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NeuroToxicology, 2013
Pre-and postnatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can impair behavioural function in animal models at doses within the range at which humans are commonly exposed. Yet, epidemiologic studies conducted in the US and Europe are inconsistent with regard to the developmental effects of lactational exposure to these chemicals. This inconsistency may be due to limitations in the current methodological approaches for assessing postnatal exposure to PCBs. Our study used a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model to simulate blood PCB levels during specific pre-and postnatal periods and to evaluate the relation of those levels to infant behaviour. A previously validated PBPK model was used to simulate infant blood PCB-153 levels at delivery and on a month-by-month basis during the first year of life for Inuit infants enrolled in a longitudinal birth cohort. Infant behaviour was assessed using the Behaviour Rating Scales (BRS) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-II) at 11 months of age and video coding of inattention and activity measured during the administration of the mental development subscale of the BSID-II. The estimated pre-and postnatal PCB exposure measures predicted significant increases in inattention and activity at 11 months. Whereas inattention was related to prenatal exposure, activity level, measured by non-elicited activity, was best predicted by postnatal exposure, with the strongest association obtained for simulated PCB levels during the 4th month of life. These findings are consistent with previous reports indicating PCB-induced behavioural alteration in attention and activity level. Simulated infant toxicokinetic profiles for the first year of life revealed windows of susceptibility during which PCBs may impair infant attention and activity. ß
Environmental health perspectives, 2015
Epidemiologic studies of postnatal PCB exposure and behavior have not reported consistent evidence of adverse associations, possibly because of challenges in exposure estimation. We previously developed a pharmacokinetic model to improve estimation of children's PCB exposure. To assess whether estimated serum PCB levels in infancy are associated with ADHD-related behaviors at age 8 among children whose cord serum PCB levels were previously shown to be associated with ADHD-related behaviors. We used a pharmacokinetic model to estimate monthly serum PCB-153 levels in 441 infants (ages 1-12 months) based on parameters like breastfeeding and cord serum PCB-153 levels. Behavior was evaluated at age 8 using the Conners' Rating Scale for Teachers (CRS-T). Associations between PCB-153 levels and ADHD-related CRS-T indices were assessed using multivariable quantile regression at the 50th and 75th percentiles of CRS-T scores, where higher percentiles reflect more adverse behaviors. Co...
Fish oil supplements have become a popular means of increasing one's dietary intake of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids. However, there is growing concern that the levels and potential health effects of lipophilic organic contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) may diminish some of the health benefits associated with the daily consumption of fish oil supplements. In this study, ten over-the-counter fish oil supplements available in the United States were analysed for PCBs and PBDEs and daily exposures calculated. Based on manufacturers' recommended dosages, daily intakes of PCBs and PBDEs ranged from 5 to 686 ng day À1 and from 1 to 13 ng day À1 , respectively. Daily consumption of fish oil supplements expose consumers to PCBs and PBDEs. However, in comparison with fish ingestion, fish supplements may decrease daily PCB exposure and provide a safer pathway for individuals seeking to maintain daily recommended levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Environment International, 2019
Background: Bio-accumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the environment and in the food chain can lead to high pollutant concentrations in human fat-containing tissues and breast milk. Objectives: We aimed to identify the maternal characteristics that determined POP concentrations in breast milk of primiparous mothers in Belgium. Methods: Breast milk samples were obtained from a cross-sectional sample of 206 primiparous mothers in 2014. POP concentrations in breast milk samples were determined by GC-ECNI-MS and GC-EI-MS/MS depending on the analytes' sensitivity. Associations between POP concentrations in breast milk and potential determinants were investigated using two-way contingency tables and multivariable generalized linear models. Results: Fifteen of the 23 screened POPs were detected in the breast milk samples. Four organochlorine compounds (p,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDE, HCB and β-HCH) and two brominated flame retardant congeners (BDE-47, BDE-153) were detected at concentrations above the limit of quantification in > 50% of the breast milk samples. Maternal age and BMI were usually associated with higher POP concentrations. Rural residency and consumption of home-produced eggs, fatty fish and fish oil supplements were associated with higher concentrations of DDT and DDE. Consumption of fatty fish and being breastfed during childhood were associated with higher concentrations of HCB and β-HCH. Fish oil supplements and home-produced eggs were associated with higher concentrations of BDEs, but for BDE congeners exposure routes other than diet require further investigation. Conclusions: Dietary and non-dietary determinants predict individual POP concentrations in breast milk.
The Association between ADHD and Environmental Chemicals—A Scoping Review
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022
The role of environmental chemicals in the etiology of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been of interest in recent research. This scoping review aims to summarize known or possible associations between ADHD and environmental exposures to substances selected as priority chemicals of the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU). Literature searches were performed in PubMed to identify relevant publications. Only meta-analyses and review articles were included, as they provide more extensive evidence compared to individual studies. The collected evidence indicated that lead (Pb), phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA) are moderately to highly associated with ADHD. Limited evidence exists for an association between ADHD and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), flame retardants, mercury (Hg), and pesticides. The evidence of association between ADHD and cadmium (Cd) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) based on the identified reviews was low but justifi...
Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 2008
Food intake is one of the principal exposure routes of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in humans. This study focuses on fish consumption as a PBDE exposure route. A probabilistic intake assessment of PBDEs and healthy long chain omega-3 PUFAs (LC n-3 PUFAs) was conducted for Belgian fish consumers in order to study the balance of the intake of LC n-3 PUFAs and PBDEs. Based on the observed fish consumption level in the sample, the mean intake of brominated diphenyl ether (BDE)-28, 47, 99, 100, 153, and 154 via fish was 0.85 ng/kg body weight (bw)/day and the intake of LC n-3 PUFAs was 3.45 mg/kg bw/day, being low compared to the recommendations. Scenario analyses showed that consuming 150 g salmon twice a week is advisable to achieve the recommended LC n-3 PUFA intake with a rather low PBDE intake. When replacing 150 g salmon by herring, the PBDE intake is higher without an increase in LC n-3 PUFAs. In contrast, the combination of cod and salmon leads to a similar PBDE intake compared to twice a week salmon, but to a lower LC n-3 PUFA intake. In conclusion, the methodology presented in the paper allows balancing benefits and risks related to fish consumption.
Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 2006
Fish in the diet is the major source of methylmercury (MeHg) exposure, but eating fish also provides important nutrients. Many fish species contain essential long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 (or n-3) fatty acid, that is important for neural development and function. To examine interactions between MeHg and n-3 fatty acids, female Long-Evans rats were exposed, in utero, to 0, 0.5, or 5 ppm MeHg via drinking water, approximating exposures of 0, 40, and 400 Ag/kg/day. They also received pre-and postnatal exposure to a diet containing either fish oil or coconut oil, creating a 2 (Diet) Â 3 (MeHg) full factorial design, with 6-8 rats per cell. The diets were high or marginal, respectively, in n-3 fatty acids but approximately equal in n-6 fatty acids. No exposure-related effects on developmental milestones or growth were noted. Behavior was evaluated using a series of rapidly increasing fixed ratio (FR) schedules of sucrose reinforcement; 1, 5, 25 and 75 lever presses were required for sucrose delivery, with three sessions provided at each requirement. This phase was followed by four sessions of a differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate-behavior (DRL) schedule, in which presses preceded by 10 s (or more) without a press were reinforced. Subsequently, several progressive ratio (PR) schedules that increased response requirements throughout a single session by a rate of 5%, 10%, or 20% were imposed. Rats exposed during gestation to MeHg had significantly higher response rates than controls under the large FR schedules, during the first session of DRL, and the PR 5% schedule, but neither fish oil nor coconut oil modified MeHg's effects. This finding is consistent with hypotheses that developmental MeHg exposure produced perseverative responding or altered the sensitivity of behavior to its reinforcing consequences and that certain reinforcement contingencies can unmask MeHg's effects.
Estimated intake levels for Finnish children of methylmercury from fish
Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2013
Fish contains both beneficial substances e.g. docosahexaenoic acids but also harmful compounds e.g. methylmercury. Importantly, the health effects caused by these two substances can be evaluated in one common end point, intelligence quotient (IQ), providing a more transparent analysis. We estimated health effects of maternal fish consumption on child's central nervous system by creating a model with three alternative maternal fish consumption scenarios (lean fish, fatty fish, and current fish consumption). Additionally, we analyzed impacts of both regular fish consumption and extreme fish consumption habits. At the individual level, the simulated net effects were small, encompassing a range of one IQ point in all scenarios. Fatty fish consumption, however, clearly generated a beneficial net IQ effect, and lean fish consumption evoked an adverse net IQ effect. In view of the current fish consumption pattern of Finnish mothers the benefits and risks seem to more or less compensate each other. This study clearly shows the significance of which fish species are consumed during pregnancy and lactation, and the results can be generalized to apply to typical western population fish consumption habits.