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Environmental Research Nov 2022In 1973-74, a polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) flame retardant mixture was shipped to Michigan livestock feed mills in place of a nutritional supplement and contaminated...
In 1973-74, a polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) flame retardant mixture was shipped to Michigan livestock feed mills in place of a nutritional supplement and contaminated the food supply. Following the accident, the Michigan PBB Registry was established to study the long-term health effects of halogenated compounds and is now led by a community-academic partnership. PBB exposure is associated with altered DNA methylation in sperm, which may lead to adverse birth outcomes in children whose fathers have increased levels of serum PBB or polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB). Paternal PBB and PCB levels of men enrolled in the Michigan PBB Registry (n = 155) were analyzed against matched offspring birthweight and gestational age (n = 336). Birthweight and gestational age were dichotomized at the 25th percentile and 37 weeks, respectively, and paternal PBB and PCB levels were examined as continuous measures and divided into tertiles. Associations of offspring birthweight and gestational age with paternal PBB and PCB serum concentrations were modeled using multivariable linear spline and log-risk regression, adjusting for family clustering, paternal health and lifestyle factors, maternal PBB, and PCB serum concentrations, sex, and offspring gestational age (for birthweight). Fathers in the middle and upper PBB and PCB tertiles had increased risks for lowest quartile birthweight compared to the first tertile, with adjusted risk ratios (aRR) = 1.67 (95% CI: 0.93, 2.99) and aRR = 2.06 (95% CI: 1.12, 3.79) for PBB, and aRR = 1.47 (95% CI: 0.79, 2.75) and aRR = 1.34 (95% CI: 0.70, 2.54) for PCB, respectively. Elevated paternal PBB levels were not associated with an increased risk for preterm birth, while PCB levels were associated with a small, but not significant, decrease in gestational age, β = -0.37 (95% CI: -0.76, 0.03) weeks per log unit increase PCB. The findings suggest that increased paternal PBB and PCB levels negatively impact offspring birthweight, and paternal PCB levels may negatively impact gestational age.
Topics: Birth Weight; Child; Environmental Pollutants; Fathers; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Polybrominated Biphenyls; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; Premature Birth; Semen
PubMed: 36041536
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114215 -
Environmental Science & Technology Apr 2010Traditional and new relationships of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) distribution among the solid phases, the free aqueous phase, and biolipids are comprehensively... (Review)
Review
Traditional and new relationships of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) distribution among the solid phases, the free aqueous phase, and biolipids are comprehensively reviewed using seven well-characterized freshwater and marine sediments polluted with PCBs. The traditional relationship relating free aqueous concentration and biolipid concentration to sediment total organic carbon, compound octanol-water partitioning coefficient, and solid-phase contaminant concentration overestimates measured free aqueous concentrations and biolipid concentrations by mean factors of 8 and 33, respectively. By contrast, relationships based on measured free aqueous phase concentrations or the PCB mass fraction desorbed from sediment provide reasonable predictions of biolipid concentrations. Solid-phase concentration-based predictions perform better when sorption to amorphous organic matter and black carbon (BC) is distinguished. Contrary to previously published relationships, BC sorption appears to be linear for free aqueous PCB-congener concentrations in the picogram to microgram per liter range.
Topics: Geologic Sediments; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; Water Pollutants, Chemical
PubMed: 19961220
DOI: 10.1021/es902325t -
International Journal of Molecular... Aug 2021The developmental origins of health and disease concept illustrates that exposure in early life to various factors may affect the offspring's long‑term susceptibility... (Review)
Review
The developmental origins of health and disease concept illustrates that exposure in early life to various factors may affect the offspring's long‑term susceptibility to disease. During development, the nervous system is sensitive and vulnerable to the environmental insults. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are divided into dioxin‑like (DL‑PCBs) and non‑dioxin‑like PCBs (NDL‑PCBs), are synthetic persistent environmental endocrine‑disrupting chemicals. The toxicological mechanisms of DL‑PCBs have been associated with the activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor and NDL‑PCBs have been associated with ryanodine receptor‑mediated calcium ion channels, which affect neuronal migration, promote dendritic growth and alter neuronal connectivity. In addition, PCB accumulation in the placenta destroys the fetal placental unit and affects endocrine function, particularly thyroid hormones and the dopaminergic system, leading to neuroendocrine disorders. However, epidemiological investigations have not achieved a consistent result in different study cohorts. The present review summarizes the epidemiological differences and possible mechanisms of the effects of intrauterine PCB exposure on neurological development.
Topics: Environmental Exposure; Environmental Pollutants; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Nervous System; Nervous System Malformations; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
PubMed: 34132363
DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2021.4983 -
Chemosphere Nov 2022From the 1950s to the 1970s, three Superfund sites discharged polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated waste upstream of the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne, resulting in... (Review)
Review
From the 1950s to the 1970s, three Superfund sites discharged polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated waste upstream of the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne, resulting in PCB contamination of groundwater, soil, and sediment in the surrounding area. Given the persistence of PCBs in the environment and in human tissues, there are continued concerns regarding PCB exposures and the potential for adverse health effects in the community. We developed an evidence map of PCB research at Akwesasne in order to characterize the available data and to highlight potential research needs. Human health and exposure biomarker studies were identified from a literature search based on population, exposure, comparator, and outcome (PECO) criteria. Data extracted from references that met the inclusion criteria after full-text review included study characteristics (e.g., sample size, study design, sampling years), details on PCB measurements (e.g., analytical method, number of congeners analyzed, method detection limits), and results (e.g., PCB levels and summary of study conclusions). We identified 33 studies, conducted between 1986 and 2013, that examined PCB exposure characteristics and health effects in residents of the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation. Organizing this literature into an evidence map including information on study cohort, congener groupings, exposure biomarker characteristics, and health effects allowed us to identify research gaps and to suggest future research priorities for the community. We identified current PCB exposure levels and PCB source characterization as major uncertainties, both of which could be addressed by new studies of PCB concentrations in environmental media.
Topics: Cohort Studies; Environmental Exposure; Humans; Indians, North American; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Polychlorinated Biphenyls
PubMed: 35764106
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135454 -
Environmental Science & Technology Sep 2020We measured the concentrations of 205 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners in 26 food items: beef steak, butter, canned tuna, catfish, cheese, eggs, french fries,...
We measured the concentrations of 205 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners in 26 food items: beef steak, butter, canned tuna, catfish, cheese, eggs, french fries, fried chicken, ground beef, ground pork, hamburger, hot dog, ice cream, liver, luncheon meat, margarine, meat-free dinner, milk, pizza, poultry, salmon, sausage, shrimp, sliced ham, tilapia, and vegetable oil. Using Diet History Questionnaire II, we calculated the PCB dietary exposure in mothers and children participating in the AESOP Study in East Chicago, Indiana, and Columbus Junction, Iowa. Salmon had the highest concentration followed by canned tuna, but fish is a minor contributor to exposure. Other animal proteins are more important sources of PCB dietary exposure in this study population. Despite the inclusion of few congeners and food types in previous studies, we found evidence of a decline in PCB concentrations over the last 20 years. We also found strong associations of PCB congener distributions with Aroclors in most foods and found manufacturing byproduct PCBs, including PCB11, in tilapia and catfish. The reduction in PCB levels in food indicates that dietary exposure is comparable to PCB inhalation exposures reported for the same study population.
Topics: Animals; Aroclors; Cattle; Chicago; Child; Food Contamination; Humans; Indiana; Iowa; Polychlorinated Biphenyls
PubMed: 32816464
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c03632 -
Epigenetics Apr 2020Anniston, 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...
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.
Topics: Adult; Alabama; CpG Islands; DNA Methylation; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Pollutants; Female; Health Surveys; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Occupational Exposure; Polychlorinated Biphenyls
PubMed: 31607210
DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2019.1666654 -
Chemosphere Feb 2022Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can provide crucial information into the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of POPs in marine mammals. Muscle tissue samples were...
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can provide crucial information into the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of POPs in marine mammals. Muscle tissue samples were obtained for detailed PCB congener specific analysis of all 209 PCBs in 11 species of marine mammals stranded across the coast of the UK between 2010 and 2013. At least 145 PCB congeners were found in each individual. The highest concentrations of PCBs were recorded in a killer whale (318 mg/kg lipid) and the highest toxic equivalent in a Risso's dolphin (1687 pg/g TEQ wet). Concentrations of PCBs in the majority of samples exceeded toxic thresholds (9 mg/kg lipid) for marine mammals, highlighting the health risk they face from PCB exposure. Many PCB profiles did not fit typical 'Aroclor' signatures, but instead indicated patterns of congeners that are resistant to biotransformation and elimination. However, this study identified a novel PCB signature in a sei whale that has not yet been previously observed in marine mammals. The whale had a PCB profile that included lighter and inadvertent PCB congeners such as PCB 11, suggesting that the main source of exposure was through atmospheric deposition, rather than terrestrial discharges. Seven subsamples were chosen for chiral analysis of PCB 95, 136 and 149. The enantiomer fractions (EFs) of C-PCBs 95 and 149 were non racemic suggesting there may be enantiomer selective metabolism in marine mammals. Although there has been a shift in the literature towards emerging pollutants, this study acts as a stark reminder that PCBs continue to pose a significant risk to wildlife.
Topics: Animals; Atlantic Ocean; Biotransformation; Caniformia; Environmental Pollutants; Polychlorinated Biphenyls
PubMed: 34687677
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132639 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Feb 2016Seventy eight out of the 209 possible polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners are chiral, 19 of which exist under ambient conditions as stable rotational isomers that... (Review)
Review
Seventy eight out of the 209 possible polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners are chiral, 19 of which exist under ambient conditions as stable rotational isomers that are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. These congeners (C-PCBs) represent up to 6 % by weight of technical PCB mixtures and undergo considerable atropisomeric enrichment in wildlife, laboratory animals, and humans. The objective of this review is to summarize our current knowledge of the processes involved in the absorption, metabolism, and excretion of C-PCBs and their metabolites in laboratory animals and humans. C-PCBs are absorbed and excreted by passive diffusion, a process that, like other physicochemical processes, is inherently not atropselective. In mammals, metabolism by cytochrome P450 (P450) enzymes represents a major route of elimination for many C-PCBs. In vitro studies demonstrate that C-PCBs with a 2,3,6-trichlorosubstitution pattern in one phenyl ring are readily oxidized to hydroxylated PCB metabolites (HO-PCBs) by P450 enzymes, such as rat CYP2B1, human CYP2B6, and dog CYP2B11. The oxidation of C-PCBs is atropselective, thus resulting in a species- and congener-dependent atropisomeric enrichment of C-PCBs and their metabolites. This atropisomeric enrichment of C-PCBs and their metabolites likely plays a poorly understood role in the atropselective toxicity of C-PCBs and, therefore, warrants further investigation.
Topics: Animals; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; Environmental Pollutants; Humans; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; Stereoisomerism
PubMed: 25651810
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-4150-2 -
PloS One 2022Iron and steel industries are the major contributors to persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The microbial community present at such sites has the potential to...
Metagenomic analysis for taxonomic and functional potential of Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) degrading bacterial communities in steel industrial soil.
Iron and steel industries are the major contributors to persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The microbial community present at such sites has the potential to remediate these contaminants. The present study highlights the metabolic potential of the resident bacterial community of PAHs and PCB contaminated soil nearby Bhilai steel plant, Chhattisgarh (India). The GC-MS/MS analysis of soil samples MGB-2 (sludge) and MGB-3 (dry soil) resulted in identification of different classes of POPs including PAHs {benzo[a]anthracene (nd; 17.69%), fluorene (15.89%, nd), pyrene (nd; 18.7%), benzo(b)fluoranthene (3.03%, nd), benzo(k)fluoranthene (11.29%; nd), perylene (5.23%; nd)} and PCBs (PCB-15, PCB-95, and PCB-136). Whole-genome metagenomic analysis by Oxford Nanopore GridION Technology revealed predominance of domain bacteria (97.4%; 97.5%) followed by eukaryote (1.4%; 1.5%), archaea (1.2%; 0.9%) and virus (0.02%; 0.04%) in MGB-2 and MGB-3 respectively. Proteobacteria (44.3%; 50.0%) to be the prominent phylum followed by Actinobacteria (22.1%; 19.5%) in MBG-2 and MBG-3, respectively. However, Eukaryota microbial communities showed a predominance of phylum Ascomycota (20.5%; 23.6%), Streptophyta (18.5%, 17.0%) and unclassified (derived from Eukaryota) (12.1%; 12.2%) in MGB-2 and MGB-3. The sample MGB-3 was richer in macronutrients (C, N, P), supporting high microbial diversity than MGB-2. The presence of reads for biphenyl degradation, dioxin degradation, PAH degradation pathways can be further correlated with the presence of PCB and PAH as detected in the MGB-2 and MGB-3 samples. Further, taxonomic vis-à-vis functional analysis identified Burkholderia, Bradyrhizobium, Mycobacterium, and Rhodopseudomonas as the keystone degrader of PAH and PCB. Overall, our results revealed the importance of metagenomic and physicochemical analysis of the contaminated site, which improves the understanding of metabolic potential and adaptation of bacteria growing under POP contaminated environments.
Topics: Bacteria; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; Soil; Soil Pollutants; Steel; Tandem Mass Spectrometry
PubMed: 35486615
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266808 -
International Journal of Environmental... Dec 2022Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans and polychlorinated biphenyls were measured in the surface sediments of Liangshui River, the second largest drainage...
Occurrence and Source Identification of Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins and Dibenzofurans and Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Surface Sediments from Liangshui River in Beijing, China.
Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans and polychlorinated biphenyls were measured in the surface sediments of Liangshui River, the second largest drainage river in Beijing, China. The sum concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans and polychlorinated biphenyls ranged from 3.5 to 3019 (mean value: 184) pg g dry weight and from 319 to 5949 (mean value: 1958) pg g dry weight, and the corresponding World Health Organization toxic equivalent quantity values were 0.0011-5.1 pg TEQ g dry weight and 0.0074-1.4 pg TEQ g dry weight, respectively. The spatial distributions of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans and polychlorinated biphenyls showed increasing trends from urban area and development area to suburb. Principal component analysis revealed that polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans contamination in the sediments may originate from pentachlorophenol and sodium pentachlorophenate and municipal solid waste incineration. Regarding polychlorinated biphenyls, the steel industry, combustion processes and usage of some commercial polychlorinated biphenyl products were identified as the major sources. The emission from a former steel plant could be the main contributor to polychlorinated biphenyls in urban areas. The mean value of the total toxic equivalent quantities in the sediment samples exceeded the Canadian interim sediment quality guidelines. Long-term wastewater irrigation increases the load of sediment-bound pollutants in agricultural soil and may pose potential ecological risks to crops and human health.
Topics: Humans; Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; Beijing; Dibenzofurans; Rivers; Benzofurans; Geologic Sediments; Canada; China
PubMed: 36554346
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416465