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We examined serum levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) among geographical regions of the United States as defined by the US Census Bureau. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data for adults aged 20 years and older are presented for selected survey periods between 1999 and 2010. From NHANES 1999 through 2004, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) concentration levels were consistently higher among people living in the West than in the Midwest, Northeast, or South. In 2003–2010, perfluorinated compound concentrations tended to be highest in the South. The sum of 35 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) congeners was significantly higher in the Northeast [GM: 189; 95% CI: 173–204 ng/g lipid] than the remaining regions. The regional differences in higher body burdens of exposure to particular POPs could be attributed to a variety of activities, including region-specific patterns of land use and industrial and agricultural chemical applications, as well as different levels of regulatory activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We measured levels of PCDDs, PCDFs, non-ortho, and mono-ortho substituted PCBs in 106 US Air Force Vietnam veterans, participants of the Air Force Health Study (AFHS) who attended the final medical examination in 2002. Twelve veterans were Ranch Hands involved in aerial spraying of herbicides in Vietnam (1962–1971), and 94 were Comparisons who flew transport missions in Southeast Asia (SEA) during the same time period. These veterans had no previous 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) measurement because they had not attended any of the previous AFHS examinations, or their previous measurements were missing or not valid. The mean TCDD levels in 2002 were 1. 7pg/g lipid in Comparisons and 5. 5pg/g lipid in Ranch Hands. The mean PCDD toxic equivalent – TEQ (1997) in Comparisons was 12. 6pg/g lipid, 5. 4pg/g lipid for PCDFs, 5. 2pg/g lipid for non-ortho PCBs, and 9. 4pg/g lipid for mono-ortho PCBs, with a total mean TEQ (1997) of 32. 6pg/g lipid. Corresponding mean TEQs in Ranch Hands were 15. 5pg/g lipid for PCDDs, 4. 6pg/g lipid for PCDFs, 2. 2pg/g lipid for non-ortho PCBs, and 9. 3pg/g lipid for mono-ortho PCBs, yielding the total mean TEQ (1997) of 31. 6pg/g lipid. Using the re-evaluated 2005 WHO TEFs, the total mean TEQs (2005) decreased by about 28% in both Comparisons and Ranch Hands, to 23. 6pg/g lipid and 22. 8pg/g lipid, respectively. This was mainly due to changes of TEFs for the group of mono-ortho PCBs, which decreased the mono-ortho PCBs TEQs by almost 90% in both Ranch Hands and Comparisons. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Investigates the concentration and distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners in milk from mothers in Austin, Texas. Utilization of PBDE as flame retardants; Increase PBDE concentration in the U.S. compared to Europe; Potential toxicity to nursing infants; Role of PBDE in causing neurodevelopmental toxicities; Need to determine if animal fat in food is the major route of exposure.

This is the first known study of dioxins, dibenzofurans, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in commercial American bottled baby foods purchased in the United States. Dioxins, persistent chlorinated organics, are inadvertent by-products of chemical synthesis or combustion and are toxic to humans and other animals. Almost all dioxins enter the body through food consumption, specifically from food products containing animal fat. Major-brand bottled baby food containing meat was purchased at U.S. supermarkets and 12 pooled samples were analyzed for dioxins using high-resolution gas chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry. Low levels of dioxins were found in these products. The range was from 28 to 226 parts per quadrillion (ppq) dioxin toxic equivalents (TEQ). This is reported on a whole or wet weight (as eaten) basis. As a comparison, findings of dioxins in U.S. supermarket meat ranged from 28 to 540 ppq. Although dioxin levels are generally lower in these baby foods than in meat or poultry, the presence of dioxins in commercial baby food containing meat is cause for concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on the health effects of drinking water exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Topics include the Multi-Site Study (MSS) of the Health Implications of Exposure to PFAS-Contaminated Drinking Water, the establishment of pharmacokinetic modeling and historical reconstruction work groups, and the community engagement efforts to provide answers regarding the potential effects of elevated PFAS level on public health.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous throughout the United States. Previous studies have shown PFAS exposure to be associated with a reduced immune response. However, the relationship between serum PFAS and antibody levels following SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 vaccination has not been examined. We examined differences in peak immune response and the longitudinal decline of antibodies following SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination by serum PFAS levels in a cohort of essential workers in the United States. We measured serum antibodies using an in-house semi-quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Two cohorts contributed blood samples following SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 vaccination. We used linear mixed regression models, adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, gender, presence of chronic conditions, location, and occupation, to estimate differences in immune response with respect to serum PFAS levels. Our study populations included 153 unvaccinated participants that contributed 316 blood draws over a 14-month period following infection, and 860 participants and 2451 blood draws over a 12-month period following vaccination. Higher perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) concentrations were associated with a lower peak antibody response after infection (p = 0.009, 0.031, 0.015). Higher PFOS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), PFHxS, and PFNA concentrations were associated with slower declines in antibodies over time after infection (p = 0.003, 0.014, 0.026, 0.025). PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, and PFNA serum concentrations prior to vaccination were not associated with differences in peak antibody response after vaccination or with differences in decline of antibodies over time after vaccination. These results suggest that elevated PFAS may impede potential immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection by blunting peak antibody levels following infection; the same finding was not observed for immune response to vaccination., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Allison L Naleway reports a relationship with Pfizer Inc that includes: funding grants. Allison L Naleway reports a relationship with Vir Biotechnology Inc that includes: funding grants. Kurt Hegmann reports a relationship with American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine that includes: consulting or advisory. Kurt Hegmann reports a relationship with National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health that includes: funding grants. Manjusha Gaglani reports a relationship with Westat Inc that includes: funding grants. Manjusha Gaglani reports a relationship with Vanderbilt University Medical Center that includes: funding grants. Manjusha Gaglani reports a relationship with Abt Associates Inc that includes: funding grants. Manjusha Gaglani reports a relationship with Infectious Diseases and Immunization Committee, Texas Pediatric Society, Texas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics that includes: board membership. Ryan Sprissler reports a relationship with American Council of Life Insurers that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Ryan Sprissler reports a relationship with California legal case Ebers v. Castle Park that includes: consulting or advisory. Ryan Sprissler reports a relationship with Geneticure, Inc. that includes: equity or stocks. Ryan Sprissler reports a relationship with Beckman Coulter that includes: speaking and lecture fees. Ryan Sprissler reports a relationship with Shay Emma Hammer Research Foundation that includes: board membership. Ryan Sprissler has patent issued to Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of the University of Arizona., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The 2014 follow-up of the Anniston Community Health Survey (ACHS II) consisted of 338 surviving participants from the 2005-2007 baseline study (ACHS) who had previous polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) measurements, were not pregnant, and were not institutionalized. Questionnaires and blood samples provided the demographic, personal history, and chemical concentration data of the Anniston residents. Approximately 51% of participants were African American, 72% were female, and the mean age was 63 years old. The objectives of this study were to provide an exposure assessment of dioxin-like chemicals in the ACHS II participants and compare the measurements with the general United States (U.S.) population via the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Stratified analyses revealed significantly higher average total dioxin toxic equivalencies (TEQs) among African Americans compared to Whites (33.1 vs. 19.2 pg/g lipid), and in females compared to males (29.8 vs. 17.0 pg/g lipid). When adjusting for age, sex, and race in linear regression, we found ACHS II participants to have significantly higher total dioxin TEQ than the general 2014 U.S. population that we estimated for using half-life and NHANES 2003/04 data (most recent NHANES individual samples data), by 16.7 pg/g lipid. Principal component analyses showed that non-ortho and mono-ortho PCBs were separated from the other dioxin-like chemicals among the Anniston residents, whereas the chemicals were all clustered together for estimated NHANES 2014. The concentrations of dioxin-like chemicals, especially non-ortho and mono-ortho PCBs, in Anniston residents who resided near the former PCB production plant were higher than those in the general U.S., Population: Although data strongly supported this difference, these inferences are limited because NHANES 2013/14 data were unavailable and we used estimated NHANES 2014 levels that we imputed from NHANES 2003/04 data in conjunction with half-life values estimated from Milbrath et al., 2009., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The Air Force Health Study was launched in 1980 as part of a Federal effort to resolve the Agent Orange issue., Objectives: To study diabetes and cancer with additional adjustment for days of spraying, calendar period of service, and time spent in Southeast Asia (SEA)., Methods: This was a longitudinal study of veterans of Operation Ranch Hand, the unit responsible for spraying Agent Orange and other 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-contaminated herbicides in Vietnam from 1962 to 1971., Results: Associations between TCDD and diabetes and between TCDD and cancer in Ranch Hand veterans are strengthened after adjustment for calendar period of service, days of spraying, and, for cancer, time spent in SEA., Conclusions: Calendar period of service, days of spraying, and time spent in SEA are important confounders in the Air Force Health Study.

Objectives: The relationship between anthropometric and metabolic factors and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is poorly understood. We investigated the associations of BPH with anthropometric and metabolic parameters in this prospective study of Vietnam War veterans., Methods: A total of 1206 participants in the comparison arm of the Air Force Health Study with a median follow-up of 15.6 years were included in this study. The "Ranch Hand" group, occupationally exposed to herbicides, was excluded to eliminate any confounding from exposure to herbicides. BPH was determined by medical record review using the International Classification of Diseases and Related Problems, Ninth Revision. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models for the statistical analysis., Results: The median age for BPH diagnosis was 58.6 years. On multivariate analyses, increasing age (relative risk [RR] 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12 to 1.17), height (RR 1.02, 95% CI 1.004 to 1.03), and fasting blood glucose (RR 1.004, 95% CI 1.001 to 1.007) were associated with increased risk. The effect of age varied with the duration of follow-up. A greater systolic blood pressure (RR 0.992, 95% CI 0.986 to 0.997) was associated with decreased risk of BPH. A dose-response effect was seen for age, height, and systolic blood pressure. No effect was seen for weight, body mass index, change in weight or body mass index, lipids, thyroid hormone status, or the metabolic syndrome., Conclusions: The risk of BPH increased with increasing age, height, and fasting blood glucose levels. The risk was decreased with a greater systolic blood pressure. No relationship was seen between BPH and metabolic syndrome, weight, body mass index, lipid level, or thyroid hormone status.