1
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Simeone RM, Howards PP, Anderson E, Jusko TA, Drobná B, Kočan A, Čonka K, Fabišiková A, Murínová ĽP, Canfield RL, Sonneborn D, Wimmerová S, Thevenet-Morrison K, Trnovec T, Hertz-Picciotto I, Šovčíková E. Pre- and postnatal polychlorinated biphenyl exposure and cognitive and behavioral development at age 45 Months in a cohort of Slovak children. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 287:132375. [PMID: 34597632 PMCID: PMC8629853 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Evidence of associations of pre- and postnatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) with cognitive development beyond early childhood is inconsistent. A previous report from this cohort observed adverse associations between early life PCB exposures and infant Bayley scores at age 16 months. The present study examines pre- and postnatal PCB exposures in relation to both behavior and cognitive development at age 45 months. Participants were 472 mother-child pairs residing in an area of eastern Slovakia characterized by environmental contamination with PCBs, which resulted in elevated blood serum concentrations. PCB-153 and PCB-118 concentrations were measured in maternal and in infant 6-, 16-, and 45-month serum samples. At age 45 months, children were administered five subtests of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-III), and mothers completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Negative binomial and multiple linear regressions were used to estimate PCB-CBCL and PCB-WPPSI-III subtest score associations, respectively. Pre- and postnatal levels of PCB-153 and PCB-118 were not associated with cognitive performance on the WPPSI-III in this cohort. There was some suggestion that higher postnatal PCB concentrations were associated with more sleep problems and feelings of depression and anxiousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina M Simeone
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Penelope P Howards
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Anderson
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.
| | - Todd A Jusko
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | | | - Anton Kočan
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kamil Čonka
- Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Anna Fabišiková
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Dean Sonneborn
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | | | - Kelly Thevenet-Morrison
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
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2
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Goodman M, Li J, Flanders WD, Mahood D, Anthony LG, Zhang Q, LaKind JS. Epidemiology of PCBs and neurodevelopment: Systematic assessment of multiplicity and completeness of reporting. GLOBAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gloepi.2020.100040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
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3
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Pham The T, Pham Ngoc T, Hoang Van T, Nishijo M, Tran Ngoc N, Vu Thi H, Hoang Van L, Tran Hai A, Nishino Y, Nishijo H. Effects of perinatal dioxin exposure on learning abilities of 8-year-old children in Vietnam. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2020; 223:132-141. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2019.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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4
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Gagnon-Chauvin A, Bastien K, Saint-Amour D. Environmental toxic agents: The impact of heavy metals and organochlorides on brain development. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2020; 173:423-442. [PMID: 32958188 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64150-2.00030-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to environmental toxicants can have deleterious effects on the development of physical, cognitive, and mental health. Extensive laboratory and clinical studies have demonstrated how the developing brain is uniquely sensitive to toxic agents. This chapter focuses on the main neurologic impairments linked to prenatal and postnatal exposure to lead, methylmercury, and polychlorinated biphenyls, three legacy environmental contaminants whose neurotoxic effects have been extensively studied with respect to cognitive and behavioral development. The main cognitive, emotion regulation, sensory, and motor impairments in association with these contaminants are briefly reviewed, including the underlying neural mechanisms such as neuropathologic damages, brain neurotransmission, and endocrine system alterations. The use of neuroimaging as a novel tool to better understand how the brain is affected by exposure to environmental contaminants is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avril Gagnon-Chauvin
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Kevin Bastien
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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Abstract
Toxic chemicals, either from natural sources or man-made, are ubiquitous in our environment. Many of the synthetic chemicals make life more comfortable and therefore production continues to grow. Simultaneously with the increase in production, an increase in neurodevelopmental disorders has been observed. Some chemicals are not biodegradable or have a very long half-life time and, despite the fact that production of a number of those chemicals has been severely reduced, they are still ubiquitous in the environment. Fetal exposure to toxic chemicals is dependent on maternal exposure to those chemicals and the developing stage of the fetus. Human evidence from epidemiologic studies is described with regard to the effect of prenatal exposure to various groups of neurotoxicants (alcohol, particulate fine matter, metals, and endocrine disrupting chemicals) on neurobehavior development. Data indicate that prenatal exposure to alcohol, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, lead, methylmercury (MeHg), organophosphate pesticides (OPPs), and polychlorinated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs) impair cognitive development, whereas exposure to alcohol, MeHg, organochlorine pesticides and OPPs, polychlorinated biphenyls, PBDEs, and bisphenol A increases the risk of developing either attention deficit/hyperactivity and/or autism spectrum disorders. Psychomotor development appears to be less affected. However, data are not conclusive, which may depend on the assessment of exposure and the exposure level, among other factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margot van de Bor
- Department of Environment and Health, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Oanh NTP, Kido T, Honma S, Oyama Y, Anh LT, Phuc HD, Viet NH, Manh HD, Okamoto R, Nakagawa H, Nakayama SF, Nhu DD, Van Tung D, Van Chi V, Minh NH, Van Toan N. Androgen disruption by dioxin exposure in 5-year-old Vietnamese children: Decrease in serum testosterone level. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 640-641:466-474. [PMID: 29864660 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.05.257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Dioxins have been suspected to be potential substances causing endocrine disruptions in humans. We are conducting the research in one of three dioxin exposure areas (hotspots) in Vietnam. We previously reported that the salivary dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) level decreased in 3-year-old Vietnamese children and that it was significantly inversely correlated with polychlorinated dibenzodioxin/dibenzofuran levels in their mother's breast milk. In this study, we investigated the influence of exposure to dioxin on steroid hormone biosynthesis in the same children when they reached 5 years of age, focusing on androgens. Thirty-five and 50 mother-child pairs from dioxin hotspot and non-sprayed areas, respectively, participated in this study. Maternal breast milk was donated at 4 to 16 weeks postpartum in 2008 to measure dioxin levels by gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry. Serum was collected from 5-year-old children in 2013. Seven steroid hormones were measured by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Most dioxin congeners in breast milk were 2- to 10-fold higher in the hotspot than in the non-sprayed area. DHEA and testosterone (T) were significantly lower in the hotspot and showed negative correlations with most dioxin congeners. Similar results were observed for the activities of cytochrome P450-17, 20 lyase (CYP17 lyase), and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD). Conversely, the elevated androstenedione (A-dione) level and 3β-HSD activity in children from the hotspot were positively correlated with dioxin levels. Moreover, a positive correlation was shown between T and 17β-HSD. It is possible that dioxin inhibits 17β-HSD activity, leading to a decrease in the T level. Multiple regression analysis indicated that dioxin had a strong association with the DHEA, A-dione, and T levels. In conclusion, the present study suggests that dioxin is associated with low levels of DHEA and T and inhibition of the activity of steroidogenic enzymes such as CYP17 lyase and 17β-HSD in 5-year-old children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nguyen Thi Phuong Oanh
- Division of Health Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 5-11-80 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Teruhiko Kido
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, 5-11-80 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa, Japan.
| | - Seijiro Honma
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, 5-11-80 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Yuko Oyama
- Division of Health Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 5-11-80 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Le Thai Anh
- Division of Health Science, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 5-11-80 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Hoang Duc Phuc
- Hanoi Preventive Medicine Centre, No. 70 Nguyen Chi Thanh, Dong Da, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Nguyen Hoang Viet
- Faculty of Medical Technology, Ha Noi Medical University, No. 1 Ton That Tung, Dong Da, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Ho Dung Manh
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Lac Hong University, No. 10 Huynh Van Nghe, Buu Long, Bien Hoa, Dong Nai, Viet Nam
| | - Rie Okamoto
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, 5-11-80 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Hideaki Nakagawa
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Kanazawa Medical University, 1-1 Daigaku, Uchinada, Japan
| | - Shoji F Nakayama
- Centre for Health and Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Dang Duc Nhu
- Ministry of Health, No 138A Giang Vo, Ba Dinh, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Dao Van Tung
- Viettiep Hospital, No.1 Nha Thuong, Le Chan, Hai Phong, Viet Nam
| | - Vo Van Chi
- Phu Cat Health Centre, No.12, 2/3 St., Ngo May, Phu Cat, Binh Dinh, Viet Nam
| | - Nguyen Hung Minh
- Dioxin Laboratory, Centre for Environment Monitoring, Vietnam Environment Administration, No. 556 Nguyen Van Cu, Long Bien, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Ngo Van Toan
- Ha Noi Medical University, No. 1 Ton That Tung, Dong Da, Hanoi, Viet Nam
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7
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LaKind JS, Lehmann GM, Davis MH, Hines EP, Marchitti SA, Alcala C, Lorber M. Infant Dietary Exposures to Environmental Chemicals and Infant/Child Health: A Critical Assessment of the Literature. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2018; 126:96002. [PMID: 30256157 PMCID: PMC6375563 DOI: 10.1289/ehp1954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The benefits of breastfeeding to the infant and mother have been well documented. It is also well known that breast milk contains environmental chemicals, and numerous epidemiological studies have explored relationships between background levels of chemicals in breast milk and health outcomes in infants and children. OBJECTIVES In this paper, we examine epidemiological literature to address the following question: Are infant exposures to background levels of environmental chemicals in breast milk and formula associated with adverse health effects? We critically review this literature a) to explore whether exposure-outcome associations are observed across studies, and b) to assess the literature quality. METHODS We reviewed literature identified from electronic literature searches. We explored whether exposure-outcome associations are observed across studies by assessing the quality (using a modified version of a previously published quality assessment tool), consistency, and strengths and weaknesses in the literature. The epidemiological literature included cohorts from several countries and examined infants/children either once or multiple times over weeks to years. Health outcomes included four broad categories: growth and maturation, morbidity, biomarkers, and neurodevelopment. RESULTS The available literature does not provide conclusive evidence of consistent or clinically relevant health consequences to infants exposed to environmental chemicals in breast milk at background levels. CONCLUSIONS It is clear that more research would better inform our understanding of the potential for health impacts from infant dietary exposures to environmental chemicals. A critical data gap is a lack of research on environmental chemicals in formula and infant/child health outcomes. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1954.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy S LaKind
- 1 LaKind Associates, LLC, Catonsville, Maryland, USA
- 2 Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Geniece M Lehmann
- 3 Office of Research and Development (ORD), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Research Triangle Park , North Carolina, USA
| | - Matthew H Davis
- 4 Office of Children's Health Protection, U.S. EPA, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Erin P Hines
- 3 Office of Research and Development (ORD), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Research Triangle Park , North Carolina, USA
| | - Satori A Marchitti
- 5 Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), ORD, U.S. EPA, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Cecilia Alcala
- 6 Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), ORD, U.S. EPA, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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Behforooz B, Newman J, Gallo MV, Schell LM. PCBs and measures of attention and impulsivity on a continuous performance task of young adults. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2017; 64:29-36. [PMID: 28882586 PMCID: PMC5754016 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2017.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Revised: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The present study examines the relationship between current body burden of persistent PCBs and attention and impulsivity in 140 Akwesasne Mohawk young adults aged 17 to 21 whose environment has been contaminated by industrial effluent. Attention and impulsivity were measured by errors of omission, errors of commission, and patterns of reaction time responses on the Conners Continuous Performance Test. The PCB measure was the sum of those persistent PCB congeners detected in 50% of the participants. After adjusting for multiple covariates, regression analyses showed a significant positive relationship between PCB levels and omission scores, but only for males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bita Behforooz
- Educational Psychology and Methodology, University at Albany, SUNY, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 1222, USA.
| | - Joan Newman
- Educational Psychology and Methodology, University at Albany, SUNY, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 1222, USA
| | - Mia V Gallo
- Department of Anthropology, and Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities, University at Albany, SUNY, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 1222, USA
| | - Lawrence M Schell
- Department of Anthropology, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 1222, USA
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9
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Boucher O, Muckle G, Ayotte P, Dewailly E, Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL. Altered fine motor function at school age in Inuit children exposed to PCBs, methylmercury, and lead. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2016; 95:144-51. [PMID: 27575364 PMCID: PMC5035542 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2016.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2016] [Revised: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Motor deficits have frequently been reported in methylmercury (MeHg) poisoning in adults. However, whether exposure to neurotoxic contaminants from environmental sources early in life is associated with neuromotor impairments has received relatively little attention. This study examines the relation of developmental exposure to MeHg, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and lead to motor function in school-age Inuit children exposed through their traditional diet. METHODS In a prospective study in Nunavik, children (mean age=11.3years) were assessed on a battery of fine motor tasks, namely the Stanford-Binet Copying subtest (N=262), the Santa Ana Form Board, and the Finger Tapping Test (N=215). The relation of mercury (Hg; as an index of MeHg exposure), PCB congener 153 (PCB153), and lead concentrations in cord and current blood samples to task performance was examined using linear regression analyses. RESULTS After adjustment for potential confounders and control for the other contaminants, higher current PCB concentrations were associated with poorer Santa Ana Form Board and Finger Tapping performance. Results were virtually identical when PCB153 was replaced by other PCB congeners. Higher current Hg levels were independently associated with poorer Finger Tapping performance. CONCLUSIONS This is the first prospective longitudinal study in children to provide evidence of neuromotor impairments associated with postnatal exposure to seafood contaminants from environmental sources. Fine motor speed appears particularly sensitive to the effects of postnatal PCB exposure, which is unusually high in this population. Results with postnatal MeHg are concordant with previous cross-sectional studies with children and adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Boucher
- Département de psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec, Québec, Canada; Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Pierre Ayotte
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec, Québec, Canada; Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Eric Dewailly
- Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec, Québec, Québec, Canada; Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.
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10
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Hui LL, Lam HS, Lau EYY, Nelson EAS, Wong TW, Fielding R. Prenatal dioxin exposure and neurocognitive development in Hong Kong 11-year-old children. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2016; 150:205-212. [PMID: 27295410 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Revised: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES In utero exposure to dioxins and related compounds have been associated with adverse neurocognitive development in infants. It is unclear whether neurodevelopmental deficits persist to childhood. We assessed the association of prenatal dioxin exposure with neurocognitive function in 11-year-old children, and to test whether the association is modified by duration of breastfeeding. METHODS In this prospective study of 161 children born in Hong Kong in 2002, prenatal dioxin exposure was proxied by the dioxin toxicity equivalence (TEQ) in breast milk collected during the early postnatal period as determined by the Chemical-Activated LUciferase gene eXpression (CALUX) bioassay. We used multivariate linear regression analyses to assess the association of prenatal dioxin exposure with the performance on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV, Hong Kong, the Hong Kong List Learning Test, the Tests for Everyday Attention for Children and the Grooved Pegboard Test, adjusting for child's sex, mother's place of birth, mother's habitual seafood consumption, mother's age at delivery and socioeconomic position. RESULTS Measures of neurocognitive and intellectual function, including full-scale IQ, fine motor coordination, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, learning ability and attention at 11 years old did not show significant variations with prenatal dioxin exposures (proxied by CALUX-TEQ total dioxin load in early breast milk). None of these associations varied by breastfeeding duration or sex. CONCLUSIONS Neurocongitive function, as measured with psychological tests, in 11-year-old children was not associated with prenatal dioxin exposure to background levels of dioxins in the 2000s in Hong Kong.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lai Ling Hui
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Hugh Simon Lam
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
| | - Esther Yuet Ying Lau
- Department of Psychological Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Centre for Psychosocial Health, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Edmund Anthony Severn Nelson
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Tze Wai Wong
- School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Richard Fielding
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
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Dzwilewski KLC, Schantz SL. Prenatal chemical exposures and child language development. JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2015; 57:41-65. [PMID: 26255253 PMCID: PMC4548902 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2015.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2014] [Revised: 07/10/2015] [Accepted: 07/16/2015] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The goal of this review is to summarize the evidence that prenatal and/or early postnatal exposure to certain chemicals, both manmade (insulating materials, flame retardants, pesticides) and naturally occurring (e.g., lead, mercury), may be associated with delays or impairments in language development. We focus primarily on a subset of more extensively studied chemicals-polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), lead, and methyl mercury-for which a reasonable body of literature on neurodevelopmental outcomes is available. We also briefly summarize the smaller body of evidence for other chemicals including polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants (PBDEs) and organophosphate pesticides. Very few studies have used specific assessments of language development and function. Therefore, we included discussion of aspects of cognitive development such as overall intellectual functioning and verbal abilities that rely on language, as well as aspects of cognition such as verbal and auditory working memory that are critical underpinnings of language development. A high percentage of prospective birth cohort studies of PCBs, lead, and mercury have reported exposure-related reductions in overall IQ and/or verbal IQ that persist into middle or late childhood. Given these findings, it is important that clinicians and researchers in communication sciences and disorders are aware of the potential for environmental chemicals to impact language development. LEARNING OUTCOMES The goal of this review is to summarize the evidence that prenatal and/or early postnatal exposure to certain chemicals may be associated with delays or impairments in language development. Readers will gain an understanding of the literature suggesting that early exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), lead, and mercury may be associated with decrements in cognitive domains that depend on language or are critical for language development. We also briefly summarize the smaller body of evidence regarding polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants (PBDEs) and organophosphate pesticides. Very few studies of exposure to these chemicals have used specific assessments of language development; thus, further investigation is needed before changes in clinical practice can be suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey L C Dzwilewski
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Neuroscience Program, 405 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Susan L Schantz
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Comparative Biosciences, 2001 South Lincoln Avenue, Urbana, IL 61802, USA.
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Newman J, Behforooz B, Khuzwayo AG, Gallo MV, Schell LM. PCBs and ADHD in Mohawk adolescents. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2014; 42:25-34. [PMID: 24462617 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2014.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2013] [Revised: 01/10/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The present study examines the relationship between the levels of persistent polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in adolescents' blood serum and concurrent measures of their ADHD-like behavior derived from ratings provided by parents and teachers. Two measures with demonstrated diagnostic validity, the Conners and ADDES scales, are used. The study was conducted in partnership with the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne where the St. Lawrence River and surrounding waterways have been contaminated with PCBs that have entered the food chain. This study examines a subset of the data derived from the Mohawk Adolescent Well-Being Study (MAWBS), which was designed to investigate psychosocial and health related outcomes of 271 adolescents aged 10 years to 17 years and whose mothers were likely to have consumed PCB-contaminated fish and wild game before and during their pregnancy. No evidence of negative effects of adolescent blood PCB levels on ADHD-like behavior was found, and indeed occasional findings were in the unexpected direction. The possibility of negative confounding by SES and breastfeeding history was examined but dismissed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Newman
- Educational Psychology and Methodology, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12222, USA.
| | - Bita Behforooz
- Educational Psychology and Methodology, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Amy G Khuzwayo
- School Psychology, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Mia V Gallo
- Department of Anthropology, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12222, USA; Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities, 1400 Washington Ave., NY 12222, USA
| | - Lawrence M Schell
- Department of Anthropology, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12222, USA; Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities, 1400 Washington Ave., NY 12222, USA; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, One University Place, Rensselaer, NY, USA
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13
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El Majidi N, Bouchard M, Carrier G. Systematic analysis of the relationship between standardized prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and mental and motor development during follow-up of nine children cohorts. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 2013; 66:130-46. [PMID: 23524270 DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2013.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2012] [Revised: 03/05/2013] [Accepted: 03/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Impact of prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on mental and motor development has been investigated in various children cohorts, but findings show temporal inconsistencies. Because a direct comparison of results obtained from different cohorts remains difficult, temporal relationship between biological PCB concentrations and long-term developmental effects is still not clearly established. The objective of this research was to use a procedure previously developed to standardize PCB biological concentration data across cohorts in order to perform a systematic analysis of temporal associations between prenatal PCB exposure and mental and motor development from neonatal period (or a young age) until school age. Prenatal exposure data from nine cohorts were standardized in terms of total PCBs per kg of lipids in maternal plasma. Systematic analysis of the "standardized biological concentration-development" relationship during follow-up of each cohort was then conducted through the application of Hill criteria. This led to retain six of the studied cohorts in the final analysis. A biological level of prenatal PCB exposure below which risk of mental or motor development should be negligible was established in the order of 1000μg/kg of lipids in maternal plasma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naïma El Majidi
- Département de santé environnementale et santé au travail, Chaire d'analyse et de gestion des risques toxicologiques and Institut de recherche en santé publique de l'Université de Montréal (IRSPUM), Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, P.O. Box 6128, Main Station, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3C 3J7
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Brucker-Davis F, Ferrari P, Boda-Buccino M, Wagner-Mahler K, Pacini P, Gal J, Azuar P, Fenichel P. Cord blood thyroid tests in boys born with and without cryptorchidism: correlations with birth parameters and in utero xenobiotics exposure. Thyroid 2011; 21:1133-41. [PMID: 21875366 DOI: 10.1089/thy.2010.0459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In utero exposure to environmental chemicals can result in reproductive toxicity via endocrine disruption mechanisms. Whether some of those contaminants also have an impact on fetal thyroid function or pathways, and, thus, potentially on neuropsychological development, is still debated. METHODS We used samples from a cord blood (CB) and milk bank, established for a research on cryptorchidism and xenobiotic exposure to compounds known for their anti-androgenic and/or estrogenic activity, to study CB thyroid tests and their correlation with CB and milk xenobiotics concentrations in boys born in Nice area. RESULTS No difference was found in thyroid tests between 60 cryptorchid boys and 76 matched controls (median thyroid stimulating hormone 5.97 vs. 6.55 mUI/L, free thyroxine [fT4] 13.1 vs. 12.9 pmol/L, free triiodothyronine [fT3] 1.9 vs. 2.1 pmol/L), with no influence of season of birth, gestational age, maternal smoking, or mode of delivery (except for higher fT4 in control boys born vaginally). FT4 was correlated with fetal growth only in cryptorchid boys. Since we had previously shown differences between cryptorchid and controls exposure, we studied correlations of thyroid tests with xenobiotics in control boys only. All tested CB or maternal milk was contaminated by one or more selected xenobiotics, mainly polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichloro diphenyl dichloroethylène (DDE), dibutylphthalate, hexachlorobenzene, and bisphenol A. We found a significant negative correlation between fT4 and concentrations of PCB118, PC180, and DDE in milk (respectively r = -0.342, p < 0.03, r = -0.296, p = 0.031, r = -0.315, p = 0.016), persisting after adjustment for mode of delivery. There was a significant positive correlation of fT3 with milk concentrations of PCB138, PCB153, ΣPCB, and dibutylphthalate (respectively r = 0.31, p = 0.016, r = 0.28, p = 0.029; r = 0.34, p = 0.0079 and r = 0.272, p = 0.0295), with a trend for PCB180 (r = 0.259, p = 0.061). There was no correlation of thyroid stimulating hormone with any of the measured xenobiotics, except for a weak negative trend with CB bisphenol A (r = -0.25, p = 0.077). CONCLUSIONS CB thyroid tests are within normal range in cryptorchid boys, similar to controls. Our data in controls suggest a possible weak correlation between in utero exposure to some xenobiotics (PCBs, DDE) and fT3 and fT4 CB concentrations, with usually negative correlations with fT4 and positive with fT3 concentrations, which we speculate could suggest an impact on deiodinases.
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Developmental aspects of environmental neurotoxicology: lessons from lead and polychlorinated biphenyls. J Neurol Sci 2011; 308:9-15. [PMID: 21679971 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2011.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2010] [Revised: 05/15/2011] [Accepted: 05/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The particular vulnerability of the developing nervous system for low-level exposure to chemicals is well established. It has been argued that some degree of developmental neurotoxicity was found for a large number of industrial chemicals. However, for only few of these, namely inorganic lead, arsenic, organic mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), human evidence is available to suggest that these may cause neurodevelopmental adversity and may, thus, be involved in contributing to neurodevelopmental disorders like autism, attention-deficit disorder, mental retardation or cerebral palsy. The focus of this overview is on PCBs and inorganic lead as developmental neurotoxicants at environmental levels of exposure. The adverse effects of inorganic lead on the developing brain have long been studied, and much emphasis has been on subtle degrees of mental retardation in terms of intelligence (IQ). The evidence is consistent, but the effect sizes are typically small. Research interest has also been devoted to studying aspects of "attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder" (ADHD) in children in relation to environmental exposure to lead in both cross-sectional and case-control studies. More recently, we have also studied core elements of ADHD according to ICD-10 and DSM-IV in relation to environmental exposure to lead, mercury and aluminum in asymptomatic school children in Romania. Both, performance measures (several attention tasks) and questionnaire-based behavior ratings from parents and teachers showed that lead, but not Hg or Al, was consistently and adversely associated with core elements of ADHD. These findings in asymptomatic children nicely fit into the overall pattern of observations and suggest that, apart from genetic influences, low-level exposure to lead contributes to this neurodevelopmental disorder. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent organic pollutants with lipophilic properties. Due to their persistence, they are still present in environmental media at potentially harmful concentrations, although production and use of PCBs was already banned in the early 1980s. Several prospective cohort studies-including our Düsseldorf study-have demonstrated that pre- and early postnatal exposure to PCBs is associated with deficit or retardation of mental and/or motor development, even after adjusting for maternal intelligence and developmental effects of the quality of the home environment. The pathophysiology is still unclear, although interference with thyroid metabolism during brain development is being discussed. Based on these reviews, three aspects, namely pre- vs. postnatal impact, effect scaling for comparative purposes, and integration of neurobehavioral findings into clinical and neuroscience contexts, are outlined as lessons learned from neurodevelopmental observations in children environmentally exposed to lead or PCBs.
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Newman J, Gallo MV, Schell LM, DeCaprio AP, Denham M, Deane GD. Analysis of PCB congeners related to cognitive functioning in adolescents. Neurotoxicology 2009; 30:686-96. [PMID: 19465051 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2009.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2008] [Revised: 05/08/2009] [Accepted: 05/08/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
To investigate the characteristics of PCBs that are linked to cognitive functioning, those congeners that were concurrently found in 271 Mohawk adolescents were grouped according to structure (dioxin-like or non-dioxin-like) and persistence (persistent or low-persistent). After the effects of the congener groups were orthogonalized, regression analyses (controlling for a number of variables found to be related to the cognitive outcomes) examined the relationship of each congener group to scores on three cognitive tests (the non-verbal Ravens Progressive Matrices, the Test of Memory and Learning, and the Woodcock Johnson-Revised). Five subtests from these cognitive tests were found to be associated with one or more PCB congener groups, most often at a moderate level. Two measures of long-term memory (Delayed Recall and Long Term Retrieval) were associated with all four congener groups. Nevertheless, examination of the role of individual congeners in the significantly related congener groups revealed that almost all congeners associated with cognitive outcomes were non-dioxin-like and ortho-substituted. A notable exception was the Ravens test where scores were associated only with dioxin-like congeners. This finding adds to the limited evidence of neurotoxic effects of dioxin-like congeners. Auditory Processing was related only to the persistent congener group. The association of the non-persistent congener group with three cognitive test scores (Delayed Recall, Long Term Retrieval and Comprehension-Knowledge) suggests that the Mohawk adolescents have experienced continuing or recent environmental exposure to PCBs that is sufficient to result in detectable cognitive decrements. Comparison of our findings with those of other human studies was limited by the relative lack of specificity of both PCB measures and cognitive outcome measures in much previous work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Newman
- University at Albany, Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, Education 236, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, United States.
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Uemura H, Arisawa K, Hiyoshi M, Satoh H, Sumiyoshi Y, Morinaga K, Kodama K, Suzuki TI, Nagai M, Suzuki T. PCDDs/PCDFs and dioxin-like PCBs: recent body burden levels and their determinants among general inhabitants in Japan. CHEMOSPHERE 2008; 73:30-37. [PMID: 18632132 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2008.05.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2008] [Revised: 05/28/2008] [Accepted: 05/28/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective was to grasp the recent body burden levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) and to investigate their determinants among general inhabitants in Japan. METHODS This study was performed on 1374 participants aged 15-73 years, who were not occupational exposure to PCDDs/PCDFs and DL-PCBs, living widely in 75 different residential areas of 25 prefectures in Japan. Seven PCDDs, ten PCDFs, twelve DL-PCBs, which are assigned a toxicity equivalent factor, and biochemical factors were determined in fasting blood. A questionnaire survey on life-style was also performed. RESULTS The median of total toxicity equivalent (TEQ) was 20pgTEQ/g lipid. The TEQs of PCDDs/PCDFs, DL-PCBs and total TEQ increased with age. The intake frequency of fish-and-shellfish was positively associated with the TEQ of DL-PCBs in both sexes. Current smoking was negatively related to the TEQ of DL-PCBs in male subjects but not in female subjects. Feeding status was significantly related to the TEQs of PCDDs/PCDFs, DL-PCBs and total TEQ, being lowest in breast feeding and highest in never and bottle feeding. According to the results of subgroup analysis, parity was not associated with the TEQs. CONCLUSIONS The fish-and-shellfish consumption may contribute to the accumulation of DL-PCBs, and smoking may induce some biological action for the elimination of DL-PCBs from the human body. Breast feeding is considered to be one of the major excretory pathways of PCDDs/PCDFs and DL-PCBs in women, while parity may not largely contribute to the elimination of these pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirokazu Uemura
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, 3-18-15, Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan.
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Wilhelm M, Ranft U, Krämer U, Wittsiepe J, Lemm F, Fürst P, Eberwein G, Winneke G. Lack of neurodevelopmental adversity by prenatal exposure of infants to current lowered PCB levels: comparison of two German birth cohort studies. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART A 2008; 71:700-2. [PMID: 18569566 DOI: 10.1080/15287390801984904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), persistent environmental contaminants, may affect neurodevelopment of infants following prenatal exposure. A negative impact of prenatal PCB exposure on neurodevelopment was found in the Dusseldorf (Germany) cohort study (1993-2000). PCB levels of the sum of the three indicator congeners in breast milk were negatively associated with mental/motor development as assessed by the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID) in infants. Since general exposure to PCB has decreased, a new birth cohort study was initiated in 2000 in the industrial city of Duisburg, which is located 30 km downstream from Dusseldorf on the River Rhine. A subgroup of the Duisburg birth cohort study was used to compare PCB exposure and developmental effects with results from the Dusseldorf cohort. The recruitment phase of the Duisburg cohort study occurred from 2000 to 2002. Mental and motor development was assessed by means of the BSID at the ages of 12 and 24 mo. Prenatal PCB exposure of newborns from Duisburg cohort was about two- to threefold lower than the Dusseldorf cohort. Although in the Dusseldorf birth cohort mental and motor development at ages 18 and 30 mo were negatively associated with PCB exposure, there was no association observed in the Duisburg study. Evidence indicates that exposure to PCB at current exposure levels no longer apparently impair neurodevelopment of infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Wilhelm
- Department of Hygiene, Social and Environmental Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
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Larsen JC. Risk assessments of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in food. Mol Nutr Food Res 2006; 50:885-96. [PMID: 17009211 DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.200500247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dioxin-like PCB) are ubiquitous in food of animal origin and accumulate in fatty tissues of animals and humans. The most toxic congener is 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). The toxic responses include dermal toxicity, immunotoxicity, carcinogenicity, and reproductive and developmental toxicity. Toxic equivalency factors have been established for the other PCDD, PCDF and dioxin-like PCB relative to TCDD, and the combined toxicity of a sample can be expressed as toxic equivalent (WHO-TEQ). The EC Scientific Committee for Food evaluated these compounds in 2001. The assessment used the most sensitive adverse toxicological end-points of TCDD in experimental animals. These were developmental and reproductive effects in the male offspring of rats administered TCDD during pregnancy. Because of the large difference between rats and humans in the biological half-life of TCDD, the assessment used a body burden approach to compare across species and derived a tolerable weekly intake of 14 pg TCDD/kg of body weight (bw), which was extended to include all the 2,3,7,8-substituted PCDD and PCDF, and the dioxin-like PCB, and expressed as a group tolerable weekly intake of 14 pg WHO-TEQ/kg bw. The FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) performed a similar assessment whereas the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has paid more attention to human data on carcinogenicity.
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Opinion of the Scientific Panel on contaminants in the food chain [CONTAM] related to the presence of non dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in feed and food. EFSA J 2005. [DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2005.284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
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