Gestational Weight Gain and Exposure of Newborns to Persistent Organic Pollutants

Background: Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) during fetal development can increase the risk of adverse health effects during childhood. Maternal characteristics and physiological changes during gestation, such as gestational weight gain (GWG), may have an influence in the overall burden of POPs in neonates. However, the associations between GWG and POP concentrations are still not well established.Objective: We examined the association of GWG with cord serum POPs concentrations after adjusting for prepregnancy maternal body mass index (BMI) and other potential determinants of the transfer of POPs into newborns. The GWG values were evaluated after grouping by the reference guidelines of the Institute of Medicine (IOM).Methods: We measured levels of 14 organochlorine pesticides, 7 polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), and 14 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in 325 cord serum samples from a Spanish birth cohort. Multivariable models were used to estimate associations of GWG, prepregnancy BMI, and other maternal determinants on cord serum concentrations of POPs.Results: Neonatal concentrations of POPs were inversely associated with GWG after adjustment for age, prepregnancy BMI, educational level, and fish consumption. On average, neonates of women with IOM-recommended GWG have lower POP concentrations than do neonates of mothers with inadequate GWG.Conclusions: The present findings suggest an association between neonatal exposure to POPs and inadequate GWG during pregnancy. Encouraging pregnant women to meet the recommended IOM guidelines for GWG may reduce the accumulation of POPs in newborns.Citation: Vizcaino E, Grimalt JO, Glomstad B, Fernández-Somoano A, Tardón A. 2014. Gestational weight gain and exposure of newborns to persistent organic pollutants. Environ Health Perspect 122:873–879; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1306758     

Preconception Maternal and Paternal Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants and Birth Size: The LIFE Study

Background: Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are developmental toxicants, but the impact of both maternal and paternal exposures on offspring birth size is largely unexplored.Objective: We examined associations between maternal and paternal serum concentrations of 63 POPs, comprising five major classes of pollutants, with birth size measures.Methods: Parental serum concentrations of 9 organochlorine pesticides, 1 polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), 7 perfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs), 10 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and 36 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured before conception for 234 couples. Differences in birth weight, length, head circumference, and ponderal index were estimated using multiple linear regression per 1-SD increase in natural log-transformed (ln-transformed) chemicals. Models were estimated separately for each parent and adjusted for maternal age, maternal prepregnancy body mass index (kilograms per meter squared) and other confounders, and all models included an interaction term between infant sex and each chemical.Results: Among girls (n = 117), birth weight was significantly lower (range, 84–195 g) in association with a 1-SD increase in ln-transformed maternal serum concentrations of DDT, PBDE congeners 28 and 183, and paternal serum concentrations of PBDE-183 and PCB-167. Among boys (n = 113), maternal (PCBs 138, 153, 167, 170, 195, and 209 and perfluorooctane sulfonamide) and paternal (PCBs 172 and 195) serum concentrations of several POPs were statistically associated with lower birth weight (range, 98–170 g), whereas paternal concentrations of PBDEs (66, 99) were associated with higher birth weight. Differences in offspring head circumference, length, and ponderal index were also associated with parental exposures.Conclusions: Preconceptional maternal and paternal concentrations of several POPs were associated with statistically significant differences in birth size among offspring.Citation: Robledo CA, Yeung E, Mendola P, Sundaram R, Maisog J, Sweeney AM, Barr DB, Buck Louis GM. 2015. Preconception maternal and paternal exposure to persistent organic pollutants and birth size: the LIFE Study. Environ Health Perspect 123:88–94; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1308016     

Prenatal Environmental Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants and Indices of Overweight and Cardiovascular Risk in Dutch Adolescents

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) may have obesogenic effects. Knowledge about the effects of prenatal exposure to POPs on anthropometric measurements and metabolic parameters into adolescence is limited. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to determine whether prenatal environmental exposure to several POPs is associated with indices of overweight and cardiovascular risk in 13–15-year-old children. In this Dutch observational cohort study, 194 mother–infant pairs were included (1998–2002). Maternal pregnancy serum levels of PCBs, OH-PCBs, PBDEs, and other POPs were measured. At follow-up (2014–2016), levels of cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, triglycerides, fasting insulin, fasting glucose, leptin, and adiponectin were measured in their children. The children’s height, weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, and blood pressure were measured. In total, 101 adolescents (14.4 ± 0.8 years; 53.7% of invited) participated of which 55 were boys. Mean BMI was 19.1 ± 3.6 kg/m² and mean BMI z-score 0.13 ± 1.14. Higher prenatal levels of PCBs were associated with lower levels of HDL-C and adiponectin in boys and higher levels of PBDEs with higher triglycerides in girls. We found significant differences by sex in the associations with OH-PCBs, with lower HDL-C and adiponectin, higher LDL-C/HDL-C ratio, fasting glucose, HOMA2-IR, height, and weight for boys. Our study indicates that higher prenatal exposure to PCBs, OH-PCBs, and PBDEs was associated with adolescent levels of some metabolic cardiovascular risk markers and hormones associated with the development of obesity and cardiovascular disease.     

Distribution of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Soil and Grasses Around Mt. Qomolangma,China

Previous literature has reported the fate of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in mountainous regions, but the Himalayas have received little attention, and few results from this region have been published. The present study collected soil and grass samples from the Mt. Qomolangma (Everest) area, central Himalayas, China, from the elevation range 4700 to 5620 m. We analyzed all samples for organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) to determine the level of OCP contamination in the Qomolangma region. The soil samples contained 0.385 to 6.06 ng g^–1 of DDT only, and these concentrations were lower than those from Europe and mountains close to industrial emissions. Our study detected a number of OCPs in the grass samples, such as hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) (0.354 to 7.82 ng g^–1), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) (0.0156 to 1.25 ng g^–1), endosulfan (0.105 to 3.14 ng g^–1), and DDT components (1.08 to 6.99 ng g^–1). Their concentrations were higher than those in pine needles from Alberta, Canada. Our measurements of HCH and DDT in grass samples showed the same or slightly higher concentration levels than reported in moss from Mt. Qomolangma 15 years ago. This result and the analysis of isomer ratios (α/γ-HCH and p-p’-DDE/p-p’-DDT) indicate recent releases of OCPs from a nearby region, possibly from dicofol use in India. We also investigated the elevation distribution of OCPs and found that HCH and HCB were progressively concentrated in colder, higher elevation sites. A bioconcentration factor (BCF) of grass was calculated, and the BCF values increased with the increasing elevation, indicating that the cold condensation of POPs at high-elevation sites may increase the potential threat to vegetation and the food chain in the mountain ecosystem.     

Toxicological Function of Adipose Tissue: Focus on Persistent Organic Pollutants

Background: Adipose tissue (AT) is involved in several physiological functions, including metabolic regulation, energy storage, and endocrine functions.Objectives: In this review we examined the evidence that an additional function of AT is to modulate persistent organic pollutant (POP) toxicity through several mechanisms.Methods: We reviewed the literature on the interaction of AT with POPs to provide a comprehensive model for this additional function of AT.Discussion: As a storage compartment for lipophilic POPs, AT plays a critical role in the toxicokinetics of a variety of drugs and pollutants, in particular, POPs. By sequestering POPs, AT can protect other organs and tissues from POPs overload. However, this protective function could prove to be a threat in the long run. The accumulation of lipophilic POPs will increase total body burden. These accumulated POPs are slowly released into the bloodstream, and more so during weight loss. Thus, AT constitutes a continual source of internal exposure to POPs. In addition to its buffering function, AT is also a target of POPs and may mediate part of their metabolic effects. This is particularly relevant because many POPs induce obesogenic effects that may lead to quantitative and qualitative alterations of AT. Some POPs also induce a proinflammatory state in AT, which may lead to detrimental metabolic effects.Conclusion: AT appears to play diverse functions both as a modulator and as a target of POPs toxicity.     

Health Risk from Exposure of Organic Pollutants Through Drinking Water Consumption in Nanjing, China

Human health risk analysis for 24 organic pollutants in drinking water of Nanjing was conducted. For non-carcinogenic risk, the 95th percentile hazard quotient (HQ) values of pollutants were all less than the unacceptable level of one. Considering the lifetime carcinogenic risk (LCR), however, the 95th percentile LCR values of 2,6-dinitrotoluene (1.30E-05), benzo(b)fluoranthene (3.10E-05), benzo(a)pyrene (3.37E-05) and dibenz(a,h)anthracene (2.09E-05) exceeded the unacceptable level of 1.00 E-05. These results suggest that organic pollutants in drinking water of Nanjing might pose potential lifetime carcinogenic risk for local consumers, and concerted efforts are required to ensure safety of consumers.     

Persistent Organic Pollutants in Little Egret Eggs from Selected Wetlands in Pakistan

The main goal of the present work has been to study the use of egret eggs to assess environmental pollution by POPs (HCB, HCHs, cyclodienes, DDTs and PCBs) in three Pakistani wetlands that are presumed to be affected by different types of pollution. Taunsa Barrage, affected mainly by agricultural pollutants; Karachi Harbor because of the supposed exposure to industrial activity-related POPs; and Haleji Lake as a relatively pristine area because of its location in a stony desert. Taunsa Barrage and Haleji Lake are wetlands of international importance according to the Ramsar Convention, while the Karachi Harbor is of interest because of the large human population living there. Eggs of the white (Egretta garzetta garzetta) and dark (Egretta garzetta gularis) morphs of Little Egrets were used as monitoring tools. Concentrations were also determined in several prey in this species' diet and in the sediments collected in their foraging areas. Differences in egg pollutant content among the three localities were significant for all the compounds. Overall, the eggs from Haleji Lake and Karachi showed, respectively, the lowest and highest percentages of detection and organochlorine concentrations. Biomagnification from sediments to prey and then to eggs has been documented in the three areas studied and is accompanied by higher percentages of detection of different compounds through the compartments. Differences in the biomagnification factor among the areas were small, even when differences in pollutant concentrations were high, suggesting that eggs are reliable indicators of POPs in the environment. The values found were generally lower than those reported for the eggs of large herons from North America or the Mediterranean basin, and are about the same order of magnitude that those of other medium-sized egrets from other parts of the world. Received: 5 March 2002/Accepted: 19 August 2002     

Levels and Profiles of Unintentionally Produced Persistent Organic Pollutants in Surface Soils from Shanxi Province,China

Six species of unintentionally produced persistent organic pollutions comprised of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated naphthalenes, hexachlorobenzene and pentachlorobenzene in soils collected from Shanxi province, China were determined. The sum toxic equivalent ranged from 0.14 to 2.20 with an average of 0.94 pg TEQ/g. Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/furans contributed the most toxic proportion to the total toxic equivalent. CB-126 was the most toxic contributor to polychlorinated biphenyls. CN66/67 and CN73 are the dominant toxic congeners to polychlorinated naphthalenes. From the patterns, it was speculated that thermal related industries were possible sources of unintentionally produced persistent organic pollutions.     

Recommendations for Evaluating Temporal Trends of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Breast Milk

Background:

Biomonitoring data of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in breast milk are increasingly collected and available for quantitative analysis of levels and time trends. A common approach is to apply log-linear regression to calculate doubling and halving times of the POP concentrations based on the temporal trend observed in breast milk. However, there are different, sometimes conflicting interpretations of these doubling and halving times.

Objectives:

We provide a mechanistic understanding of doubling and halving times where possible. Five recommendations are proposed for dealing with POP concentration trends in breast milk during three distinct periods (pre-ban, transition, post-ban period).

Discussion:

Using temporal trends of BDE-47 and PCB-153 in breast milk data, we show which information can be gained from the time-trend data. To this end, we analyzed time trends of hypothetical POPs for different periods with time-variant exposure and different intrinsic elimination half-lives, using a dynamic population-based pharmacokinetic model. Different pieces of information can be extracted from time-trend data from different periods. The analysis of trends of short-lived POPs is rather straightforward and facilitates extraction of the intrinsic elimination half-lives from the breast milk data. However, trends of slowly eliminated POPs only provide indications for the exposure time trend.

Conclusions:

Time-trend data of rapidly eliminated POPs provide information on exposure time trends and elimination half-lives. Temporal trends of slowly eliminated POPs are more complicated to interpret, and the extraction of exposure time trends and elimination half-lives require data sets covering several decades.

Citation:

Gyalpo T, Scheringer M, Hungerbühler K. 2016. Recommendations for evaluating temporal trends of persistent organic pollutants in breast milk. Environ Health Perspect 124:881–885; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1510219     

Persistent Organic Pollutants in Dust From Older Homes: Learning From Lead

Objectives. We aimed to (1) evaluate the relation between home age and concentrations of multiple chemical contaminants in settled dust and (2) discuss the feasibility of using lead hazard controls to reduce children’s exposure to persistent organic pollutants.Methods. As part of the California Childhood Leukemia Study, from 2001 to 2007, we used a high-volume small surface sampler and household vacuum cleaners to collect dust samples from 583 homes and analyzed the samples for 94 chemicals with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. We evaluated relations between chemical concentrations in dust and home age with Spearman rank correlation coefficients.Results. Dust concentrations of lead, polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine insecticides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were correlated with home age (ρ > 0.2; P < .001), whereas concentrations of pyrethroid insecticides and polybrominated diphenyl ethers were not.Conclusions. Dust in older homes contains higher levels of multiple, persistent chemicals than does dust in newer homes. Further development of strategies to reduce chemical exposures for children living in older homes is warranted.Settled dust found indoors is a mixture of biologically derived materials, particles deposited from indoor aerosols, particles deposited from building materials (e.g., deteriorated paint), and soil particles that infiltrate from outdoors (e.g., soil tracked indoors on shoes).1 Because typical cleaning removes only a portion of dust from indoor environments (e.g., when vacuuming a carpet), indoor dust acts as a reservoir for chemical contamination.2 Settled dust can be an important source of chemical exposures, especially for young children, who have frequent hand-to-mouth contact.3 As early as 1904, Gibson suggested the importance of dust as a route of exposure to lead, hypothesizing that “painted surfaces . . . become a dry easily detachable powder . . . carried to the mouths of children . . . who bite their nails, suck their fingers or eat with unwashed hands.”^4(p302)More than a century after dust was first implicated in childhood lead poisoning, children’s exposure to lead-contaminated dust remains a major public health issue, especially for children living in older homes.5,6 Lead-based paint, the major source of lead in the residential environment,7 was banned in the United States in 1978. Thus, homes that predate the ban are more likely to contain lead-based paint, and these older homes have greater lead contamination than do newer homes.8 Numerous investigators have reported a relation between home age and lead levels in dust (Table A, available as a supplement to the online version of this article at http://www.ajph.org). In addition to lead, several organic chemicals that were used extensively worldwide have been banned, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine insecticides; and these contaminants likewise have been found at higher levels in dust from older homes compared with newer homes (Table B, available as a supplement to the online version of this article at http://www.ajph.org).As part of the California Childhood Leukemia Study (CCLS), we collected dust samples from 583 homes. We showed in previous multivariable models that home age was positively associated with levels of PCBs,9 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs),10,11 and the organochlorine insecticides chlordane and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)12 in dust samples from CCLS homes. We present the first systematic evaluation of the relation between home age and concentrations of a broad suite of chemical contaminants in dust samples from CCLS homes. Because no established protocol exists to control persistent organic pollutants in homes, we describe mitigation strategies that have been used successfully for lead hazard control and discuss their potential utility in reducing children’s exposure to organic chemicals.     

塑料废物焚烧与持久性有机物环境污染

环境中的塑料废物由于难以降解而被称为“白色污染”,而且在焚烧处理过程向环境释放二次污染物。该文综述了塑料废物焚烧处理过程一些典型持久性有机环境污染物的生成机制和途径以及这些燃烧产物对人类和生态环境的潜在危害,对采取有效措施和技术抑制废物焚烧处理过程中持久性有机污染物的形成,削减此类物质对人类健康的负面影响具有重要的参考价值。     

Passive Sampling of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Four Coastal Aquatic Systems of Puerto Rico: A Pilot Study

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology - Little is known about the presence and effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in Puerto...