Elevated Serum Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and Alteration of Thyroid Hormones in Children from Guiyu, China

Abstract

Informal electronic waste (e-waste) recycling results in serious environmental pollution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and heavy metals. This study explored whether there is an association between PBDEs, heavy metal and key growth- and development-related hormones in children from Guiyu, an e-waste area in southern China. We quantified eight PBDE congeners using gas chromatographic mass spectrometry, lead and cadmium utilizing graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry, three thyroids with radioimmunoassay and two types of growth hormones by an enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay (ELISA) in 162 children, 4 to 6 years old, from Guiyu. In blood, median total PBDE was 189.99 ng/g lipid. Lead and cadmium concentrations in blood averaged 14.53±4.85 µg dL−1 and 0.77±0.35 µg L−1, respectively. Spearman partial correlation analysis illustrated that lead was positively correlated with BDE153 and BDE183. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) was positively correlated with almost all PBDE congeners and negatively correlated with insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), whereas free triiodothyronine (FT3) and free thyroxine (FT4) were negatively correlated with BDE154. However, no correlation between the hormones and blood lead or cadmium levels was found in this study. Adjusted multiple linear regression analysis showed that total PBDEs was negatively associated with FT3 and positively associated with TSH. Notably, FT4 was positively correlated with FT3, house functions as a workshop, and father's work involved in e-waste recycling and negatively correlated with vitamin consumptions. TSH was negatively related with FT4, paternal residence time in Guiyu, working hours of mother, and child bean products intake. IGFBP-3 was positively correlated with IGF-1 and house close to an e-waste dump. These results suggest that elevated PBDEs and heavy metals related to e-waste in Guiyu may be important risk factors for hormone alterations in children.

Association between serum polybrominated diphenyl ethers, new flame retardants and thyroid hormone levels for school students near a petrochemical complex, South China

“…The concentration of ΣPBDE (median: 140 ng g -1 lipid) in the present study was greater than levels of the general population in Asia, Europe and North America identified elsewhere (Table S5), e.g., adults in Shantou, China (5.2 and 10 ng g -1 lipid in two studies, respectively) (Qu et al, 2007;Wu et al, 2010), pregnant women in Denmark (7.7 ng g -1 lipid) (Vorkamp et al, 2014), and children, adults and older people in California (112, 39 and 46 ng g -1 lipid, respectively) (Wu et al, 2015). In contrast, the level of ΣPBDE in the present study was lower than levels measured in adults in an e-waste dismantling region in Shantou, China (190 ng g -1 lipid) (Xu et al, 2014) and a flame retardant manufacturing region in Laizhou Bay, China (240 ng g -1 lipid) (Wang et al, 2014). Thus, with the exception of occupationally exposed populations, the concentration of ΣPBDE in this study was greater than reports from most previous studies (Table S5).…”

“…PBDEs (Stapleton et al, 2011;Kim et al, 2013;Vuong et al, 2015); positively or negatively association between FT 3 , TSH and PBDEs (Chevrier et al, 2010;Zota et al, 2011;Kiciński et al, 2012;Kim et al, 2013;Xu et al, 2014;Vuong et al, 2015;Jacobson et al, 2016); and no significant associations occurred (Kim et al, 2011;Xu et al, 2015).…”

Serum polybrominated diphenyl ether concentrations and thyroid function in young children

“…Despite the high exposure burden among this age group, few studies assessing impacts on thyroid function have been conducted among children and adolescents (Gascon et al, 2011; Han et al, 2011; Kicinski et al, 2012; Leijs et al, 2012; Xu et al, 2014), and to our knowledge, this is the first conducted in the United States. However, despite the small number of published studies among this age group, there is some consistency with four of the five studies indicating a positive association between PBDEs and TSH.…”

Acoustic alterations of ultrasonic vocalization in rat pups induced by perinatal hypothyroidism

“…Thyroid hormone systems are essential for the development of brain functions but vulnerable to the effects of environmental chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins (Porterfield, 1994(Porterfield, , 2000. Flame retardants such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) also interfere with thyroid hormone systems (Bansal et al, 2014;Hu et al, 2014;Xu et al, 2014;Yu et al, 2015;Zhao et al, 2015). This study suggests that hypothyroidism induced by environmental chemicals may cause alterations of USV.…”