Body burden of polychlorinated biphenyls among persons employed in capacitor manufacturing

Wolff, Mary S.; Fischbein, Alf; Thornton, John C.; Rice, Carol; Lilis, Ruth; Selikoff, Irving J.

doi:10.1007/bf00377929

Cited by 77 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…We also determined serum concentrations of ''light'' PCBs, that is, those congeners eluting before DDE; ''heavy'' PCBs, that is, those congeners eluting after DDE; and ''occupational'' PCB congeners, as previously defined by Wolff et al (1982). Wolff M.S.…”

Section: Serum Pcb Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Areas surrounding the plant had an average air PCB concentration of 6.2 mg/m 3 (Taylor et al, 1991), whereas ambient air concentrations in urban areas distant from the plants averaged 0.1 mg/m 3 (Kutz and Yang, 1975). Fischbein et al (1979) analyzed sera from 310 workers in these facilities in 1976 and found that they were, on average, 10-to 20-fold higher than in the general population (Wolff et al, 1982;Lawton et al, 1985). A subgroup of our cohort also had sera archived from 1976, allowing us to compare PCB concentrations and estimate their half-lives over a 28-year period.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Estimating the half-lives of PCB congeners in former capacitor workers measured over a 28-year interval

Seegal

Fitzgerald

Hills

et al. 2010

J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol

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To date, most estimates of the half-life of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in humans have been based on relatively short follow-up periods. To address this issue, we determined the half-lives of PCB congeners of occupational origin in the serum of former capacitor workers as part of a study conducted in [2003][2004][2005][2006] F approximately 28 years after their last occupational exposure. A total of 241 persons from a source population of 6798 former capacitor workers were interviewed and asked to donate a blood sample for serum PCB congener analysis. A subgroup of 45 participants also had serum archived from 1976 and reanalyzed for the same 27 PCB congeners by the same laboratory. Our estimates of the half-lives of the congeners among these 45 persons were longer than those reported by Wolff et al. (1992), due primarily to the much longer interval between exposure and determination of serum PCB concentrations. Half-lives were significantly greater for the heavy versus light occupational congeners, for women versus men and for those with low versus high initial exposure. Current serum total PCB concentrations, expressed as the geometric mean of wet weight data, averaged 6.7 ng/g for the entire 241-person cohort, which represents a 10-fold decrease from values reported in the late 1970s, but is still nearly twice the average for persons of similar age residing in the same area, but without occupational exposure. In addition, current serum PCB concentrations remained significantly and positively associated with earlier occupational exposure, but were not associated with fresh water fish consumption. In general, the results support a consistent and long-duration trend of increased PCB body burden in this cohort of former capacitor workers compared with non-occupationally exposed individuals. The results may aid in further understanding the toxicological/epidemiological consequences of exposure to PCBs in humans.

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Section: Serum Pcb Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating the half-lives of PCB congeners in former capacitor workers measured over a 28-year interval

Seegal

Fitzgerald

Hills

et al. 2010

J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol

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“…The high performance liquid chromatography method to quantify blood harmane concentration was described previously (Louis et al, 2002;Zheng et al, 2000). Serum pesticide concentrations were determined by gas chromatography with electron capture detection following an organochlorine-specific cleanup of the lipid fraction of serum, as detailed elsewhere (Wolff et al 1991;Wolff et al 1982;Wolff et al 2005;Louis et al 2006).…”

Section: Additional Assessments Of Exposure To Neurotoxinsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kinetic tremor: Differences between smokers and non-smokers

Louis

2007

NeuroToxicology

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Tremor is among the acute effects of nicotine exposure. Published studies have focused on smokingrelated postural (static) hand tremor rather than kinetic tremor (tremor during hand use), and gender differences in smoking-related tremor have not been examined. In a group of adults who were sampled from a population (mean ± SD = 65.7 ± 11.5 years, range = 18 -92 years), the investigator assessed whether the severity of postural and kinetic tremors differed in smokers versus non-smokers, and whether this difference was influenced by gender. Twenty-seven (9.9%) of 273 subjects were current smokers. Greater tremor was observed in smokers than non-smokers during a variety of activities (drawing a spiral, using a spoon, finger-nose-finger maneuver, all p < 0.05) and smokers had a higher total tremor score than non-smokers (5.15 ± 3.06 vs. 3.41 ± 2.88, p < 0.01), even after adjusting for age, caffeine intake and other potential confounding factors. The difference between smokers and non-smokers in terms of hand tremor was more apparent in women than in men. In women, the number of cigarettes smoked on the day of testing was weakly correlated with the total tremor score (r = 0.17, p = 0.03). In summary, smokers had more kinetic hand tremor than nonsmokers. This difference between smokers and non-smokers was more apparent in women than in men. These results suggest that smoking habits should be considered carefully in order to avoid overor underestimating the effects of occupational and non-occupational exposures to other tremorproducing neurotoxins.

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“…Unfortunately, we know nothing about human excretion of the most persistent congeners in the PCB family, DDE, and the polybrominated biphenyl family. Profound difficulty in excretion of body burdens is suggested by many data sets in which mean levels increase with age or, more properly, duration of exposure (6,8,14,17,21). In this regard, the Michigan PBB cohort and Triana cohort offer unusual opportunities to study decrements in halogenated hydrocarbon concentrations over time.…”

Section: Research Directions For Population Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Studies on populations exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls.

Kreiss¹

1985

Environ Health Perspect

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Mean serum levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in U.S. population groups without occupational exposure to PCBs are usually between 4 and 8 ng/mL, with 95% of individuals having serum PCB measurements of less than 20. Subpopulations consuming fish taken from contaminated waters, such as Lake Michigan and near friana, AL, have mean serum PCB levels several times those found in other general population groups and ranges that extend into concentrations found in industrial populations involved in capacitor manufacture. Two studies of general populations and several studies of industrial workers have demonstrated associations of PCBs with various serum lipids and liver enzyme levels. Six groups of investigators have found associations between PCB or chlorinated pesticide levels and blood pressure. Research efforts are needed in clarifying determinants of serum-adipose partition ratios; the utility of urinary porphyrins as a measure of subclinical hepatic effects; human metabolites and excretion of chlorinated hydrocarbons; and the relation, if any, between blood pressure and organochlorine compounds when controlled for confounding variables. Established cohorts, such as those in Triana, Lake Michigan sportsfishers, the Michigan PBB cohort, residents of farms with PCB-lined silos, and occupational groups, could all be studied further with attention to these research questions.In 1966, Jenson (1) first described the contamination of wildlife by polychlorinated biphenyls. Since that time, many investigators of human populations have documented the presence of PCB residues in human populations which are not known to have occupational exposure to this family of compounds. The sources of general population exposure in the past were diverse. Inattention to adequate disposal or destruction of PCBcontaining materials led to ambient air, water, and soil pollution. In addition to ambient pollution by discarded transformers, capacitors, and industrial PCB wastes, such PCB-containing materials as carbonless duplicating paper contributed to population exposure by reuse in cardboard used in packaging food stuffs. PCB-containing coatings of silo interiors also led to food contamination when dairy and other cattle ingested PCBs that had leaked from silo walls into their silage feed. These two sources of human food contamination have been eliminated for the most part.At the present time, general population exposure to PCBs is limited primarily to the consumption of fish (2). Levels of PCBs in fish taken from contaminated waterways reflect the successive bioconcentration of these widespread contaminants in the food chain. Fish taken for personal consumption by sportsfishers on Lake Michigan invariably have PCB concentrations which exceed the 5 mg/kg tolerance set by the Food and Drug

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Body burden of polychlorinated biphenyls among persons employed in capacitor manufacturing

Cited by 77 publications

References 11 publications

Estimating the half-lives of PCB congeners in former capacitor workers measured over a 28-year interval

Estimating the half-lives of PCB congeners in former capacitor workers measured over a 28-year interval

Kinetic tremor: Differences between smokers and non-smokers

Studies on populations exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls.

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