Evaluation of the integrated exposure uptake biokinetic (IEUBK) model for lead in children

BACKGROUND

The Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokinetic Model for Lead in Children (IEUBK model) was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to support assessments of health risks to children from exposures to lead (Pb).

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluated performance of IEUBK model (v2.0) as it would be typically applied at Superfund sites to predict blood Pb levels (BLLs) in populations of children.

METHODS

The model was evaluated by comparing model predictions of BLLs to 1144 observed BLLs in a population of children at the Bunker Hill Superfund Site for which there were paired estimates of environmental Pb concentrations.

RESULTS

Predicted population geometric mean (GM) BLLs (GM: 3.4 µg/dL, 95% CI: 3.3, 3.5) were within 0.3 µg/dL of observed (GM: 3.6 µg/dL, 95% CI: 3.5, 3.8). The model predicted the observed age trend in GM BLLs and explained ~90% of the variance in the observed age-stratified GM BLLs. The mean predicted probability of exceeding 5 µg/dL (P5) was 27% (95% CI: 24, 29) and observed P5 was 32% (95% CI: 29, 35), a difference of 5%. Differences between geographic area stratified mean P5 (predicted minus observed) ranged from -11 to 14% (mean difference: 2.3%).

SIGNIFICANCE

Although the more general applicability of these findings to other populations remains to be determined in future studies, our results support applications of the IEUBK model (v2.0) for informing risk-based decisions regarding remediation of soils and mitigation of exposures at Superfund sites where the majority of the exposure unit GM BLLs are expected to be ≤5 µg/dL and where it is desired to limit the predicted probability of exceeding 5 µg/dL to <5%.

Estimating the Effects of Soil Remediation on Children's Blood Lead near a Former Lead Smelter in Omaha, Nebraska, USA

BACKGROUND

Lead exposures from legacy sources threaten children's health. Soil in Omaha, Nebraska, was contaminated by emissions from a lead smelter and refinery. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency excavated and replaced contaminated soil at the Omaha Lead Superfund Site between 1999 and 2016.

OBJECTIVES

The goal of this study was to assess the association of soil lead level (SLL) and soil remediation status with blood lead levels (BLLs) in children living near or on the site.

METHODS

We linked information on SLL at residential properties with children's BLLs and assigned remediation status to children's BLL measurements based on whether their measurements occurred during residence at remediated or unremediated properties. We examined the association of SLL and remediation status with elevated BLL (EBLL). We distinguished the roles of temporal trend and the intervention with time-by-intervention-status interaction contrasts. All analyses estimated odds ratios (ORs) with a generalized estimating equations approach to ensure robustness under the complex correlations among BLL measurements. All analyses controlled for relevant covariates including children's characteristics.

RESULTS

EBLL (>5μg/dL) was associated with both residential SLL [e.g., OR=2.00; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.83, 2.19; >400-800 vs. ≤200 ppm] and neighborhood SLL [e.g., OR=1.85 (95% CI: 1.62, 2.11; >400-800 vs. ≤200 ppm)] before remediation but only with neighborhood SLL after remediation. The odds of EBLL were higher before remediation [OR 1.52 (95% CI: 1.34, 1.72)]. Similarly, EBLL was positively associated with preremediation status in our interaction analysis [interaction OR=1.18 (95%CI: 1.02, 1.37)].

DISCUSSION

Residential and neighborhood SLLs were important predictors of EBLLs in children residing near or on this Superfund site. Neighborhood SLL remained a strong predictor following remediation. Our data analyses showed the benefit of soil remediation. Results from the interaction analyses should be interpreted cautiously due to imperfect correspondence of remediation times between remediation and comparison groups. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8657.

Estimates of urinary blood lead clearance and its relationship to glomerular filtration rate based on a large population survey

Blood lead (Pb) clearance (CbPb) and serum creatinine clearance (CsCr), a metric of glomerular filtration rate (GFR), were estimated in approximately 7,600 subjects from the NHANES (2009-2016). Median CbPb in adults was 0.04 L/day (5th-95th percentile range: 0.01-0.12). Linear regression models explained approximately 68% of variance in CbPb in adults, with >98% of explained variance attributed to CsCr. These results provide an improved quantitative understanding of the possible effects of reverse causality in the interpretation of studies of associations between blood Pb and decrements in GFR.

Issues related to time averaging of exposure in modeling risks associated with intermittent exposures to lead

Typical exposures to lead often involve a mix of long-term exposures to relatively constant exposure levels (e.g., residential yard soil and indoor dust) and highly intermittent exposures at other locations (e.g., seasonal recreational visits to a park). These types of exposures can be expected to result in blood lead concentrations that vary on a temporal scale with the intermittent exposure pattern. Prediction of short-term (or seasonal) blood lead concentrations arising from highly variable intermittent exposures requires a model that can reliably simulate lead exposures and biokinetics on a temporal scale that matches that of the exposure events of interest. If exposure model averaging times (EMATs) of the model exceed the shortest exposure duration that characterizes the intermittent exposure, uncertainties will be introduced into risk estimates because the exposure concentration used as input to the model must be time averaged to account for the intermittent nature of the exposure. We have used simulation as a means of determining the potential magnitude of these uncertainties. Simulations using models having various EMATs have allowed exploration of the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches to time averaging of exposures and impact on risk estimates associated with intermittent exposures to lead in soil. The International Commission of Radiological Protection (ICRP) model of lead pharmacokinetics in humans simulates lead intakes that can vary in intensity over time spans as small as one day, allowing for the simulation of intermittent exposures to lead as a series of discrete daily exposure events. The ICRP model was used to compare the outcomes (blood lead concentration) of various time-averaging adjustments for approximating the time-averaged intake of lead associated with various intermittent exposure patterns. Results of these analyses suggest that standard approaches to time averaging (e.g., U.S. EPA) that estimate the long-term daily exposure concentration can, in some cases, result in substantial underprediction of short-term variations in blood lead concentrations when used in models that operate with EMATs exceeding the shortest exposure duration that characterizes the intermittent exposure. Alternative time-averaging approaches recommended for use in lead risk assessment more reliably predict short-term periodic (e.g., seasonal) elevations in blood lead concentration that might result from intermittent exposures. In general, risk estimates will be improved by simulation on shorter time scales that more closely approximate the actual temporal dynamics of the exposure.

Lead intervention and pediatric blood lead levels at hazardous waste sites

Lead intervention at Superfund sites typically seeks to reduce pediatric blood lead levels by disrupting the surface-to-hand-to-mouth pathway. This article presents the results of a survey of the publicly available literature on the effectiveness of lead intervention on pediatric blood lead levels at hazardous waste sites. The survey includes six hazardous waste sites located in Canada, Australia, and the United States at which intervention activities were conducted and pediatric blood lead levels were sampled both pre- and postintervention. Evaluation of the effectiveness of intervention on pediatric blood lead levels is often complicated due to confounding variables and statistical limitations. Nevertheless, the outcomes of the intervention studies reviewed in this report suggest that various approaches to the intervention of the dust ingestion pathway, alone or in combination, contributed to declines in blood lead levels in children living in areas heavily contaminated with lead.

Increased lipid peroxidation and impaired antioxidant enzyme function is associated with pathological liver injury in experimental alcoholic liver disease in rats fed diets high in corn oil and fish oil

Increased hepatic oxidative stress with ethanol administration is hypothesized to be caused either by enhanced pro-oxidant production or decreased levels of antioxidants or both. We used the intragastric feeding rat model to assess the relationship between hepatic antioxidant enzymes and pathological liver injury in animals fed different dietary fats. Male Wistar rats (5 per group) were fed ethanol with either medium-chain triglycerides (MCTE), palm oil (PE), corn oil (CE), or fish oil (FE). Control animals were fed isocaloric amounts of dextrose instead of ethanol with the same diets. The following were evaluated in each group: liver pathology, lipid peroxidation, manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) levels, copper-zinc SOD (CuZnSOD) levels, glutathione peroxidase (GPX) levels, and catalase (CAT) levels. All enzymes were evaluated using activity assays and immunoblots. Rats fed FE showed the most severe pathology (fatty liver, necrosis, and inflammation), those fed CE showed moderate changes, those fed PE showed fatty liver only, and those fed MCTE were normal. Parameters indicative of lipid peroxidation (conjugated dienes and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances) were also greater in rat livers from animals fed the diets high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (CE and FE). CuZnSOD, GPX, and CAT activities showed an inverse correlation (r=-.92, P < .01) with severity of pathological injury, with the lowest levels for both enzymes found in FE-fed rats. Decreased enzyme activity in CE- and FE-fed rats was accompanied by similar decreases in immunoreactive protein. Ethanol administration did not cause significant decreases in enzyme activity in groups that showed no necroinflammatory changes (MCTE and PE). MnSOD activity showed no significant change in any ethanol-fed group. Our results show that decreases in CuZnSOD, GPX, and CAT occur in rats showing pathological liver injury and also having the highest levels of lipid peroxidation. These results suggest that feeding dietary substrates that enhance lipid peroxidation can exacerbate both ethanol-induced oxidative damage as well as necroinflammatory changes. The decrease in activity of antioxidant enzymes observed in animals fed diets high in polyunsaturated fatty acids and ethanol could possibly increase the susceptibility to oxidative damage and further contribute to ethanol-induced liver injury.

Studies on pyrazinoylguanidine. 5. Temporal effects over 24 weeks demonstrating attenuation of diabetic nephropathy in STZ-diabetic rats

This study was designed to determine whether pyrazinoylguanidine (PZG) can attenuate diabetic nephropathy in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced within 1 week after a single intraperitoneal dose of STZ (45 mg/kg in 0.05 mol/l sodium citrate buffer). Diabetic rats were divided into five groups. Each group received by gavage for 24 weeks one of the following: vehicle (saline 10 ml/kg, b.i.d.), PZG (35 mg/kg, b.i.d.), captopril (15 mg/kg, b.i.d.), or hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, 20 mg/kg, b.i.d.). Insulin (NPH 7.5 U/day) was given subcutaneously. PZG treatment for 24 weeks reduced mortality and attenuated diabetic nephropathy, as indicated by reduced urinary excretion of total protein (79% of control), low-molecular-weight protein (12% of control), and albumin (60% of control). PZG also preserved renal structure and function. Compared to HCTZ or vehicle-treated rats, STZ-diabetic rats receiving either captopril or insulin exhibited decreased excretion of total protein, low-molecular-weight protein, and albumin, as well as amelioration of renal pathology. Collectively, these results indicate that PZG, as well as captopril and insulin, improved longevity and several indices of diabetic nephropathy in STZ-diabetic rats.

Studies on pyrazinoylguanidine. 6. Prevention of cataracts in STZ-diabetic rats

This study was designed to determine whether pyrazinoylguanidine (PZG) can attenuate cataract development in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. After a single, intraperitoneal dose of STZ (45 mg/kg in 0.05 mol/l sodium citrate buffer), Sprague-Dawley rats (250-260 g) were divided into three groups. Beginning a week later, each group of diabetic rats received twice daily for 24 weeks by gavage one of the following: vehicle (saline 10 ml/kg), PZG (35 mg/kg), or captopril (15 mg/kg). PZG treatment prevented the development of diabetic cataracts (p = 0.0009 compared to vehicle). In contrast to PZG, 38% of vehicle-treated rats exhibited cataracts after 12 weeks, increasing to 89% after 16 weeks. At week 16, 22% of captopril-treated rats exhibited cataracts, a 75% reduction from vehicle-treated rats (p = 0.4289 compared to vehicle; p = 0.0571 compared to PZG). These results indicate that captopril can attenuate cataract formation in STZ-diabetic rats, whereas PZG completely suppresses it.

Oxidation of 1,2-epoxy-3-butene to 1,2:3,4-diepoxybutane by cDNA-expressed human cytochromes P450 2E1 and 3A4 and human, mouse and rat liver microsomes

1,3-Butadiene is carcinogenic in B6C3F1 mice and Sprague-Dawley rats, and has been classified as a probable human carcinogen. The genetic basis for butadiene carcinogenicity is likely mediated by its metabolite, 1,2:3,4-diepoxybutane (BDE). Oxidation of butadiene to 1,2-epoxy-3-butene (BMO) and further activation to BDE is catalysed by cytochrome P450 (CYP) isozymes. The production of BMO from butadiene is mediated by CYP2E1 and, at high butadiene concentrations, by CYP2A6. The purpose of the present study was to identify which human CYP isozymes have the ability to oxidize BMO to BDE, and to determine the extent to which this reaction occurs in B6C3F1 mouse, Sprague-Dawley rat, and human liver microsomes. Of the human cDNA-expressed CYP isozymes tested, only CYP2E1 formed detectable concentrations of BDE at 80 microM BMO. CYP2E1 and CYP3A4 were active at 5.0 mM BMO. Interindividual and interspecies variation in the initial rate of oxidation of 80 microM BMO to BDE was determined using 10 samples of human liver microsomes and single pooled samples from rats and mice. Those experiments revealed a 60-fold variation in activity among 10 human liver samples (range: 0.005-0.324 nmol/mg protein/min). Rates of BMO oxidation for mouse and rat liver microsomes were 0.473 and 0.166 nmol/mg protein/min, respectively. Apparent kinetic constants for the oxidation of BMO to BDE by four human microsomal preparations, and pooled samples from mice and rats were estimated from detailed investigations of BMO oxidation at various BMO substrate concentrations. Apparent Km for the human liver samples ranged from 0.304-0.880 mM, and Vmax values ranged from 0.38 to 1.2 nmol/mg protein/min. The apparent values of Km and Vmax for mouse liver microsomes were 0.141 +/- 0.007 mM (mean +/- SE) and 1.303 +/- 0.141 nmol/mg protein/min, respectively. For rat liver microsomes, apparent Km and Vmax were 0.145 +/- 0.036 mM and 0.408 +/- 0.031 nmol/mg protein/min, respectively. Measured rates of BDE formation correlated well with CYP2E1 protein concentrations in the human microsome samples. These results implicate human CYP2E1 as a hepatic isoform responsible for the oxidation of BMO to BDE at low concentrations of BMO. Moreover, our in vitro results reveal that microsomes prepared from human, rat and mouse liver possess the ability to form BDE from BMO. Previous in vitro results suggest that following exposure to butadiene more BMO would probably be present in mice than in rats or humans. Thus, in mice more BMO would be available for activation to BDE.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)