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BACKGROUND: Animal data demonstrate associations of dioxin, furan, and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposures with altered male gonadal maturation. It is unclear whether these associations apply to human populations. OBJECTIVES: We [...]

BACKGROUND: Cooking with biomass fuels on open fires results in exposure to health-damaging pollutants such as carbon monoxide (CO), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and particulate matter. OBJECTIVE: We compared CO [...]

BACKGROUND: In recent decades, young men in some industrialized areas have reportedly experienced a decrease in semen quality. OBJECTIVE: We examined effects of perinatal dioxin exposure on sperm quality and [...]

BACKGROUND: High-molecular-weight phthalates, such as diisononyl phthalate (DINP) and diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP), are used primarily as polyvinyl chloride plasticizers. OBJECTIVES: We assessed exposure to DINP and DIDP in a representative [...]

BACKGROUND: Phthalates are metabolized and eliminated in urine within hours after exposure. Several reports suggest that concentrations of phthalate metabolites in a spot urine sample can provide a reliable estimation [...]

BACKGROUND: Low doses of some persistent organic pollutants (POPs) associate cross-sectionally with type 2 diabetes, whereas associations with high POP exposures are inconsistent. OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether several POPs prospectively [...]

BACKGROUND: Pyrethroid insecticides are the most commonly used residential insecticides in the United States. OBJECTIVES: Our objective was to assess human exposure via biomonitoring to pyrethroid insecticides in a representative [...]

BACKGROUND: Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are widely used flame retardant compounds that are persistent and bioaccumulative and therefore have become ubiquitous environment contaminants. Animal studies suggest that prenatal PBDE exposure [...]

BACKGROUND: Parabens are widely used as antimicrobial preservatives in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food and beverage processing. OBJECTIVES: We assessed exposure to methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl parabens in a representative [...]

BACKGROUND: Phthalates, ubiquitous environmental pollutants that may disturb the endocrine system, are used primarily as plasticizers of polyvinyl chloride and as additives in consumer and personal care products. OBJECTIVES: In [...]

BACKGROUND: Reported polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) concentrations in human samples in the United States have been higher than in Europe and Asia. Little is known about factors that contribute to [...]

BACKGROUND: Conventional wisdom regarding exposures to persistent organic chemicals via breastfeeding assumes that concentrations decline over the course of lactation and that the mother's body burden reflects her cumulative lifetime [...]

BACKGROUND: Although sources and routes of exposure to dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been studied, information regarding exposure among children is limited. Breastfeeding and diet are two important contributors [...]

BACKGROUND: Recent findings suggest that exposure to organochlorine (OC) compounds, chlordanes and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p')'-DDE) in particular, may increase the risk of developing testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs). OBJECTIVE: To further [...]

BACKGROUND: The routine use of biomonitoring (i.e., measurement of environmental chemicals, their metabolites, or specific reaction products in human biological specimens) to assess internal exposure (i.e., body burden) has gained [...]

OBJECTIVES: In this study we evaluated the concentrations of selected persistent organic pollutants in a sample of first-time pregnant females residing in the United States and assessed differences in these [...]

BACKGROUND: Developing infants may be especially sensitive to hormone disruption from chemicals including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). OBJECTIVE: We investigated relationships between cord serum levels of [...]

BACKGROUND: The capability of benzophenone-3 (BP-3) to absorb and dissipate ultraviolet radiation facilitates its use as a sunscreen agent. BP-3 has other uses in many consumer products (e.g., as fragrance [...]

BACKGROUND: Triclosan is a synthetic chemical with broad antimicrobial activity that has been used extensively in consumer products, including personal care products, textiles, and plastic kitchenware. OBJECTIVES: This study was [...]

BACKGROUND: Environmental toxicants are allegedly involved in decreasing semen quality in recent decades; however, definitive proof is not yet available. In 1976 an accident exposed residents in Seveso, Italy, to [...]

BACKGROUND: Bisphenol A (BPA) and 4-tertiary-octylphenol (tOP) are industrial chemicals used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins (BPA) and nonionic surfactants (tOP). These products are in widespread [...]

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have reported blood levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the U.S. population. Information about neonatal levels and about the relationship to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) exposures is limited. OBJECTIVES: The objective was to characterize levels and determinants of fetal exposure to PBDEs and PCBs among newborns from Baltimore, Maryland. METHODS: We analyzed umbilical cord blood for eight PBDEs and 35 PCBs from infants delivered at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Maternal and infant characteristics were abstracted from medical records. RESULTS: Ninety-four percent of cord serum samples had quantifiable levels of at least one PBDE congener, and > 99% had at least one detectable PCB congener. PBDE concentrations in cord blood were similar to those reported in other studies from North America. Strong correlations were observed within but not across PCB and PBDE classes. Multivariate models showed that many factors independently predicted exposure to BDE-47, BDE-100, and BDE-153 and CB-118, CB-138/158, CB-153, and CB-180. Generally, infants of Asian mothers had lower PBDE and PCB levels, and infants of smokers had higher levels. Increased maternal body mass index was associated with lower levels of PCBs but not PBDEs. Levels of PCBs but not PBDEs were lower in births from married and multiparous mothers. Increased maternal age was associated with higher PCB levels but lower PBDE levels. CONCLUSIONS: Although many of the factors we investigated were independent predictors of both PBDE and PCB levels, in some cases the direction of associations was different. More research is needed to better understand the sources and pathways of PBDE exposure. KEY WORDS: dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, environmental exposure, epidemiology, fetal exposure, polychlorinated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, prenatal, urban. Environ Health Perspect 115:1794-1800 (2007). doi:10.1289/ehp.10333 available via http://dx.doi.org/Online 27 September 2007], Use of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) as flame retardants (FRs) in plastics, including electronic enclosures and polyurethane used in upholstery cushioning and carpet pads, has increased steadily in the past [...]

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have reported developmental toxicity among rodents dosed with perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA). OBJECTIVES: We examined the relationship between concentrations of PFOS and PFOA in cord serum (surrogates for in utero exposures) and gestational age, birth weight, and birth size in humans. METHODS: We conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional epidemiologic study of singleton deliveries in Baltimore, Maryland. Cord serum samples (n = 293) were analyzed for PFOS and PFOA by online solid-phase extraction, coupled with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry. Maternal characteristics and anthropometric measures were obtained from medical charts. RESULTS: After adjusting for potential confounders, both PFOS and PFOA were negatively associated with birth weight [per ln-unit: [beta] = -69 g, 95% confidence interval (CI), -149 to 10 for PFOS; [beta] = -104 g, 95% CI, -213 to 5 for PFOA], ponderal index (per ln-unit: [beta] = -0.074 g/[cm.sup.3] X 100, 95% CI, -0.123 to -0.025 for PFOS; [beta] = -0.070 g/[cm.sup.3] X 100, 95% CI, -0.138 to -0.001 for PFOA), and head circumference (per ln-unit: [beta] = -0.32 cm, 95% CI, -0.56 to -0.07 for PFOS; [beta] = -0.41 cm, 95% CI, -0.76 to -0.07 for PFOA). No associations were observed between either PFOS or PFOA concentrations and newborn length or gestational age. All associations were independent of cord serum lipid concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: Despite relatively low cord serum concentrations, we observed small negative associations between both PFOS and PFOA concentrations and birth weight and size. Future studies should attempt to replicate these findings in other populations. KEY WORDS: Birth weight, cord blood, epidemiology, fetal exposure, fetal growth, gestational age, head circumference, human, length, perfluorooctane sulfonate, perfluorooctanoate, polyfluoroalkyl compounds, ponderal index. Environ Health Perspect 115:1670-1676 (2007). doi:10.1289/ehp.10334 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 31 July 2007], Polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) comprise a class of man-made, fluorinated organic compounds that have been used in a variety of consumer and industrial applications. Although these have been produced for many [...]

BACKGROUND: Polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs) have been used since the 1950s in numerous commercial applications. Exposure of the general U.S. population to PFCs is widespread. Since 2002, the manufacturing practices for PFCs in the United States have changed considerably. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and eight other PFCs in a representative 2003-2004 sample of the general U.S. population [greater than or equal to]12 years of age and to determine whether serum concentrations have changed since the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). METHODS: By using automated solid-phase extraction coupled to isotope dilution-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, we analyzed 2,094 serum samples collected from NHANES 2003-2004 participants. RESULTS: We detected PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, and PFNA in > 98% of the samples. Concentrations differed by race/ethnicity and sex. Geometric mean concentrations were significantly lower (approximately 32% for PFOS, 25% for PFOA, 10% for PFHxS) and higher (100%, PFNA) than the concentrations reported in NHANES 1999-2000 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In the general U.S. population in 2003-2004, PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, and PFNA serum concentrations were measurable in each demographic population group studied. Geometric mean concentrations of PFOS, PFOA, and PFHxS in 2003-2004 were lower than in 1999-2000. The apparent reductions in concentrations of PFOS, PFOA, and PFHxS most likely are related to discontinuation in 2002 of industrial production by electrochemical fluorination of PFOS and related perfluorooctanesulfonyl fluoride compounds. KEY WORDS: biomonitoring, C8, exposure, PFCs, PFOA, PFOS, prevalence, serum. Environ Health Perspect 115:1596-1602 (2007). doi:10.1289/ehp.10598 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 29 August 2007], Concern about exposure of the ecosystem, including humans, to halogenated persistent organic pollutants (POPs) has existed for several decades. Many of these chemicals are persistent and toxic, tend to bioaccumulate, [...]

BACKGROUND: Atrazine (ATZ) is the second most abundantly applied pesticide in the United States. When we assessed exposure to ATZ by measuring its urinary mercapturic acid metabolite, general population data indicated that < 5% of the population was exposed to ATZ-related chemicals (limit of detection < 0.8 ng/mL). OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was to determine if we were underestimating ATZ exposure by measuring its urinary mercapturic acid metabolite and if the urinary metabole profile changed with the exposure scenario. Methods: We conducted a small-scale study involving 24 persons classified as high-(n = 8), low-(n = 5), and environmental-(n = 11) exposed to ATZ. Using online solid phase extraction high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, we measured nine ATZ-related metabolites in urine that included dealkylated, hydroxylated, and mercapturic acid metabolites. RESULTS: We found that the urinary metabolite profiles varied greatly among exposure scenarios and among persons within each exposure scenario. Although diaminochlorotriazine (DACT) appeared to be the predominant urinary metabolite detected in each exposure category, the variation in proportion of total ATZ metabolites among persons was consistently large, suggesting that one metabolite alone could not be measured as a surrogate for ATZ exposure. CONCLUSIONS: We have likely been underestimating population-based exposures by measuring only one urinary ATZ metabolite. Multiple urinary metabolites must be measured to accurately classify exposure to ATZ and its environmental degradates. Regardless, DACT and desethylatrazine appear to be the most important metabolites to measure to evaluate exposures to ATZ-related chemicals. KEY WORDS: atrazine, chlorotriazines, environmental, exposure assessment. Environ Health Perspect 115:1474-1478 (2007). doi:10.1289/ehp.10141 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 18 July 2007], Atrazine (ATZ; 2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine) is a systemic triazine herbicide that blocks photosynthesis in broadleaf weeds and some grassy weeds (Laws and Hayes 1991). ATZ is currently one of the two most [...]

BACKGROUND: Parabens appear frequently as antimicrobial preservatives in cosmetic products, in pharmaceuticals, and in food and beverage processing. In vivo and in vitro studies have revealed weak estrogenic activity of [...]

OBJECTIVE: Pharmacokinetic and statistical analyses are reported to elucidate key variables affecting 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) elimination in children and adolescents. DESIGN: We used blood concentrations to calculate TCDD elimination half-life. Variables [...]

Diisononyl phthalate (DINP) is a complex mixture of predominantly nine-carbon branched-chain dialkyl phthalate isomers. Similar to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, a widely used phthalate, DINP causes antiandrogenic effects on developing rodent male [...]

We assessed concurrent exposure to a mixture of > 50 environmental chemicals by measuring the chemicals or their metabolites in the blond of 43 ethnically diverse children (3-6 years of [...]

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been widely used in the United States and worldwide as flame retardants. Recent PBDE production figures show that worldwide use has increased. To determine whether [...]

Examining the influence of environmental exposures on various health indices is a critical component of the planned National Children's Study (NCS). An ideal strategy for the exposure monitoring component of [...]

The apparent decline in the age at puberty in the United States raises a general level of concern because of the potential clinical and social consequences of such an event. [...]

The science of exposure assessment is relatively new and evolving rapidly with the advancement of sophisticated methods for specific measurements at the picogram per gram level or lower in a [...]

Biomonitoring of exposure is a useful tool for assessing environmental exposures. The matrices available for analyses include blood, urine, breast milk, adipose tissue, and saliva, among others. The sampling can [...]

For epidemiologic studies that evaluate the relation between potential exposures to environmental chemicals and adverse outcomes, accurate assessments of exposures and health outcomes are needed. Three prospective cohort studies recently [...]

Bisphenol A (BPA) is used to manufacture polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins, which are used in baby bottles, as protective coatings on food containers, and for composites and sealants in [...]

Blood concentrations of 11 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured up to four times over 2 years in a probability sample of more than 150 children from two poor, minority [...]

Six polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), one hexabromobiphenyl [polybrominated biphenyl (PBB)], and one hexachlorobiphenyl [polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)] were measured in 40 human serum pools collected in the southeastern United States during [...]

We measured the urinary monoester metabolites of seven commonly used phthalates in approximately 2,540 samples collected from participants of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 1999-2000, who were [...]

Exposure to di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is prevalent based on the measurement of its hydrolytic metabolite mono-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) in the urine of 78% of the general U.S. population studied in [...]

We report population-based concentrations, stratified by age, sex, and racial/ethnic groups, of dialkyl phosphate (DAP) metabolites of multiple organophosphorus pesticides. We measured dimethylphosphate (DMP), dimethylthiophosphate (DMTP), dimethyldithiophosphate (DMDTP), diethylphosphate (DEP), [...]

Phthalates are a group of industrial chemicals with many commercial uses, such as solvents, additives, and plasticizers. For example, di-(2-ethythexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is added in varying amounts to certain plastics, [...]

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin (TCDD), a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, is associated with increased fetal loss and reduced birth weight in animal studies. In 1976, an explosion at a trichlorophenol plant near Seveso, Italy, [...]

Increases in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) incidence and mortality rates during the past few decades remain largely unexplained. Studies suggest that organochlorine pesticides may contribute to an increased risk of NHL. [...]

Dioxin, a ubiquitous contaminant of industrial combustion processes including medical waste incineration, has been implicated in the etiology of endometriosis in animals. We sought to determine whether dioxin exposure is [...]

The presence of environmental chemicals in human breast milk is of general concern because of the potential health consequence of these chemicals to the breast-fed infant and the mother. In [...]

Population-based estimates of environmental exposures using biomarkers can be difficult to obtain for a variety of reasons, including problems with limits of detection, undersampling of key strata, time between exposure [...]

The author present research on the levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in the blood of people who ate home produced eggs and beef contaminated with PCDDs and PCDFs. Contamination levels were high enough that the authors recommend reducing exposure.

Under a mandate from the U.S. Congress, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services conducts animal bioassays for carcinogenicity of potentially toxic chemicals [...]

The Minnesota Children's Pesticide Exposure Study is a probability-based sample of 102 children 3-13 years old who were monitored for commonly used pesticides. During the summer of 1997, first-morning-void urine [...]