed a substantially linear IQ decrease for increasing water fluoride above 1 mg/L, with -3.05 (95% CI -4.06; -2.04) IQ points per 1 mg/L up to 2 mg/L, becoming steeper above such level. A weaker and substantially linear decrease of -2.15 (95% CI -4.48; 0.18) IQ points with increasing urinary fluoride emerged above 0.28 mg/L (approximately reflecting a water fluoride content of 0.7 mg/L). The inverse association between fluoride exposure and IQ was particularly strong in the studies at high risk of bias, while no adverse effect emerged in the only study judged at low risk of bias. Overall, most studies suggested an adverse effect of fluoride exposure on children's IQ, starting at low levels of exposure. However, a major role of residual confounding could not be ruled out, thus indicating the need of additional prospective studies at low risk of bias to conclusively assess the relation between fluoride exposure and cognitive neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Veneri
- Department of Surgery, Medicine, Dentistry and Morphological Sciences with Transplant Surgery, Oncology and Regenerative Medicine Relevance (CHIMOMO), Unit of Dentistry & Oral-Maxillo-Facial Surgery - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; PhD Program in Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Marco Vinceti
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN), Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Medical School - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Luigi Generali
- Department of Surgery, Medicine, Dentistry and Morphological Sciences with Transplant Surgery, Oncology and Regenerative Medicine Relevance (CHIMOMO), Unit of Dentistry & Oral-Maxillo-Facial Surgery - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Maria Edvige Giannone
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN), Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Medical School - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Elena Mazzoleni
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN), Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Medical School - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Ugo Consolo
- Department of Surgery, Medicine, Dentistry and Morphological Sciences with Transplant Surgery, Oncology and Regenerative Medicine Relevance (CHIMOMO), Unit of Dentistry & Oral-Maxillo-Facial Surgery - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Tommaso Filippini
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN), Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Medical School - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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11
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Page J, Whaley P, Bellingham M, Birnbaum LS, Cavoski A, Fetherston Dilke D, Garside R, Harrad S, Kelly F, Kortenkamp A, Martin O, Stec A, Woolley T. A new consensus on reconciling fire safety with environmental & health impacts of chemical flame retardants. Environ Int 2023; 173:107782. [PMID: 36858883 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.107782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Flame retardants are chemical substances that are intended to mitigate fire safety risks posed by a range of goods including furniture, electronics, and building insulation. There are growing concerns about their effectiveness in ensuring fire safety and the potential harms they pose to human health and the environment. In response to these concerns, on 13 June 2022, a roundtable of experts was convened by the UKRI Six Clean Air Strategic Priorities Fund programme 7. The meeting produced a Consensus Statement that summarises the issues around the use of flame retardants, laying out a series of policy recommendations that should lead to more effective fire safety measures and reduce the human and environmental health risks posed by these potentially toxic chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Page
- The Cancer Prevention & Education Society, UK.
| | - Paul Whaley
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, UK.
| | - Michelle Bellingham
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, UK
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program, Scholar in Residence, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, USA
| | | | | | - Ruth Garside
- University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, UK
| | - Stuart Harrad
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK
| | - Frank Kelly
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, UK
| | | | - Olwenn Martin
- Department of Arts and Sciences, University College London, UK
| | - Anna Stec
- Centre for Fire and Hazards Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, UK
| | - Tom Woolley
- Ecological Design Association Northern Ireland, NI, UK
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12
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Maffini MV, Rayasam SDG, Axelrad DA, Birnbaum LS, Cooper C, Franjevic S, MacRoy PM, Nachman KE, Patisaul HB, Rodgers KM, Rossi MS, Schettler T, Solomon GM, Woodruff TJ. Advancing the science on chemical classes. Environ Health 2023; 21:120. [PMID: 36635752 PMCID: PMC9835214 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-022-00919-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hazard identification, risk assessment, regulatory, and policy activity are usually conducted on a chemical-by-chemical basis. Grouping chemicals into categories or classes is an underutilized approach that could make risk assessment and management of chemicals more efficient for regulators. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS While there are some available methods and regulatory frameworks that include the grouping of chemicals (e.g.,same molecular mechanism or similar chemical structure) there has not been a comprehensive evaluation of these different approaches nor a recommended course of action to better consider chemical classes in decision-making. This manuscript: 1) reviews current national and international approaches to grouping; 2) describes how groups could be defined based on the decision context (e.g., hazard/risk assessment, restrictions, prioritization, product development) and scientific considerations (e.g., intrinsic physical-chemical properties); 3) discusses advantages of developing a decision tree approach for grouping; 4) uses ortho-phthalates as a case study to identify and organize frameworks that could be used across agencies; and 5) discusses opportunities to advance the class concept within various regulatory decision-making scenarios. RESULTS Structural similarity was the most common grouping approach for risk assessment among regulatory agencies (national and state level) and non-regulatory organizations, albeit with some variations in its definition. Toxicity to the same target organ or to the same biological function was also used in a few cases. The phthalates case study showed that a decision tree approach for grouping should include questions about uses regulated by other agencies to encourage more efficient, coherent, and protective chemical risk management. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Our evaluation of how classes of chemicals are defined and used identified commonalities and differences based on regulatory frameworks, risk assessments, and business strategies. We also identified that using a class-based approach could result in a more efficient process to reduce exposures to multiple hazardous chemicals and, ultimately, reduce health risks. We concluded that, in the absence of a prescribed method, a decision tree approach could facilitate the selection of chemicals belonging to a pre-defined class (e.g., chemicals with endocrine-disrupting activity; organohalogen flame retardants [OFR]) based on the decision-making context (e.g., regulatory risk management).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Swati D G Rayasam
- Department of Obstetrics, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, Box 0132, 490 Illinois Street, Floor 10, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | | | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Scientist Emeritus and Former Director, National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
- Scholar in Residence, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Courtney Cooper
- Department of Obstetrics, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, Box 0132, 490 Illinois Street, Floor 10, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | | | | | - Keeve E Nachman
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins Risk Sciences and Public Policy Institute Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Heather B Patisaul
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | | | | | - Ted Schettler
- Science and Environmental Health Network, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Gina M Solomon
- University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Public Health Institute, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Tracey J Woodruff
- Department of Obstetrics, Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, Box 0132, 490 Illinois Street, Floor 10, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
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13
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Woodruff TJ, Rayasam SDG, Axelrad DA, Koman PD, Chartres N, Bennett DH, Birnbaum LS, Brown P, Carignan CC, Cooper C, Cranor CF, Diamond ML, Franjevic S, Gartner EC, Hattis D, Hauser R, Heiger-Bernays W, Joglekar R, Lam J, Levy JI, MacRoy PM, Maffini MV, Marquez EC, Morello-Frosch R, Nachman KE, Nielsen GH, Oksas C, Abrahamsson DP, Patisaul HB, Patton S, Robinson JF, Rodgers KM, Rossi MS, Rudel RA, Sass JB, Sathyanarayana S, Schettler T, Shaffer RM, Shamasunder B, Shepard PM, Shrader-Frechette K, Solomon GM, Subra WA, Vandenberg LN, Varshavsky JR, White RF, Zarker K, Zeise L. A science-based agenda for health-protective chemical assessments and decisions: overview and consensus statement. Environ Health 2023; 21:132. [PMID: 36635734 PMCID: PMC9835243 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-022-00930-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The manufacture and production of industrial chemicals continues to increase, with hundreds of thousands of chemicals and chemical mixtures used worldwide, leading to widespread population exposures and resultant health impacts. Low-wealth communities and communities of color often bear disproportionate burdens of exposure and impact; all compounded by regulatory delays to the detriment of public health. Multiple authoritative bodies and scientific consensus groups have called for actions to prevent harmful exposures via improved policy approaches. We worked across multiple disciplines to develop consensus recommendations for health-protective, scientific approaches to reduce harmful chemical exposures, which can be applied to current US policies governing industrial chemicals and environmental pollutants. This consensus identifies five principles and scientific recommendations for improving how agencies like the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approach and conduct hazard and risk assessment and risk management analyses: (1) the financial burden of data generation for any given chemical on (or to be introduced to) the market should be on the chemical producers that benefit from their production and use; (2) lack of data does not equate to lack of hazard, exposure, or risk; (3) populations at greater risk, including those that are more susceptible or more highly exposed, must be better identified and protected to account for their real-world risks; (4) hazard and risk assessments should not assume existence of a "safe" or "no-risk" level of chemical exposure in the diverse general population; and (5) hazard and risk assessments must evaluate and account for financial conflicts of interest in the body of evidence. While many of these recommendations focus specifically on the EPA, they are general principles for environmental health that could be adopted by any agency or entity engaged in exposure, hazard, and risk assessment. We also detail recommendations for four priority areas in companion papers (exposure assessment methods, human variability assessment, methods for quantifying non-cancer health outcomes, and a framework for defining chemical classes). These recommendations constitute key steps for improved evidence-based environmental health decision-making and public health protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracey J Woodruff
- Program On Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, 490 Illinois Street, Floor 10, Box 0132, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
| | - Swati D G Rayasam
- Program On Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, 490 Illinois Street, Floor 10, Box 0132, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | | | - Patricia D Koman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Nicholas Chartres
- Program On Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, 490 Illinois Street, Floor 10, Box 0132, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Deborah H Bennett
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
- Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Phil Brown
- Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Courtney C Carignan
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Courtney Cooper
- Program On Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, 490 Illinois Street, Floor 10, Box 0132, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Carl F Cranor
- Department of Philosophy, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
- Environmental Toxicology Graduate Program, College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Miriam L Diamond
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- School of the Environment, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - Dale Hattis
- The George Perkins Marsh Institute, Clark University, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Russ Hauser
- Department of Environmental Health, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Wendy Heiger-Bernays
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Juleen Lam
- Department of Public Health, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan I Levy
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Rachel Morello-Frosch
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Keeve E Nachman
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Johns Hopkins Risk Sciences and Public Policy Institute, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Greylin H Nielsen
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Catherine Oksas
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Dimitri Panagopoulos Abrahamsson
- Program On Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, 490 Illinois Street, Floor 10, Box 0132, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Heather B Patisaul
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | | | - Joshua F Robinson
- Program On Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, 490 Illinois Street, Floor 10, Box 0132, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Sheela Sathyanarayana
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ted Schettler
- Science and Environmental Health Network, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Rachel M Shaffer
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, USA
| | - Bhavna Shamasunder
- Department of Urban & Environmental Policy and Public Health, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Kristin Shrader-Frechette
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
- Department of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Gina M Solomon
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Public Health Institute, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Wilma A Subra
- Louisiana Environmental Action Network, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Laura N Vandenberg
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health & Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Julia R Varshavsky
- Department of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Roberta F White
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ken Zarker
- Washington State Department of Ecology, Olympia, WA, USA
| | - Lauren Zeise
- Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, California Environmental Protection Agency, Oakland, CA, USA
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14
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Birnbaum LS, Taylor HS, Baldwin H, Ben-Ishai P, Davis D. RE: Cellular Telephone Use and the Risk of Brain Tumors: Update of the UK Million Women Study. J Natl Cancer Inst 2022; 114:1551-1552. [PMID: 35703943 PMCID: PMC9664184 DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djac110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Linda S Birnbaum
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program and Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Hugh S Taylor
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Paul Ben-Ishai
- Department of Physics, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
- Department of Applied Physics, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Devra Davis
- Correspondence to: Devra Davis, PhD, MPH, Environmental Health Trust, Jackson, PO Box 58, Teton Village, WY 83025, USA; Ondokus Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey (e-mail: )
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15
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Salvatore D, Mok K, Garrett KK, Poudrier G, Brown P, Birnbaum LS, Goldenman G, Miller MF, Patton S, Poehlein M, Varshavsky J, Cordner A. Presumptive Contamination: A New Approach to PFAS Contamination Based on Likely Sources. Environ Sci Technol Lett 2022; 9:983-990. [PMID: 36398312 PMCID: PMC9648201 DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.2c00502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
While research and regulatory attention to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has increased exponentially in recent years, data are uneven and incomplete about the scale, scope, and severity of PFAS releases and resulting contamination in the United States. This paper argues that in the absence of high-quality testing data, PFAS contamination can be presumed around three types of facilities: (1) fluorinated aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) discharge sites, (2) certain industrial facilities, and (3) sites related to PFAS-containing waste. While data are incomplete on all three types of presumptive PFAS contamination sites, we integrate available geocoded, nationwide data sets into a single map of presumptive contamination sites in the United States, identifying 57,412 sites of presumptive PFAS contamination: 49,145 industrial facilities, 4,255 wastewater treatment plants, 3,493 current or former military sites, and 519 major airports. This conceptual approach allows governments, industries, and communities to rapidly and systematically identify potential exposure sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derrick Salvatore
- Department
of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Kira Mok
- Department
of Sociology and Anthropology and Department of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Kimberly K. Garrett
- Department
of Sociology and Anthropology and Department of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Grace Poudrier
- Department
of Sociology and Anthropology and Department of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Phil Brown
- Department
of Sociology and Anthropology and Department of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Department
of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Linda S. Birnbaum
- National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
- Duke
University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | | | - Mark F. Miller
- National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and U.S. Public Health
Service, Research
Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Sharyle Patton
- Health
and Environment Program, Commonweal, Bolinas, California 94924, United States
| | - Maddy Poehlein
- PFAS
Project Lab, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Julia Varshavsky
- Department
of Health Sciences and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Alissa Cordner
- Department of Sociology, Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington 99362, United States
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16
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Post GB, Birnbaum LS, DeWitt JC, Goeden H, Heiger-Bernays WJ, Schlezinger JJ. Letter to the editors regarding "The conundrum of the PFOA human half-life, an international collaboration". Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2022; 134:105240. [PMID: 35973622 DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2022.105240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gloria B Post
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Trenton, NJ, USA
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jamie C DeWitt
- Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
| | - Helen Goeden
- Environmental Health Division, Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
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Rider CV, Birnbaum LS, DeVito MJ, Hertzberg RC, Rice GE, Teuschler LK. In Memoriam: Jane Ellen Simmons. Environ Health Perspect 2022; 130:101601. [PMID: 36300649 PMCID: PMC9608555 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia V Rider
- Division of Translational Toxicology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michael J DeVito
- Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Office of Research and Development (ORD), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Glenn E Rice
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, ORD, U.S. EPA, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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18
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Peecher JS, Schecter AJ, Lu H, Quynh HT, Stromberg A, Weng J, Crandall R, Birnbaum LS. Biomonitoring of Polybrominated Dioxins & Furans, Polychlorinated Dioxins & Furans, and Dioxin Like Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Vietnamese Female Electronic Waste Recyclers. J Occup Environ Med 2022; 64:742-747. [PMID: 35121692 PMCID: PMC9680905 DOI: 10.1097/jom.0000000000002506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE E-waste is rising globally. This is a follow up to our study reporting metals/polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE's)/polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in female e-waste recyclers. Here we report polybrominated, polychlorinated dioxins/furans, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in these same workers. METHODS Female Vietnamese recyclers and non-recyclers recruited; blood samples collected. Polybrominated, polychlorinated dioxins/furans, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls levels compared in recyclers, non-recyclers, and National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). RESULTS Recyclers >non-recyclers: 12378-PBDD, 2378-TBDF, 12378-PCDF, 123478-HxCDF, 123678-HxCDF, 1234678-HpCDF, PCB-126. Non-recyclers >NHANES: 123478-HxCDF, 123678-HxCDF, 234678- HxCDF, PCB-126, PCB-169. NHANES >non-recyclers: 12378-PCDD, 123478-HxCDD, 123678-HxCDD, 123789-HxCDD, 1234678-HpCDD, 123789-HxCDF, 1234678-HpCDF, 1234789-HpCDF, OCDF, PCB-81, PCB-114, PCB-156, PCB-157, PCB-167, PCB-189. Recyclers >NHANES: S: 2378-TeCDF, 12378-PCDF, 23478-PCDF, 123478-HxCDF, 123678- HxCDF, 234678-HxCDF, PCB-126. NHANES >recyclers: 12378-PCDD, 123478-HxCDD, 123678-HxCDD, 123789-HxCDD, 1234678-HpCDD, OCDD, 123789-HxCDF, 1234678-HpCDF, 1234789-HpCDF, OCDF, PCB- 81, PCB-114, PCB-156, PCB-157, PCB-189. CONCLUSION 12378 PCDD, 2378-TCDD, PCB 126 makeup most total dioxin equivalences (TEQs) in AQ5 these workers, indicating increased exposure; remediation indicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenevieve S Peecher
- From the Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado (Dr Peecher); University of Louisville School of Medicine (Dr Lu, Dr Schecter); Centre for Ecologically Sustainable Agriculture, Ha Noi, Vietnam (Dr Quynh); University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences (Dr Schecter), Louisville; University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences, Lexington (Dr Stromberg, Dr Weng), Kentucky; Baylor Scott & White Healthcare/Texas A&M University Health Science Center College of Medicine, Temple, Texas (Dr Crandall); and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (Dr Birnbaum)
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19
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Dinse GE, Co CA, Parks CG, Weinberg CR, Xie G, Chan EKL, Birnbaum LS, Miller FW. Expanded assessment of xenobiotic associations with antinuclear antibodies in the United States, 1988-2012. Environ Int 2022; 166:107376. [PMID: 35785669 PMCID: PMC9792625 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prevalence of autoimmunity in the U.S. has increased recently for undetermined reasons. Little is known about associations between autoimmunity and environmental causes. OBJECTIVES In a large representative sample of the U.S. population, we expanded our prior exploratory study of how exposures to selected xenobiotics and dioxin-like (DL) mixtures relate to antinuclear antibodies (ANA), the most common biomarker of autoimmunity. METHODS We analyzed cross-sectional data on 12,058 participants aged ≥ 12 years from three time periods of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1988 and 2012, of whom 14% were ANA-positive. We used lognormal regression models and censored-data methods to estimate ANA associations with xenobiotic concentrations overall and in sex, age, and race/ethnicity subgroups. Our analyses adjusted for potential confounders and appropriately handled concentrations below detection limits. RESULTS Observed ANA associations were positive for most DL compounds and nonDL polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), negative for most phthalates, and mixed for other xenobiotic classes. After correcting for multiple comparisons, some associations remained statistically significant. In subgroup analyses, the most significant finding was a positive ANA association with N-acetyl-S-(2-hydroxy-3-butenyl)-L-cysteine (MHB2) in males, followed by positive associations with 2,2',3,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB 44), 2,2',4,5'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB 49), and 2,2',3,4',5',6-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB 149) in 12-19 year-olds, and with 3,4,4',5-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB 81), 2,2',3,3',4,4',5,5',6-nonachlorobiphenyl (PCB 206), and N-acetyl-S-(phenyl)-L-cysteine (PMA) in Mexican Americans. Negative associations were found with mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP) in 20-49 year-olds and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) in 12-19 year-olds. In overall analyses, combining stratum-specific results across race/ethnicity strata revealed a positive ANA association with PCB 81 and a negative ANA association with N-acetyl-S-(2-hydroxyethyl)-L-cysteine (HEMA). DISCUSSION This study identified potential associations between ANA and various xenobiotics. Further investigation to confirm these observations and elucidate effects of certain xenobiotics on immune regulation could have important mechanistic, preventive, and treatment implications for a variety of immune-mediated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregg E Dinse
- Public Health & Scientific Research, Social & Scientific Systems, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Caroll A Co
- Public Health & Scientific Research, Social & Scientific Systems, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Christine G Parks
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
| | - Clarice R Weinberg
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
| | - Guanhua Xie
- Public Health & Scientific Research, Social & Scientific Systems, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Edward K L Chan
- Department of Oral Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
| | - Frederick W Miller
- Environmental Autoimmunity Group, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
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20
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Cave MC, Pinkston CM, Rai SN, Wahlang B, Pavuk M, Head KZ, Carswell GK, Nelson GM, Klinge CM, Bell DA, Birnbaum LS, Chorley BN. Circulating MicroRNAs, Polychlorinated Biphenyls, and Environmental Liver Disease in the Anniston Community Health Survey. Environ Health Perspect 2022; 130:17003. [PMID: 34989596 PMCID: PMC8734566 DOI: 10.1289/ehp9467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposures have been associated with liver injury in human cohorts, and steatohepatitis with liver necrosis in model systems. MicroRNAs (miRs) maintain cellular homeostasis and may regulate the response to environmental stress. OBJECTIVES We tested the hypothesis that specific miRs are associated with liver disease and PCB exposures in a residential cohort. METHODS Sixty-eight targeted hepatotoxicity miRs were measured in archived serum from 734 PCB-exposed participants in the cross-sectional Anniston Community Health Survey. Necrotic and other liver disease categories were defined by serum keratin 18 (K18) biomarkers. Associations were determined between exposure biomarkers (35 ortho-substituted PCB congeners) and disease biomarkers (highly expressed miRs or previously measured cytokines), and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis was performed. RESULTS The necrotic liver disease category was associated with four up-regulated miRs (miR-99a-5p, miR-122-5p, miR-192-5p, and miR-320a) and five down-regulated miRs (let-7d-5p, miR-17-5p, miR-24-3p, miR-197-3p, and miR-221-3p). Twenty-two miRs were associated with the other liver disease category or with K18 measurements. Eleven miRs were associated with 24 PCBs, most commonly congeners with anti-estrogenic activities. Most of the exposure-associated miRs were associated with at least one serum hepatocyte death, pro-inflammatory cytokine or insulin resistance bioarker, or with both. Within each biomarker category, associations were strongest for the liver-specific miR-122-5p. Pathways of liver toxicity that were identified included inflammation/hepatitis, hyperplasia/hyperproliferation, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Tumor protein p53 and tumor necrosis factor α were well integrated within the top identified networks. DISCUSSION These results support the human hepatotoxicity of environmental PCB exposures while elucidating potential modes of PCB action. The MiR-derived liquid liver biopsy represents a promising new technique for environmental hepatology cohort studies. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP9467.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C. Cave
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Hepatobiology and Toxicology Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Superfund Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Center for Integrative Environmental Health Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Robley Rex Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Liver Transplant Program at UofL Health–Jewish Hospital Trager Transplant Center, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- University of Louisville Alcohol Research Center, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Christina M. Pinkston
- Hepatobiology and Toxicology Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Facility, James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Shesh N. Rai
- Hepatobiology and Toxicology Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Superfund Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Center for Integrative Environmental Health Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- University of Louisville Alcohol Research Center, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Facility, James Graham Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Banrida Wahlang
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Superfund Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Marian Pavuk
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Kimberly Z. Head
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Hepatobiology and Toxicology Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Gleta K. Carswell
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Gail M. Nelson
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Carolyn M. Klinge
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Douglas A. Bell
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Linda S. Birnbaum
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Brian N. Chorley
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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21
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Petriello MC, Mottaleb MA, Serio TC, Balyan B, Cave MC, Pavuk M, Birnbaum LS, Morris AJ. Serum concentrations of legacy and emerging per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the Anniston Community Health Surveys (ACHS I and ACHS II). Environ Int 2022; 158:106907. [PMID: 34763231 PMCID: PMC9131314 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Residents of Anniston Alabama were highly exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) due to longstanding manufacturing in the area. The Anniston Community Health Surveys (ACHS I-2005-2007 and II, 2014) have linked these exposures with a variety of deletereous health outcomes. In addition to PCBs, these individuals were likely simultaneously exposed to other persistent organic pollutants including per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are an emerging class of ubiquitous industrial chemicals that are measurable in the blood of most individuals and have themselves been linked increased risk of some non communicable diseases. METHODS To characterize PFAS exposures in ACHS I and ACHS II, we measured eight environmentally significant PFAS in serum by UPLC coupled electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Perfluorononanoate (PFNA), Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS), Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA), and 4:2 Fluorotelomer sulfonic acid (4.2 FTS) were extracted from matched serum samples of individuals who participated in the original ACHS I (2005-2007; n = 297) and the follow up ACHS II (2014; n = 336). Data were collected in negative multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode with monitoring of quantitation and qualifier ions for all target PFAS analytes, surrogates and internal standards. VARCLUS procedure was used to create hierarchical clusters between PFAS and other legacy persistent organic pollutants which may share similar exposure routes. RESULTS Overall, circulating PFAS levels decreased approximately 50% from ACHS I (2005-2007) to ACHS II (2014), but these changes varied by compound. Mean levels of PFOS were >3 times higher in ACHS I subjects than in conpemporaneous NHANES subjects (2005-2006; ACHS I mean: 71.1 ng/ml; NHANES mean: 20.2 ng/mL), and this relationship persisted in ACHS II subjects (2014: ACHS II mean: 34.7 ng/ml; NHANES mean: 5.92 ng/mL). PFNA was also higher in both ACHS I and ACHS II subjects in comparision to NHANES whereas levels of PFOA and PFHxS were lower than in NHANES. Finally, cluster analysis revealed that in ACHS II, most PFAS tracked with polybrominated diphenyl ethers, except PFNA and PFHpA which clustered with industrial PCBs. In ACHS I, PFAS analytes correlated more closely with industrial PCBs and chlorinated pesticides. CONCLUSIONS Participants in the Anniston Community Health Surveys have higher levels of PFOS and PFNA than the general population with average PFOS levels >3 times contemporaneous NHANES levels. Since PFAS were not known to be manufactured in the area, more work needs to be completed to determine if population demographics, proximity to a military base, or regional manufacturing can explain the elevated levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Petriello
- Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - M Abdul Mottaleb
- Lexington Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Lexington, KY, USA; Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | | | | | - Matthew C Cave
- Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Marian Pavuk
- CDC Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Andrew J Morris
- Lexington Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Lexington, KY, USA; Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
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22
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Patisaul HB, Behl M, Birnbaum LS, Blum A, Diamond ML, Rojello Fernández S, Hogberg HT, Kwiatkowski CF, Page JD, Soehl A, Stapleton HM. Beyond Cholinesterase Inhibition: Developmental Neurotoxicity of Organophosphate Ester Flame Retardants and Plasticizers. Environ Health Perspect 2021; 129:105001. [PMID: 34612677 PMCID: PMC8493874 DOI: 10.1289/ehp9285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To date, the toxicity of organophosphate esters has primarily been studied regarding their use as pesticides and their effects on the neurotransmitter acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Currently, flame retardants and plasticizers are the two largest market segments for organophosphate esters and they are found in a wide variety of products, including electronics, building materials, vehicles, furniture, car seats, plastics, and textiles. As a result, organophosphate esters and their metabolites are routinely found in human urine, blood, placental tissue, and breast milk across the globe. It has been asserted that their neurological effects are minimal given that they do not act on AChE in precisely the same way as organophosphate ester pesticides. OBJECTIVES This commentary describes research on the non-AChE neurodevelopmental toxicity of organophosphate esters used as flame retardants and plasticizers (OPEs). Studies in humans, mammalian, nonmammalian, and in vitro models are presented, and relevant neurodevelopmental pathways, including adverse outcome pathways, are described. By highlighting this scientific evidence, we hope to elevate the level of concern for widespread human exposure to these OPEs and to provide recommendations for how to better protect public health. DISCUSSION Collectively, the findings presented demonstrate that OPEs can alter neurodevelopmental processes by interfering with noncholinergic pathways at environmentally relevant doses. Application of a pathways framework indicates several specific mechanisms of action, including perturbation of glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid and disruption of the endocrine system. The effects may have implications for the development of cognitive and social skills in children. Our conclusion is that concern is warranted for the developmental neurotoxicity of OPE exposure. We thus describe important considerations for reducing harm and to provide recommendations for government and industry decision makers. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP9285.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather B. Patisaul
- College of Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Mamta Behl
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
- National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Linda S. Birnbaum
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
- National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Arlene Blum
- Green Science Policy Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | | | | | - Helena T. Hogberg
- Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Carol F. Kwiatkowski
- Green Science Policy Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jamie D. Page
- Cancer Prevention & Education Society, Meads House, Leighterton, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, UK
| | - Anna Soehl
- Green Science Policy Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Heather M. Stapleton
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Emond C, DeVito MJ, Birnbaum LS. A PBPK model describing the pharmacokinetics of γ-HBCD exposure in mice. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2021; 428:115678. [PMID: 34390738 PMCID: PMC8674938 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2021.115678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The brominated flame retardant, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), is added-but not bound-to consumer products and is eventually found in the environment and human tissues. Commercial-grade HBCD mixtures contain three major stereoisomers, alpha (α), beta (β), and gamma (γ), that are typically at a ratio of 12%:6%:82%, respectively. Although HBCD is widely used, the toxicological effects from its exposure in humans are not clearly understood. Using a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model could help improve our understanding of the toxicity of HBCD. The aim of this work was to develop a PBPK model, consisting of five permeability limited compartments (i.e., brain, liver, adipose tissue, blood, and rest of the body), to evaluate the pharmacokinetics of γ-HBCD in C57BL/6 mice. Physiological parameters related to body size, organ weights, and blood flow were taken from the literature. All partition coefficients were calculated based on the log Kow. The elimination in urine and feces was optimized to reflect the percent dose eliminated, as published in the literature. Compared with data from the literature for brain, liver, blood, and adipose tissue, the model simulations accurately described the mouse data set within 1.5-fold of the data points. Also, two examples showing the utility of the PBPK model supplement the information regarding the internal dose that caused the health effects observed during these studies. Although this version of the PBPK model expressly describes γ-HBCD, more efforts are needed to clarify and improve the model to discriminate between the α, β, and γ stereoisomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claude Emond
- BioSimulation Consulting Inc., Newark, DE, USA; School of Public Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Michael J DeVito
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Toxicology Program, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
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Cordner A, Goldenman G, Birnbaum LS, Brown P, Miller MF, Mueller R, Patton S, Salvatore DH, Trasande L. Correction to The True Cost of PFAS and the Benefits of Acting Now. Environ Sci Technol 2021; 55:12739. [PMID: 34472851 PMCID: PMC8830045 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
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25
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Knudsen GA, Chapman M, Trexler AW, Juberg CT, Birnbaum LS. 2,4,6-Tribromophenol Disposition and Kinetics in Pregnant and Nursing Sprague Dawley Rats. Toxicol Sci 2021; 178:36-43. [PMID: 32780832 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfaa133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
2,4,6-Tribromophenol (TBP, CAS no. 118-79-6) is a brominated chemical used as a precursor, flame retardant, and wood antifungal agent. TBP is detected in environmental matrices and biota, including human breast milk, placenta, and serum. To address reports of TBP accumulation in human placenta and breast milk, studies were conducted to characterize TBP disposition and toxicokinetics in timed-pregnant or nursing Sprague Dawley rats following a single oral dose to the dam. Animals were administered [14C]-TBP (10 μmol/kg, 25 µCi/kg, 4 ml/kg) by gavage on gestation day 12 and 20, or postnatal day 12 and serially euthanized between 15 min and 24 h for collection of blood and tissues from the dam and fetuses/pups. Observed plasma TBP Cmax (3 and 7 nmol/ml) occurred at 15 min in both GD12 and GD20 dams while Cmax (3 nmol/ml) was observed at 30 min for PND12 dams. Concentrations in tissues followed plasma concentrations, with kidneys containing the highest concentrations at 30 min. GD12 litters contained a sustained 0.2%-0.3% of the dose (5-9 nmol/litter) between 15 min and 6 h while GD20 fetuses (2%-3%) and placentas (0.3%-0.5%) had sustained levels between 30 min and 12 h. The stomach contents (approx. 1 nmol-eq/g, 6-12 h), livers (0.04-0.1 nmol-eq/g) and kidneys (0.1-0.2 nmol-eq/g) of PND12 pups increased over time, indicating sustained exposure via milk. Systemic exposure to TBP and its metabolites occurs in both the directly exposed mother and the indirectly exposed offspring and is rapid and persistent after a single dose in pregnant and nursing rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel A Knudsen
- Toxicology and Toxicokinetics Group, National Toxicology Program Laboratory, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA
| | - Margaret Chapman
- Toxicology and Toxicokinetics Group, National Toxicology Program Laboratory, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA
| | - Andrew W Trexler
- Toxicology and Toxicokinetics Group, National Toxicology Program Laboratory, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA.,School of Osteopathic Medicine, Campbell University, Lillington, North Carolina, USA
| | - Christopher T Juberg
- Toxicology and Toxicokinetics Group, National Toxicology Program Laboratory, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Toxicology and Toxicokinetics Group, National Toxicology Program Laboratory, Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA
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Cordner A, Goldenman G, Birnbaum LS, Brown P, Miller MF, Mueller R, Patton S, Salvatore DH, Trasande L. The True Cost of PFAS and the Benefits of Acting Now. Environ Sci Technol 2021; 55:9630-9633. [PMID: 34231362 PMCID: PMC8296683 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c03565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alissa Cordner
- Department
of Sociology, Whitman College; Walla Walla, Washington 99362, United States
| | | | - Linda S. Birnbaum
- Scientist
Emeritus, National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences; Research
Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709-2233United States
- Scholar
in Residence, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 97708, United States
| | - Phil Brown
- Department
of Sociology and Anthropology and Department of Health Sciences, Northeastern University; Boston, Massachusetts 02115-5005, United States
| | - Mark F. Miller
- National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and U.S. Public Health
Service; Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709-2233United States
| | - Rosie Mueller
- Department
of Economics, Whitman College; Walla Walla, Washington 99362, United States
| | - Sharyle Patton
- Health
and
Environment Program, Commonweal; Bolinas, California 94924, United States
| | - Derrick H. Salvatore
- Department
of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Northeastern
University; Boston, Massachusetts 02115-5005, United States
| | - Leonardo Trasande
- Center for
the Investigation of Environmental Hazards, New York University Grossman School of Medicine; New York City, New York 10016-6402, United States
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Karlsson O, Rocklöv J, Lehoux AP, Bergquist J, Rutgersson A, Blunt MJ, Birnbaum LS. The human exposome and health in the Anthropocene. Int J Epidemiol 2021; 50:378-389. [PMID: 33349868 PMCID: PMC8128460 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyaa231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Oskar Karlsson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Joacim Rocklöv
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Section of Sustainable Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Alizée P Lehoux
- Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jonas Bergquist
- Department of Chemistry-BMC, Analytical Chemistry and Neurochemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anna Rutgersson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Martin J Blunt
- Department of Earth Science & Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Toxicology Program, Durham, NC, USA
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VanEtten SL, Bonner MR, Ren X, Birnbaum LS, Kostyniak PJ, Wang J, Olson JR. Effect of exposure to 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number in rats. Toxicology 2021; 454:152744. [PMID: 33677009 PMCID: PMC8220889 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2021.152744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondria are intracellular organelles responsible for biological oxidation and energy production. These organelles are susceptible to damage from oxidative stress and compensate for damage by increasing the number of copies of their own genome, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Cancer and environmental exposure to some pollutants have also been associated with altered mtDNA copy number. Since exposures to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) have been shown to increase oxidative stress, we hypothesize that mtDNA copy number will be altered with exposure to these compounds. mtDNA copy number was measured in DNA from archived frozen liver and lung specimens from the National Toxicology Program (NTP) study of female Harlan Sprague Dawley rats exposed to TCDD (3, 10, or 100 ng/kg/day), dioxin-like (DL) PCB 126 (10, 100, or 1000 ng/kg/day), non-DL PCB 153 (10, 100, or 1000 μg/kg/day), and PCB 126 + PCB 153 (10 ng/kg/day + 10 μg/kg/day, 100 ng/kg/day + 100 μg/kg/day, or 1000 ng/kg/day + 1000 μg/kg/day, respectively) for 13 and 52 weeks. An increase in mtDNA copy number was observed in the liver and lung of rats exposed to TCDD and the lung of rats exposed to the mixture of PCB 126 and PCB 153. A statistically significant positive dose-dependent trend was also observed in the lung of rats exposed to PCB 126 and a mixture of PCB 153 and PCB 126, although in neither case was the control copy number significantly exceeded at any dose level. These exposures produced a range of pathological responses in these organs in the two-year NTP studies. Conversely, there was a significant decrease or no change in mtDNA copy number in the liver and lung of rats exposed to non-DL PCB 153. This is consistent with a general lack of PCB 153 mediated liver or lung injury in the NTP study, with the exception of liver hypertrophy. Together, the results suggest that an increase in mtDNA copy number may serve as a sensitive, early biomarker of mitochondrial injury and oxidative stress that contributes to the development of the toxicity of dioxin-like compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L VanEtten
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Matthew R Bonner
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Xuefeng Ren
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Scientist Emeritus, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Paul J Kostyniak
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA; Department of Biotechnical and Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jie Wang
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - James R Olson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
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29
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Knudsen TB, Fitzpatrick SC, De Abrew KN, Birnbaum LS, Chappelle A, Daston GP, Dolinoy DC, Elder A, Euling S, Faustman EM, Fedinick KP, Franzosa JA, Haggard DE, Haws L, Kleinstreuer NC, Buck Louis GM, Mendrick DL, Rudel R, Saili KS, Schug TT, Tanguay RL, Turley AE, Wetmore BA, White KW, Zurlinden TJ. FutureTox IV Workshop Summary: Predictive Toxicology for Healthy Children. Toxicol Sci 2021; 180:198-211. [PMID: 33555348 PMCID: PMC8041457 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfab013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
FutureTox IV, a Society of Toxicology Contemporary Concepts in Toxicology workshop, was held in November 2018. Building upon FutureTox I, II, and III, this conference focused on the latest science and technology for in vitro profiling and in silico modeling as it relates to predictive developmental and reproductive toxicity (DART). Publicly available high-throughput screening data sets are now available for broad in vitro profiling of bioactivities across large inventories of chemicals. Coupling this vast amount of mechanistic data with a deeper understanding of molecular embryology and post-natal development lays the groundwork for using new approach methodologies (NAMs) to evaluate chemical toxicity, drug efficacy, and safety assessment for embryo-fetal development. NAM is a term recently adopted in reference to any technology, methodology, approach, or combination thereof that can be used to provide information on chemical hazard and risk assessment to avoid the use of intact animals (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], Strategic plan to promote the development and implementation of alternative test methods within the tsca program, 2018, https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-06/documents/epa_alt_strat_plan_6-20-18_clean_final.pdf). There are challenges to implementing NAMs to evaluate chemicals for developmental toxicity compared with adult toxicity. This forum article reviews the 2018 workshop activities, highlighting challenges and opportunities for applying NAMs for adverse pregnancy outcomes (eg, preterm labor, malformations, low birth weight) as well as disorders manifesting postnatally (eg, neurodevelopmental impairment, breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, fertility). DART is an important concern for different regulatory statutes and test guidelines. Leveraging advancements in such approaches and the accompanying efficiencies to detecting potential hazards to human development are the unifying concepts toward implementing NAMs in DART testing. Although use of NAMs for higher level regulatory decision making is still on the horizon, the conference highlighted novel testing platforms and computational models that cover multiple levels of biological organization, with the unique temporal dynamics of embryonic development, and novel approaches for estimating toxicokinetic parameters essential in supporting in vitro to in vivo extrapolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas B Knudsen
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | | | | | - Linda S Birnbaum
- National Institute of Environmental Health Science, NIH, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Anne Chappelle
- Chappelle Toxicology Consulting, LLC, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | | | - Alison Elder
- University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Susan Euling
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Children’s Health Protection, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | | | | | - Jill A Franzosa
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Derik E Haggard
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE);, Texas, USA
| | | | | | | | - Donna L Mendrick
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, NCTR, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Katerine S Saili
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Thaddeus T Schug
- National Institute of Environmental Health Science, NIH, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | | | | | - Barbara A Wetmore
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kimberly W White
- American Chemistry Council, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Todd J Zurlinden
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda S Birnbaum
- Linda S. Birnbaum is a scientist emeritus and the former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC; she is a Scholar in Residence in the Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Chapel Hill, NC. Carl-Gustaf Bornehag is with Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Carl-Gustaf Bornehag
- Linda S. Birnbaum is a scientist emeritus and the former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC; she is a Scholar in Residence in the Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Chapel Hill, NC. Carl-Gustaf Bornehag is with Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
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31
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Castro L, Liu J, Yu L, Burwell AD, Saddler TO, Santiago LA, Xue W, Foley JF, Staup M, Flagler ND, Shi M, Birnbaum LS, Darlene D. Differential Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Phosphorylation in the Uterus of Rats Following Developmental Exposure to Tetrabromobisphenol A. Toxicol Res Appl 2021; 5. [PMID: 35071781 DOI: 10.1177/23978473211047164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is a brominated flame retardant that induces endometrial adenocarcinoma and other uterine tumors in Wistar Han rats; however, early molecular events or biomarkers of TBBPA exposure remain unknown. We investigated the effects of TBBPA on growth factor receptor activation (phospho-RTK) in uteri of rats following early-life exposures. Pregnant Wistar Han rats were exposed to TBBPA (0, 0.1, 25, 250 mg/kg/day) via oral gavage on gestation day 6 through weaning of pups (PND 21). Pups were exposed in utero, through lactation, and by daily gavage from PND 22 to PND 90. Uterine horns were collected (at PND 21, PND 33, PND 90) and formalin-fixed or frozen for histologic, immunohistochemical, phospho-RTK arrays, or western blot analysis. At PND 21, the phosphor-RTKs, FGFR2, FGFR3, TRKC and EPHA1 were significantly increased at different treatment concentrations. Several phospho-RTKs were also significantly overexpressed at PND 33 which included epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR), Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 3-4 (FGFR2, FGFR3, FGFR4), insulin-like growth factor receptor 1 (IGF1R), INSR, AXL, MERTK, PDGFRa and b, RET, Tyrosine Kinase with Immunoglobulin Like and EGF Like Domains 1 and 2 (TIE1; TIE2), TRKA, VEGFR2 and 3, and EPHA1 at different dose treatments. EGFR, an RTK overexpressed in endometrial cancer in women, remained significantly increased for all treatment groups at PND 90. Erb-B2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinase 2 (ERBB2) and IGF1R were overexpressed at PND 33 and remained increased through PND 90, although ERBB2 was statistically significant at PND 90. The phospho-RTKs, FGFR3, AXL, DTK, HGFR, TRKC, VEGFR1 and EPHB2 and 4 were also statistically significant at PND 90 at different dose treatments. The downstream effector, phospho-MAPK44/42 was also increased in uteri of treated rats. Our findings show RTKs are dysregulated following early life TBBPA exposures and their sustained activation may contribute to TBBPA-induced uterine tumors observed in rats later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lysandra Castro
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), 111 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Jingli Liu
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), 111 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Linda Yu
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), 111 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Alanna D Burwell
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), 111 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Trey O Saddler
- Office of Data Science, DNTP, NIEHS, 111 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Lindsay A Santiago
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), 111 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - William Xue
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), 111 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Julie F Foley
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), 111 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Michael Staup
- Charles River Laboratories, Inc., Durham, NC 27703, USA
| | - Norris D Flagler
- Cellular and Molecular Pathogenesis Branch, DNTP, NIEHS, 111 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Min Shi
- Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch, Division of the Intramural Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), 111 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Dixon Darlene
- Mechanistic Toxicology Branch, Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), 111 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
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Pittman GS, Wang X, Campbell MR, Coulter SJ, Olson JR, Pavuk M, Birnbaum LS, Bell DA. Dioxin-like compound exposures and DNA methylation in the Anniston Community Health Survey Phase II. Sci Total Environ 2020; 742:140424. [PMID: 32629249 PMCID: PMC7574543 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The Anniston Community Health Survey (ACHS-I) was initially conducted from 2005 to 2007 to assess polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposures in Anniston, Alabama residents. In 2014, a follow-up study (ACHS-II) was conducted to measure the same PCBs as in ACHS-I and additional compounds e.g., polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and dioxin-like non-ortho (cPCBs) substituted PCBs. In this epigenome-wide association study (EWAS), we examined the associations between PCDD, PCDF, and PCB exposures and DNA methylation. Whole blood DNA methylation was measured using Illumina EPIC arrays (n=292). We modeled lipid-adjusted toxic equivalencies (TEQs) for: ΣDioxins (sum of 28 PCDDs, PCDFs, cPCBs, and mPCBs), PCDDs, PCDFs, cPCBs, and mPCBs using robust multivariable linear regression adjusting for age, race, sex, smoking, bisulfite conversion batch, and estimated percentages of six blood cell types. Among all exposures we identified 10 genome-wide (Bonferroni p≤6.74E-08) and 116 FDR (p≤5.00E-02) significant associations representing 10 and 113 unique CpGs, respectively. Of the 10 genome-wide associations, seven (70%) occurred in the PCDDs and four (40%) of these associations had an absolute differential methylation ≥1.00%, based on the methylation difference between the highest and lowest exposure quartiles. Most of the associations (six, 60%) represented hypomethylation changes. Of the 10 unique CpGs, eight (80%) were in genes shown to be associated with dioxins and/or PCBs based on data from the 2019 Comparative Toxicogenomics Database. In this study, we have identified a set of CpGs in blood DNA that may be particularly susceptible to dioxin, furan, and dioxin-like PCB exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary S Pittman
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences-National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, United States of America
| | - Xuting Wang
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences-National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, United States of America.
| | - Michelle R Campbell
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences-National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, United States of America.
| | - Sherry J Coulter
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences-National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, United States of America.
| | - James R Olson
- University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, United States of America.
| | - Marian Pavuk
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, United States of America.
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences-National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, United States of America.
| | - Douglas A Bell
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences-National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, United States of America.
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Sasso AF, Pirow R, Andra SS, Church R, Nachman RM, Linke S, Kapraun DF, Schurman SH, Arora M, Thayer KA, Bucher JR, Birnbaum LS. Pharmacokinetics of bisphenol A in humans following dermal administration. Environ Int 2020; 144:106031. [PMID: 32798798 PMCID: PMC9210257 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human exposures to bisphenol A (BPA) are widespread. The current study addresses uncertainties regarding human pharmacokinetics of BPA following dermal exposure. OBJECTIVE To examine the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of BPA in humans following dermal administration. METHODS We dermally administered deuterated BPA (d6-BPA) to 10 subjects (6 men and 4 women) at a dose of 100 µg/kg over a 12-hour period and conducted blood and urine analysis from the beginning of dosing through a three- or six-day period. We present time-course serum and urine concentrations of total and unconjugated ("free") d6-BPA and used this information to calculate terminal half-life and area under the curve. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Detectable serum levels of total d6-BPA were observed at 1.4 h after the start of dosing, and a maximum serum concentration (Cmax) of 3.26 nM was observed. Free d6-BPA was detectable in serum 2.8 h after start of dermal administration, with Cmax of 0.272 nM. Beginning at approximately seven hours and continuing to 12 h (which corresponds to cessation of exposure), the concentration of free and total serum d6-BPA plateaued. The terminal half-lives of total d6-BPA and free d6-BPA in the body were 21.4 ± 9.81 h and 17.6 ± 7.69 h, respectively. Elimination from the body was rate-limited by kinetics in the dermal compartment. Free d6-BPA was a greater percentage of the area under the curve of total serum BPA (8.81%) compared to the 0.56% observed in our previously published oral study. Recovery of total d6-BPA in urine was <2% of the applied dose after six days. Analysis of the area under the curve for dermal and oral administration revealed that 2.2% of the dermal dose became systemically available. These data are in line with prior studies indicating how pharmacokinetics of BPA differ following oral and dermal exposures. Dermal exposure resulted in a longer apparent half-life and higher free:total d6-BPA ratio compared to oral.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan F Sasso
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA), Chemical Pollutant Assessment Division (CPAD), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (8623R), Washington, DC 20460, USA.
| | - Ralph Pirow
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Department of Chemical and Product Safety, Max-Dohrn-Strasse 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Syam S Andra
- Exposure Biology, Senator Frank R. Lautenberg Environmental Health Sciences Laboratory, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Rebecca Church
- Clinical Research Unit, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), P.O. Box 12233, Mail Drop CU-01, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
| | - Rebecca M Nachman
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA), Chemical Pollutant Assessment Division (CPAD), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (8623R), Washington, DC 20460, USA.
| | - Susanne Linke
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Department of Chemical and Product Safety, Max-Dohrn-Strasse 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Dustin F Kapraun
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA), Chemical Pollutant Assessment Division (CPAD), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (8623R), Washington, DC 20460, USA.
| | - Shepherd H Schurman
- Clinical Research Unit, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), P.O. Box 12233, Mail Drop CU-01, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
| | - Manish Arora
- Exposure Biology, Senator Frank R. Lautenberg Environmental Health Sciences Laboratory, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Kristina A Thayer
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment (CPHEA), Chemical Pollutant Assessment Division (CPAD), 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (8623R), Washington, DC 20460, USA.
| | - John R Bucher
- Division of the National Toxicology Program (NTP), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), P.O. Box 12233, Mail Drop K2-02, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Division of the National Toxicology Program (NTP), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), P.O. Box 12233, Mail Drop B2-01, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
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VanEtten SL, Bonner MR, Ren X, Birnbaum LS, Kostyniak PJ, Wang J, Olson JR. Telomeres as targets for the toxicity of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in rats. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2020; 408:115264. [PMID: 33022284 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2020.115264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Telomere length (TL) can be affected by various factors, including age and oxidative stress. Changes in TL have been associated with chronic disease, including a higher risk for several types of cancer. Environmental exposure of humans to PCBs and dioxins has been associated with longer or shorter leukocyte TL. Relative telomere length (RTL) may serve as a biomarker associated with neoplastic and/or non-neoplastic responses observed with chronic exposures to TCDD and PCBs. RTL was measured in DNA isolated from archived frozen liver and lung tissues from the National Toxicology Program (NTP) studies conducted in female Harlan Sprague Dawley rats exposed for 13, 30, and 52 weeks to TCDD, dioxin-like (DL) PCB 126, non-DL PCB 153, and a mixture of PCB 126 and PCB 153. RTL was assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Consistent with literature, decreased liver and lung RTL was seen with aging. Relative to time-matched vehicle controls, RTL was increased in both the liver and lung tissues of rats exposed to TCDD, PCB 126, PCB 153, and the mixture of PCB 126 and PCB 153, which is consistent with most epidemiological studies that found PCB exposures were associated with increased leukocyte RTL. Increased RTL was observed at doses and/or time points where little to no pathology was observed. In addition to serving as a biomarker of exposure to these compounds in rats and humans, increases in RTL may be an early indicator of neoplastic and non-neoplastic responses that occur following chronic exposure to TCDD and PCBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L VanEtten
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Matthew R Bonner
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Xuefeng Ren
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Scientist Emeritus, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Paul J Kostyniak
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA; Department of Biotechnical and Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jie Wang
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - James R Olson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
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Kwiatkowski CF, Andrews DQ, Birnbaum LS, Bruton TA, DeWitt JC, Knappe DRU, Maffini MV, Miller MF, Pelch KE, Reade A, Soehl A, Trier X, Venier M, Wagner CC, Wang Z, Blum A. Scientific Basis for Managing PFAS as a Chemical Class. Environ Sci Technol Lett 2020; 7:532-543. [PMID: 34307722 PMCID: PMC8297807 DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
This commentary presents a scientific basis for managing as one chemical class the thousands of chemicals known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). The class includes perfluoroalkyl acids, perfluoroalkylether acids, and their precursors; fluoropolymers and perfluoropolyethers; and other PFAS. The basis for the class approach is presented in relation to their physicochemical, environmental, and toxicological properties. Specifically, the high persistence, accumulation potential, and/or hazards (known and potential) of PFAS studied to date warrant treating all PFAS as a single class. Examples are provided of how some PFAS are being regulated and how some businesses are avoiding all PFAS in their products and purchasing decisions. We conclude with options for how governments and industry can apply the class-based approach, emphasizing the importance of eliminating non-essential uses of PFAS, and further developing safer alternatives and methods to remove existing PFAS from the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol F. Kwiatkowski
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - David Q. Andrews
- Environmental Working Group, Washington, D.C. 20009, United States
| | - Linda S. Birnbaum
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Thomas A. Bruton
- Green Science Policy Institute, Berkeley, California 94709, United States
| | - Jamie C. DeWitt
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Brody School of Medicine, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina 27834, United States
| | - Detlef R. U. Knappe
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | | | - Mark F. Miller
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and U.S. Public Health Service, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Katherine E. Pelch
- School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas 76126, United States
| | - Anna Reade
- Natural Resources Defense Council, San Francisco, California 94104, United States
| | - Anna Soehl
- Green Science Policy Institute, Berkeley, California 94709, United States
| | - Xenia Trier
- European Environment Agency, DK-1050 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marta Venier
- O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47401, United States
| | - Charlotte C. Wagner
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Zhanyun Wang
- Chair of Ecological Systems Design, Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Arlene Blum
- Green Science Policy Institute, Berkeley, California 94709, United States; Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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Pittman GS, Wang X, Campbell MR, Coulter SJ, Olson JR, Pavuk M, Birnbaum LS, Bell DA. Polychlorinated biphenyl exposure and DNA methylation in the Anniston Community Health Survey. Epigenetics 2020; 15:337-357. [PMID: 31607210 PMCID: PMC7153539 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2019.1666654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Anniston, Alabama was home to a major polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) production facility from 1929 until 1971. The Anniston Community Health Survey I and II (ACHS-I 2005-2007, ACHS-II 2013-2014) were conducted to explore the effects of PCB exposures. In this report we examined associations between PCB exposure and DNA methylation in whole blood using EPIC arrays (ACHS-I, n = 518; ACHS-II, n = 299). For both cohorts, 35 PCBs were measured in serum. We modelled methylation versus PCB wet-weight concentrations for: the sum of 35 PCBs, mono-ortho substituted PCBs, di-ortho substituted PCBs, tri/tetra-ortho substituted PCBs, oestrogenic PCBs, and antiestrogenic PCBs. Using robust multivariable linear regression, we adjusted for age, race, sex, smoking, total lipids, and six blood cell-type percentages. We carried out a two-stage analysis; discovery in ACHS-I followed by replication in ACHS-II. In ACHS-I, we identified 28 associations (17 unique CpGs) at p ≤ 6.70E-08 and 369 associations (286 unique CpGs) at FDR p ≤ 5.00E-02. A large proportion of the genes have been observed to interact with PCBs or dioxins in model studies. Among the 28 genome-wide significant CpG/PCB associations, 14 displayed replicated directional effects in ACHS-II; however, only one in ACHS-II was statistically significant at p ≤ 1.70E-04. While we identified many novel CpGs significantly associated with PCB exposures in ACHS-I, the differential methylation was modest and the effect was attenuated seven years later in ACHS-II, suggesting a lack of persistence of the associations between PCB exposures and altered DNA methylation in blood cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary S. Pittman
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, RTP, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Xuting Wang
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, RTP, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | | | | | - Marian Pavuk
- ATSDR, Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, Fulton, GA, USA
| | | | - Douglas A. Bell
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, RTP, Durham, NC, USA
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Gaston SA, Birnbaum LS, Jackson CL. Synthetic Chemicals and Cardiometabolic Health Across the Life Course Among Vulnerable Populations: a Review of the Literature from 2018 to 2019. Curr Environ Health Rep 2020; 7:30-47. [PMID: 32037478 PMCID: PMC7187897 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-020-00265-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Although vulnerable populations are disproportionately exposed to synthetic chemicals with endocrine disrupting properties, few recent reviews have summarized the impact of synthetic chemicals on cardiometabolic health among these groups. RECENT FINDINGS Of 37 eligible epidemiological studies among vulnerable populations published between January 2018 and April 2019 in which over half were prospective, the most investigated populations were pregnant women and children. Racial/ethnic minorities, individuals of low socioeconomic status (SES), and those occupationally exposed were studied the least. The most studied persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were per-/poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and the most studied non-POPs were phenols. Across chemical classes, studies found certain POPs (e.g., PFAS) and non-POPs (i.e., phenols, phthalates, and parabens) to be associated with gestational diabetes and dysregulated glucose metabolism. Results for other cardiometabolic health outcomes were inconsistent but suggested certain chemicals may negatively affect cardiometabolic health. Synthetic chemicals likely adversely affect cardiometabolic health, but current findings were inconclusive. Few recent studies focused on racial/ethnic minorities, low SES, and occupationally exposed populations. To address poor cardiometabolic health and related disparities, more studies across vulnerable populations are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Symielle A Gaston
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, 111 TW Alexander Drive, MD A3-05, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Office of the Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Chandra L Jackson
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, 111 TW Alexander Drive, MD A3-05, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA.
- Intramural Program, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Cannon RE, Richards AC, Trexler AW, Juberg CT, Sinha B, Knudsen GA, Birnbaum LS. Effect of GenX on P-Glycoprotein, Breast Cancer Resistance Protein, and Multidrug Resistance-Associated Protein 2 at the Blood-Brain Barrier. Environ Health Perspect 2020; 128:37002. [PMID: 32212926 PMCID: PMC7137913 DOI: 10.1289/ehp5884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ammonium 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-2-(heptafluoropropoxy)propanoic acid (GenX) is a replacement for perfluorooctanoic acid in the production of fluoropolymers used in a variety of consumer products. GenX alters fetal development and antibody production and elicits toxic responses in the livers and kidneys of rodents. The GenX effect on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is unknown. The BBB protects the brain from xenobiotic neurotoxicants and harmful endogenous metabolites. OBJECTIVES We aimed to investigate the effects of GenX on the transport activity and expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), and multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2) at the BBB. METHODS Transporter activities were measured in isolated rat brain capillaries by a confocal microscopy-based method. ATPase (enzymatic hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate to inorganic phosphate) levels were measured in vitro. Western blotting determined P-gp and BCRP protein levels. Cell survival after GenX exposure was determined for two human cell lines. RESULTS Nanomolar levels of GenX inhibited P-gp and BCRP but not MRP2 transport activities in male and female rat brain capillaries. P-gp transport activity returned to control levels after GenX removal. GenX did not reduce P-gp- or BCRP-associated ATPase activity in an in vitro transport assay system. Reductions of P-gp but not BCRP transport activity were blocked by a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR γ ) antagonist. GenX reduced P-gp and BCRP transport activity in human cells. CONCLUSION In rats, GenX at 0.1 - 100 nM rapidly (in 1-2 h) inhibited P-gp and BCRP transport activities at the BBB through different mechanisms. PPAR γ was required for the GenX effects on P-gp but not BCRP transport activity. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5884.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald E Cannon
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, National Cancer Institute at National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Alicia C Richards
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, National Cancer Institute at National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Andrew W Trexler
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, National Cancer Institute at National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Christopher T Juberg
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, National Cancer Institute at National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Birandra Sinha
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, National Cancer Institute at National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Gabriel A Knudsen
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, National Cancer Institute at National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, National Cancer Institute at National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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Fenton SE, Birnbaum LS. CHDS: A national treasure that keeps on giving. Reprod Toxicol 2020; 92:11-13. [PMID: 32097706 PMCID: PMC7864627 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2020.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne E Fenton
- National Toxicology Program Laboratory, Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Research Triangle Park, NC, United States.
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- National Toxicology Program Laboratory, Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
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Volkow ND, Gordon JA, Koob GF, Birnbaum LS, Clayton JA, Koroshetz WJ, Bianchi DW, Gibbons GH, Riley WT, Pérez-Stable EJ, Croyle RT. An Examination of Child and Adolescent Neurodevelopment Through National Institutes of Health Studies. Public Health Rep 2020; 135:169-172. [PMID: 31968205 DOI: 10.1177/0033354919900889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nora D Volkow
- National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Joshua A Gordon
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - George F Koob
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Janine A Clayton
- Office of Research on Women's Health, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Walter J Koroshetz
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Diana W Bianchi
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Gary H Gibbons
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - William T Riley
- Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Eliseo J Pérez-Stable
- National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Robert T Croyle
- Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
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Behl M, Ryan K, Hsieh JH, Parham F, Shapiro AJ, Collins BJ, Sipes NS, Birnbaum LS, Bucher JR, Foster PMD, Walker NJ, Paules RS, Tice RR. Screening for Developmental Neurotoxicity at the National Toxicology Program: The Future Is Here. Toxicol Sci 2019; 167:6-14. [PMID: 30496580 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfy278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The National Toxicology Program (NTP) receives requests to evaluate chemicals with potential to cause adverse health effects, including developmental neurotoxicity (DNT). Some recent requests have included classes of chemicals such as flame retardants, polycyclic aromatic compounds, perfluoroalkyl substances, and bisphenol A analogs with approximately 20-50 compounds per class, many of which include commercial mixtures. However, all the compounds within a class cannot be tested using traditional DNT animal testing guideline studies due to resource and time limitations. Hence, a rapid and biologically relevant screening approach is required to prioritize compounds for further in vivo testing. Because neurodevelopment is a complex process involving multiple distinct cellular processes, one assay will unlikely address the complexity. Hence, the NTP sought to characterize a battery of in vitro and alternative animal assays to quantify chemical effects on a variety of neurodevelopmental processes. A culmination of this effort resulted in a NTP-hosted collaborative project with approximately 40 participants spanning across domains of academia, industry, government, and regulatory agencies; collaborators presented data on cell-based assays and alternative animal models that was generated using a targeted set of compounds provided by the NTP. The NTP analyzed the assay results using benchmark concentration (BMC) modeling to be able to compare results across the divergent assays. The results were shared with the contributing researchers on a private web application during the workshop, and are now publicly available. This article highlights the overview and goals of the project, and describes the NTP's approach in creating the chemical library, development of NTPs data analysis strategy, and the structure of the web application. Finally, we discuss key issues with emphasis on the utility of this approach, and knowledge gaps that need to be addressed for its use in regulatory decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mamta Behl
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
| | - Kristen Ryan
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
| | - Jui-Hua Hsieh
- Kelly Government Solutions, Durham, North Carolina 27709
| | - Frederick Parham
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
| | - Andrew J Shapiro
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
| | - Bradley J Collins
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
| | - Nisha S Sipes
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
| | - John R Bucher
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
| | - Paul M D Foster
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
| | - Nigel J Walker
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
| | - Richard S Paules
- Division of the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
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Pavuk M, Serio TC, Cusack C, Cave M, Rosenbaum PF, Birnbaum LS. Hypertension in Relation to Dioxins and Polychlorinated Biphenyls from the Anniston Community Health Survey Follow-Up. Environ Health Perspect 2019; 127:127007. [PMID: 31858832 PMCID: PMC6957279 DOI: 10.1289/ehp5272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2014, we conducted a longitudinal study [Anniston Community Health Survey (ACHS II)] 8 y after the baseline (ACHS I). OBJECTIVES We investigated the relationship between persistent chlorinated compounds and hypertension in residents living around the former polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) production plant in Anniston, Alabama. We also examined the potential role of inflammatory cytokines in those with hypertension. METHODS A total of 338 participants had their blood pressure measured and medications recorded, gave a blood sample, and completed a questionnaire. Prevalent hypertension was defined as taking antihypertensive medication or having systolic blood pressure >140 mmHg and/or diastolic pressure >90 mmHg; incident hypertension used similar criteria in those who developed hypertension since the baseline in 2005-2007. PCB congeners were categorized into structure-activity groups, and toxic equivalencies (TEQs) were calculated for dioxin-like compounds. Descriptive statistics, logistic and linear regressions, as well as Cox proportional hazard models, were used to analyze the associations between exposures and hypertension. RESULTS Prevalent hypertension (78%) in ACHS II showed statistically significant adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for PCBs 74, 99, 138, 153, 167, 177, 183, and 187, ranging from 2.18 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10, 4.33] to 2.76 (95% CI: 1.14, 6.73), as well as for two estrogenic-like PCB groups, and the thyroid-like group [ORs ranging from 2.25 (95% CI: 1.07, 4.75) to 2.54 (95% CI: 1.13, 5.74)]. Furthermore, analysis of quartiles demonstrated a monotonic relationship for dioxin-like non-ortho (non-o)-PCB TEQs [fourth vs. first quartile: 3.66 (95% CI: 1.40, 9.56)]. Longitudinal analyses of incident hypertension supported those positive associations. The results were strongest for the di-o-PCBs [hazard ratio (HR)=1.93 (95% CI: 0.93, 4.00)] and estrogenic II PCB group [HR=1.90 (95% CI: 0.96, 3.78)] but were weaker for the dioxin TEQs. DISCUSSION Findings supportive of positive associations were reported for dioxin-like mono-o- and non-o-PCBs as well as for nondioxin-like estrogenic and thyroid-like congeners with prevalent and incident hypertension, suggesting that multiple pathways may be involved in hypertension development. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5272.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marian Pavuk
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Tara C. Serio
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), ATSDR, CDC, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Caroline Cusack
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Matt Cave
- University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Paula F. Rosenbaum
- State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Linda S. Birnbaum
- National Cancer Institute at National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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Rock KD, Gillera SEA, Devarasetty P, Horman B, Knudsen G, Birnbaum LS, Fenton SE, Patisaul HB. Sex-specific behavioral effects following developmental exposure to tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) in Wistar rats. Neurotoxicology 2019; 75:136-147. [PMID: 31541695 PMCID: PMC6935469 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2019.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) has become a ubiquitous indoor contaminant due to its widespread use as an additive flame retardant in consumer products. Reported evidence of endocrine disruption and accumulation of TBBPA in brain tissue has raised concerns regarding its potential effects on neurodevelopment and behavior. The goal of the present study was to examine the impact of developmental TBBPA exposure, across a wide range of doses, on sexually dimorphic non-reproductive behaviors in male and female Wistar rats. We first ran a pilot study using a single TBBPA dose hypothesized to produce behavioral effects. Wistar rat dams were orally exposed using cookie treats to 0 or 0.1 mg TBBPA/kg bw daily from gestational day (GD) 9 to postnatal day (PND) 21 to assess offspring (both sexes) activity and anxiety-related behaviors. Significant effects were evident in females, with exposure increasing activity levels. Thus, this dose was used as the lowest TBBPA dose in a subsequent, larger study conducted as part of a comprehensive assessment of TBBPA toxicity. Animals were exposed to 0, 0.1, 25, or 250 mg TBBPA/kg bw daily by oral gavage starting on GD 6 through PND 90 (dosed dams GD 6 - PND 21, dosed offspring PND 22 - PND 90). Significant behavioral findings were observed for male offspring, with increased anxiety-like behavior as the primary phenotype. These findings demonstrate that exposure to environmental contaminants, like TBBPA, can have sex-specific effects on behavior highlighting the vulnerability of the developing brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kylie D Rock
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Sagi Enicole A Gillera
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA; National Toxicology Program Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Pratyush Devarasetty
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Brian Horman
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Gabriel Knudsen
- Laboratory of Toxicokinetics, National Cancer Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Laboratory of Toxicokinetics, National Cancer Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Suzanne E Fenton
- National Toxicology Program Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Heather B Patisaul
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA; Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA.
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Trexler AW, Knudsen GA, Nicklisch SCT, Birnbaum LS, Cannon RE. 2,4,6-Tribromophenol Exposure Decreases P-Glycoprotein Transport at the Blood-Brain Barrier. Toxicol Sci 2019; 171:463-472. [PMID: 31368499 PMCID: PMC6760274 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfz155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
2,4,6-Tribromophenol (TBP, CAS No. 118-79-6) is a brominated chemical used in the production of flame-retardant epoxy resins and as a wood preservative. In marine environments, TBP is incorporated into shellfish and consumed by predatory fish. Food processing and water treatment facilities produce TBP as a byproduct. 2,4,6-Tribromophenol has been detected in human blood and breast milk. Biologically, TBP interferes with estrogen and thyroid hormone signaling, which regulate important transporters of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The BBB is a selectively permeable barrier characterized by brain microvessels which are composed of endothelial cells mortared by tight-junction proteins. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) efflux transporters on the luminal membrane facilitate the removal of unwanted endobiotics and xenobiotics from the brain. In this study, we examined the in vivo and ex vivo effects of TBP on two important transporters of the BBB: P-glycoprotein (P-gp, ABCB1) and Multidrug Resistance-associated Protein 2 (MRP2, ABCC2), using male and female rats and mice. 2,4,6-Tribromophenol exposure ex vivo resulted in a time- (1-3 h) and dose- (1-100 nM) dependent decrease in P-gp transport activity. MRP2 transport activity was unchanged under identical conditions. Immunofluorescence and western blotting measured decreases in P-gp expression after TBP treatment. ATPase assays indicate that TBP is not a substrate and does not directly interact with P-gp. In vivo dosing with TBP (0.4 µmol/kg) produced decreases in P-gp transport. Co-treatment with selective protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors prevented the TBP-mediated decreases in P-gp transport activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W Trexler
- NCI Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, Research Triangl Park, North Carolina, 27709
| | - Gabriel A Knudsen
- NCI Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, Research Triangl Park, North Carolina, 27709
| | - Sascha C T Nicklisch
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla 92093, California
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, University of California Davis 95616, Davis, California
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- NCI Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, Research Triangl Park, North Carolina, 27709
| | - Ronald E Cannon
- NCI Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, Research Triangl Park, North Carolina, 27709
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Abstract
Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA, CAS No. 79-94-7) is a brominated flame retardant used in 90% of epoxy coated circuit boards. Exposures to TBBPA can induce neurotoxicity and disrupt MAPK, estrogen, thyroid, and PPAR-associated signaling pathways. Because these pathways also regulate transporters of the central nervous system barriers, we sought to determine the effect of TBBPA on the expression and activity of 3 ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Using a confocal based assay, we measured the ex vivo and in vivo effects of TBBPA on P-glycoprotein (P-gp), breast cancer resistant protein (BCRP), and multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2) transport activity in rat brain capillaries. Our rationale for using a rat model was based on tissue availability, ease of handling, and availability of historical TBBPA toxicokinetic data. We found that TBBPA (1-1000 nM) exposure had no significant effect on multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 transport activity in either sex, suggesting TBBPA does not compromise the physical integrity of the BBB. However, low concentrations of TBBPA (1-100 nM) significantly decreased breast cancer resistant protein transport activity in both sexes. Additionally, TBBPA exposures (1-100 nM), elicited a sex-dependent response in P-gp transport: increasing transport activity in males and decreasing transport activity in females. All TBBPA dependent changes in transport activity were dose- and time-dependent. Inhibitors of either transcription or translation abolished the TBBPA dependent increases in male P-gp transport activity. Western blot and immunofluorescent assays confirmed the TBBPA dependent P-gp increases expression in males and decreases in females. Antagonizing PPAR-γ abolished the TBBPA dependent increases in males but not the decreases in females. However, the decreases in female P-gp transport were blocked by an ER-α antagonist. This work indicates that environmentally relevant concentrations of TBBPA (1-100 nM) alter ABC transporter function at the BBB. Moreover, permeability changes in the BBB can alter brain homeostasis, hinder central nervous system drug delivery, and increase the brain's exposure to harmful xenobiotic toxicants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald E Cannon
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
| | - Andrew W Trexler
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
| | - Gabriel A Knudsen
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
| | - Rebecca A Evans
- University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27516
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709
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Emond C, DeVito MJ, Diliberto JJ, Birnbaum LS. The Influence of Obesity on the Pharmacokinetics of Dioxin in Mice: An Assessment Using Classical and PBPK Modeling. Toxicol Sci 2019; 164:218-228. [PMID: 29596651 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfy078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of body fat mass on the elimination of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) was examined in mice. When male C57BL/6J mice are fed a high-fat, simple carbohydrate diet (HFD) for 13 weeks, they develop an obese phenotype. In contrast, A/J mice fed an HFD do not become obese. After 13 weeks on a normal diet (ND) or HFD, male C57BL/6J and A/J mice received a single dose by gavage of 0.1 or 5.0 µg of 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro[1,6-3H] dibenzo-p-dioxin per kg body weight. Using classical pharmacokinetics, the blood elimination half-life of TCDD was approximately 10 and 2 times longer in the C57BL/6J on the HFD compared with the mice on the ND at 0.1 and 5.0 μg/kg doses, respectively. The diet did not increase the blood half-life of TCDD in the A/J mice, which did not get obese. Using a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model for TCDD that incorporated experimentally derived percent body fat mass and tissue partition coefficients, as well as data on hepatic sequestration, did not provide accurate predictions to the data and could not explain the increase in half-life of TCDD in the HFD groups. This work demonstrates that obesity influences the half-life of TCDD, but other undetermined factors are involved in its elimination because the increase in body fat mass, decreases in cytochrome P4501A2, and altered partition coefficients could not completely explain the prolonged half-life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claude Emond
- BioSimulation Consulting Inc., Newark, DE, USA, 19713.,Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3N 1X9
| | - Michael J DeVito
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Toxicology Program, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Janet J Diliberto
- National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA, 27711
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- National Cancer Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA, 27709
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Knudsen GA, Trexler AW, Richards AC, Hall SM, Hughes MF, Birnbaum LS. 2,4,6-Tribromophenol Disposition and Kinetics in Rodents: Effects of Dose, Route, Sex, and Species. Toxicol Sci 2019; 169:167-179. [PMID: 30768125 PMCID: PMC6804416 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfz044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
2,4,6-tribromophenol (TBP, CAS No. 118-79-6) is widely used as a brominated flame retardant and wood antifungal agent. TBP is frequently detected in environmental matrices, biota, and humans. In female SD rats, systemically available TBP (10 µmol/kg, IV) was rapidly excreted primarily via urine, with approximately 61% of the dose recovered after 4 h, and 89%-94% in 24 h; 5% was recovered in feces; and 1%-2% in blood/tissues. TBP administered to female SD rats (0.1-1000 µmol/kg) by gavage was well absorbed, with approximately 25% eliminated via urine after 4 h and approximately 88% after 24 h. Approximately 11% of a single oral dose was recovered in bile. Male SD rats and B6C3F1/J mice of both sexes had similar disposition profiles when administered a single oral dose of TBP (10 µmol/kg). Following administration, fecal recoveries varied only slightly by dose, sex, or species. TBP readily passed unchanged through both human (ex vivo only) and rat skin with between 55% and 85% of a 100 nmol/cm2 passing into or through skin. Concentrations of TBP in blood fit a two-compartment model after IV-dosing and a one-compartment model after oral dosing. Urine contained a mixture of TBP, TBP-glucuronide, and TBP-sulfate. Fecal extracts contained only parent TBP whereas bile contained only TBP-glucuronide. TBP did not appear to bioaccumulate or alter its own metabolism after repeated administration. TBP was readily absorbed at all doses and routes tested with an oral bioavailability of 23%-27%; 49% of TBP is expected to be dermally bioavailable in humans. From these data, we conclude that humans are likely to have significant systemic exposure when TBP is ingested or dermal exposure occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel A Knudsen
- NCI Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| | - Andrew W Trexler
- NCI Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| | - Alicia C Richards
- NCI Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| | - Samantha M Hall
- NCI Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| | - Michael F Hughes
- Integrated Systems Toxicology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- NCI Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
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Knudsen GA, Hughes MF, Birnbaum LS. Dermal disposition of Tetrabromobisphenol A Bis(2,3-dibromopropyl) ether (TBBPA-BDBPE) using rat and human skin. Toxicol Lett 2018; 301:108-113. [PMID: 30481582 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2018.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Tetrabromobisphenol A Bis(2,3-dibromopropyl) ether (TBBPA-BDBPE) is a high production volume brominated flame retardant (BFR) used in consumer products, resulting in ubiquitous human exposure. Although the major route of exposure for this chemical is believed to be via ingestion, dermal contact is likely via contaminated dust. Independent trials of a single dose of 100 nmol/cm2 (∼1 μCi [14C]/cm2) of [14C]-radiolabeled TBBPA-BDBPE was applied to whole rat skin (in vivo) or split-thickness human and rat skin (ex vivo) to estimate in vivo human percutaneous uptake. [14C]-radioactivity was quantified to determine dermal absorption (dose retained in dosed skin) and penetrance (dose recovered in receptor fluid [ex vivo] or tissues/excreta [in vivo]) over 24 h. In vivo absorption and penetration for rat skin was 26% and 1%, with a maximum flux of 44 ± 9 pmol/cm2/h. In ex vivo rat skin, absorption and penetration and absorption values were 23% and 0.3% (flux = 26 ± 8 pmol/cm2/h). In ex vivo human skin, 53% was absorbed and penetration was 0.2% with a maximal flux of 16 ± 12 pmol/cm2/h. Computed maximal flux for in vivo human skin was 21 ± 9 pmol/cm2/h with expected total absorption of ∼80% and a penetration of <1%. HPLC-radiometric analyses of samples showed that TBBPA-BDBPE was not metabolized in ex vivo or in vivo studies. These studies indicate that TBBPA-BDBPE is likely to be dermally bioavailable even after washing and dermal contact with this chemical should be considered an important route of exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel A Knudsen
- NCI Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, 111 T W Alexander Dr., Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709 USA.
| | - Michael F Hughes
- Integrated Systems Toxicology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711, USA
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- NCI Laboratory of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics, 111 T W Alexander Dr., Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709 USA
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49
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda S Birnbaum
- 1 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
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50
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Collman GW, Berridge BR, Hall JE, Woychik R, Zeldin DC, Birnbaum LS. NIEHS: Making a Mark on Translational Research Science. Environ Health Perspect 2018; 126:081001. [PMID: 30073951 PMCID: PMC6108839 DOI: 10.1289/ehp4075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gwen W Collman
- Division of Extramural Research and Training, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Brian R Berridge
- Division of National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Janet E Hall
- Division of Intramural Research, Clinical Research Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Rick Woychik
- Office of the Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Darryl C Zeldin
- Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Linda S Birnbaum
- Office of the Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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