Previous studies have demonstrated that organochlorine pesticide (OCP) exposure has a negative impact on the neurological function of infants. Only a few reports have investigated the thyroid and growth hormones and their relationship to neurodevelopment after human exposure to OCPs, especially in the case of infants. Our goal was to determine whether breastmilk OCP residues were associated with negative impacts and/or alterations in the neurodevelopment of infants among specific southern Taiwanese mother–breastfed infant pairs. Our subjects (n = 55 pairs) were recruited from southern Taiwan between 2007 and 2010. The thyroid and growth hormone levels in the cord blood samples collected after childbirth were determined. The breastmilk was gathered within one month after childbirth for the determination of OCP levels using a high-resolution gas chromatograph with mass spectrometry, and the neurodevelopment of 10–12-month-old infants was examined using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development®, Third Edition (Bayley-III). It was observed that 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyl-dichloroethylene (4,4′-DDE) (mean = 10.3 ng/g lipid) was the most predominant OCP compound in the breastmilk samples. At higher concentrations (>75th percentile), specific OCPs were associated with significantly lower levels of thyroid and growth hormones than at lower concentrations (<75th percentile). Significantly higher odds ratios (ORs) were observed for binary cognitive (OR = 8.09, p = 0.025 for 4,4′-DDT), language (OR = 11.9, p = 0.013 for 4,4′-DDT) and social–emotional (OR = 6.06, p = 0.01 for trans-CHL) composite scores for specific OCPs belonging to the lower exposure group as compared to the higher OCP exposure group. The five domain Bayley-III infant neurodevelopment outcomes were negatively associated with specific OCPs in the breast milk samples based on the redundancy analysis (RDA) test. Bayley-III scales, which include cognitive, language, motor, social-emotional, and adaptive behavior scales, could be predicted by 4,4′-DDT, endrin, endosulfan I, heptachlor, or heptachlor epoxide using multivariate linear regression models with adjustment for maternal age, pre-pregnant BMI, parity, and infant gender. In conclusion, although our study showed that postnatal exposure to breast milk OCPs may be associated with infant neurodevelopmental outcomes and that prenatal exposure, if extrapolated from breastmilk levels, is associated with changes in thyroid and growth hormones that may have effects on neurodevelopment, these associations are only suggestive; thus, further studies are recommended for confirmation.

Research has been focused on the health hazards of ambient PM 2.5 related to humans. Many PM 2.5 toxicity assessments using in vitro studies have focused on PM 2.5 -bounded hazardous pollutants. However, PM 2.5 toxicity assessment by in vivo studies allow for better observation of the overall effects of PM 2.5 exposure on entire organisms, making in vivo PM 2.5 toxicity assessment relevant. The toxic effects of outdoor PM 2.5 , collected from

High levels of fine particulate (PM 2.5 ) in indoor and outdoor air have globally threatened human health and environment. There are still few studies which concern on the emerging persistent organic pollutants like polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) bound on PM 2.5 . The aim of this study was to investigate PBDEs in PM 2.5 in various outdoor (metropolis, industrial, and rural areas) and indoor (library, rail station, hospital, supermarket, department store, and office) environments. PM 2.5 -bound PBDEs was analyzed by high resolution gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry after PM 2.5 was collected. Mean levels of PM 2.5 -bound Σ 14 PBDEs were 79.0 and 116 pg m -3 in outdoor and indoor air, respectively. Compared to other outdoor locations, the industrial sites, Taixi (169 pg m -3 ) in particular, has the highest PM 2.5 -bound PBDEs levels which might be attributed to nearby industrial activities and indoor to outdoor migration behaviors. For indoor air, PM 2.5 -bound PBDEs mean concentrations (libraries, rail stations, department stores, offices, hospitals, and supermarkets) were found to be 357, 35.3, 50.2, 73.2, 59.2, and 124 pg m -3 , respectively. The high indoor PM 2.5 -bound PBDEs levels found in libraries are heavily affected by the presence of indoor electronic equipment or other consumer products. Similarly, this is also true for supermarkets which merchandise electronic consumer products. Although the abundant congener of deca-BDE consisted of 74.7% and 48.03% of Σ 14 PBDEs in the indoor and outdoor air, respectively, nona-BDEs predominantly contributed 11.6% in the indoors while tri-and tert-BDES contributed 11.3% and 16% in the outdoors. Higher brominated PBDEs are more likely due to their emission from electronic surfaces while lower brominated PBDEs are products of photochemical degradation. Other factors affecting both the indoor and outdoor air PM 2.5 -bound PBDE homologue levels such as migration behaviors might also be considered.

Only few studies have focused on organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in breast milk and the related health risks for women in Taiwan. Our goal is to examine breast milk OCPs and their associations with female reproductive function (infertility, gynecological diseases, and menstruation characteristics) as well as their correlation with sociodemographic parameters (age, pre-pregnant body mass index (BMI), annual incomes, population, birth year, and parity) and dietary habit. The breast milk samples were collected in southern Taiwan (n = 68) from 2013 to 2016 and the OCP residues were analyzed using high resolution gas chromatography with low resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/LRMS). The results show that the most abundant OCP residues in the breast milk was ΣDDT with the geometric mean ± standard deviation of 9.81 ± 7.52 ng−1 lipid−1 followed by ΣHCH (0.539 ± 0.557 ng−1·lipid−1). In the principal component analysis, cis-chlordane (cis-CHL) and γ-HCH were found to be related to participants who received medical treatment for infertility, and 4,4′-DDT was associated with those who received gynecological surgery. The logistic regression showed that the odds ratio (OR) of log γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCH) was higher for mothers who had received medical treatment for infertility than for the normal group (OR = 25.6, p = 0.035) after adjustments for age, pre-pregnant BMI, annual income, population (i.e., native-born Taiwanese), birth year, and parity. Cow milk and beef consumption as well as menstruation characteristics such as average menstrual period (>5 days), shortest menstrual period (<3 days), and women who had taken hormonal drugs were significantly associated to several OCP residues in the breast milk. In addition, ΣHCH including β-HCH and γ-HCH was correlated with annual family income and gravidity as well as cow milk and beef consumptions. Overall, γ-HCH exhibited a probable association with the infertility diseases of Taiwanese women, and dietary habit might play an important role in the female Taiwanese exposure to OCPs.

Estrogen-like endocrine disrupting compounds (EEDC) such as bisphenol A, nonylphenol, and phthalic acid esters are toxic compounds that may occur in both raw- and drinking water. The aim of this study was to combine chemical- and bioassay to evaluate the risk of EEDCs in the drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs). Fifty-six samples were collected from seven DWTPs located in northern-, central-, and southern Taiwan from 2011 to 2012 and subjected to chemical analyses and two bioassay methods for total estrogenic activity (E-Screen and T47D-KBluc assay). Among of the considered EEDCs, only dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) were detected in both drinking and raw water samples. DBP levels in drinking water ranged from

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are a class of the emerging persistent organic pollutants that have shown potential harmful effects in in-vivo and human studies. Our goal was to investigate 30 airborne PBDEs in day-to-night or indoor-to-outdoor in three vehicle dismantling factories located in southern Taiwan to assess worker risks. Thirty PBDEs including 15, 17, 28, 47, 49, 66, 71, 77, 85, 99, 100, 119, 126, 138, 139, 140, 153, 154, 156, 183, 184, 191, 196, 197, 203, 206, 207, 208, and 209 were analyzed using high-resolution-gas chromatography/high-resolution-mass-spectrometer. Levels of airborne Σ 30 PBDEs were 275, 336, 200 and 494 p gm -3 in indoor daytime, indoor nighttime, outdoor daytime, and outdoor nighttime, respectively, and their differences were not significant. BDE-209 was the predominant congener among the 30 PBDEs consisting of 82.5-97.9% of Σ 30 PBDEs in both indoor and outdoor air. Pollution characterizations of the PBDE patterns were similar in air samples except for the outdoor air in the nighttime. Diurnal variations in PBDEs in both indoor and outdoor air were not observed. A principal component analysis was used to test for possible sources of PBDE contamination. BDE-209 in outdoor air was possibly contributed from PBDEs in indoor air, particularly from BDE-209. Characteristics of diurnal PBDE contamination in indoor and outdoor air in vehicle dismantling factories were linked to commercial technical OctaBDE (Bromkal 79-8DE) and DecaBDEs (Bromkal 82-0D and Saytex 102E) mixtures. The highest PBDE intakes of workers via inhalation were assessed as 41.8 and 32.7 pg kg -1 bw day -1 for male and female adults, respectively. It was hypothesized that airborne PBDEs in indoor factories are released from the surface of DecaBDE or OctaBDE technical formulations and influence outdoor air through ventilation or natural dispersion. However, occupational exposure through inhalation might be an important PBDE contamination pathway, but it is minor compared to PBDE dietary intake.

No abstract

Cooking oil fumes (CF) coming from night market stalls exhaust contain substantial amounts of air pollutants such as carbonyl compounds that may contribute to outdoor air pollution and may have adverse health effects on the Taiwanese population. Carbonyl emission characteristics depend on several factors, which include but are not limited to, the cooking style and food material being used. The current study evaluated carbonyl compound emissions from two scenarios: a standard kitchen cooking classroom with a stack gas tunnel and night market food stalls. The different cooking styles and food types cooked using a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stove, such as grilled chicken with (GCS) and without sauce (GC), mixed barbecue with sauce (MBS), grilled vegetables with sauce (GVS), stir-fried oyster omelet (OM), fried Taiwanese chicken nuggets (FN) in the kitchen cooking classroom, and grilled chicken with (GCS) and without sauce (GC), stir-fried oyster omelet (OM), grilled vegetables with sauce (GVS), and fried steak (FS) in the night market were evaluated for carbonyl carbon emissions. OM from the kitchen classroom and GCS from the night market showed the highest mean total carbonyl compound concentrations (1850 ± 682 ppb and 1840 ppb). Formaldehyde was found to be the most predominant carbonyl compound, with contribution percentages ranging from 70.9-99.58% of the total carbonyl emission factors in CFs. Grilled vegetables with sauce had the highest emission factor magnitude of 274 µg kg -1 wt. Factors such as the addition of sauce and grilling were also observed to increase carbonyl compound emissions.