Biomonitoring of industrial pollutants: health and policy implications of the chemical body burden

McCally, Michael; Houlihan, Jane

doi:10.1016/s0033-3549(04)50167-x

Cited by 63 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Biomonitoring of human tissues and fluids has shown that virtually all individuals, worldwide, carry a “body burden” of synthetic chemicals (Thornton et al 2002; CDC 2009). Although the measurement of an environmental chemical in a person’s tissues or fluids is an indication of exposure, it does not by itself mean that the chemical or the exposure concentration is sufficient to cause a disease or an adverse effect.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple classes of environmental chemicals are associated with liver disease: NHANES 2003–2004

Christensen

Carrico

Sanyal

et al. 2013

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health

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Biomonitoring studies show that humans carry a body burden of multiple classes of contaminants which are not often studied together. Many of these chemicals may be hepatotoxic. We used the 2003–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to evaluate the relationship between alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and 37 environmental contaminants, comprising heavy metals, non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and dioxin-like compounds, using a novel method. Linear regression models were constructed for each chemical separately, then as a class, using quartiles to represent exposure and adjusting for age, sex, race, income, and BMI. We then used an optimization approach to compile a weighted sum of the quartile scores, both within and across chemical classes. Using the optimization approach to construct weighted quartile scores, the dioxin like PCB, the non-dioxin like PCB and metal class-level scores were significantly associated with elevated ALT. A significant interaction was detected between the class-level score for metals, and the score for non-dioxin-like PCBs. When including all chemicals in one model, 3 chemicals accounted for 78 % of the weight (Mercury, PCB 180, 3,3’,4,4’,5-PNCB) with the remaining 22% associated with 4 chemicals (a dioxin and 3 PCBs). Validation with a holdout dataset indicated that the weighted quartile sum estimator efficiently identifies reproducible significant associations.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple classes of environmental chemicals are associated with liver disease: NHANES 2003–2004

Christensen

Carrico

Sanyal

et al. 2013

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health

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“…TBBPA and HBCD are two of the many chemicals known to contaminate the environment that are found in human tissues (Thornton et al 2002; Sellstroem and Jansson, 1995) including human blood (Hagmar et al, 2000; Nagayama et al, 2001; Thomsen et al, 2002; Covaci et al, 2006; Knutsen et al, 2008; Pulkrabova et al, 2009; Kakimoto et al, 2008; Thomsen et al, 2005; Thomsen et al, 2003). NK cells are an essential component of the innate immune system providing protection from tumor and virally infected cells.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brominated flame retardants, tetrabromobisphenol A and hexabromocyclododecane, activate mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in human natural killer cells

et al. 2014

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NK cells provide a vital surveillance against virally infected cells, tumor cells, and antibody-coated cells through the release of cytolytic mediators and gamma interferon (IFN-γ). Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is a brominated flame retardant used primarily in expanded (EPS) and extruded (XPS) polystyrene foams for thermal insulation in the building and construction industry. Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is used both as a reactive and an additive flame retardant in a variety of materials. HBCD and TBBPA contaminate the environment and are found in human blood samples. In previous studies, we have shown that other environmental contaminants, such as the dibutyltin (DBT) and tributyltin (TBT), decrease NK lytic function by activating mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in the NK cells. HBCD and TBBPA also interfere with NK cell(s) lytic function. The current study evaluates whether HBCD and/or TBBPA have the capacity to activate MAPKs and MAPK kinases (MAP2Ks). The effects of concentrations of HBCD and TBBPA that inhibited lytic function on the phosphorylation state and total levels of the MAPKs (p44/42, p38, and JNK) and the phosphorylation and total levels of the MAP2Ks (MEK1/2 and MKK3/6) were examined. Results indicate that exposure of human NK cells to 10-0.5 µM HBCD or TBBPA activate MAPKs and MAP2Ks. This HBCD and TBBPA-induced activation of MAPKs may leave them unavailable for activation by virally infected or tumor target cells and thus contributes to the observed decreases in lytic function seen in NK cells exposed to HBCD and TBBPA.

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“…Depending on the chemical agent, these measurements can serve as indicators of recent, long-past, or cumulative exposure to a hazard. For example, chemicals such as benzene are metabolized and excreted rapidly from the body, whereas the lipophilic compounds tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin and polychlorinated biphenyl are retained for years (Thornton et al 2002). Although more research is needed to understand fully the complex relationship between external hazard concentrations, internal dose, and health effects, biomonitoring data are an important component for comprehensive environmental public health surveillance.…”

Section: An Approach For Environmental Public Health Trackingmentioning

confidence: 99%

National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program: Bridging the Information Gap

McGeehin¹,

Qualters²,

Niskar³

2004

Environ Health Perspect

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In January 2001 the Pew Environmental Health Commission called for the creation of a coordinated public health system to prevent disease in the United States by tracking and combating environmental health threats. In response, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initiated the Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) Program to integrate three distinct components of hazard monitoring and exposure and health effects surveillance into a cohesive tracking network. Uniform and acceptable data standards, easily understood case definitions, and improved communication between health and environmental agencies are just a few of the challenges that must be addressed for this network to be effective. The nascent EPHT program is attempting to respond to these challenges by drawing on a wide range of expertise from federal agencies, state health and environmental agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and the program’s academic Centers of Excellence. In this mini-monograph, we present innovative strategies and methods that are being applied to the broad scope of important and complex environmental public health problems by developing EPHT programs. The data resulting from this program can be used to identify areas and populations most likely to be affected by environmental contamination and to provide important information on the health and environmental status of communities. EPHT will develop valuable data on possible associations between the environment and the risk of noninfectious health effects. These data can be used to reduce the burden of adverse health effects on the American public.

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Biomonitoring of industrial pollutants: health and policy implications of the chemical body burden

Cited by 63 publications

References 53 publications

Multiple classes of environmental chemicals are associated with liver disease: NHANES 2003–2004

Multiple classes of environmental chemicals are associated with liver disease: NHANES 2003–2004

Brominated flame retardants, tetrabromobisphenol A and hexabromocyclododecane, activate mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in human natural killer cells

National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program: Bridging the Information Gap

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