B P Slezak

Beck H

Jacobson JL

L S Birnbaum

Nagayama J

Rogan WJ

van Leeuwen FXR

English

PubMed

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Dietary exposure to PCBs and dioxins in children.

Birnbaum, Linda S.

Slezak, Brian P.

Carolina Digital Repository

'esearc HighlightsDietary Exposure to PCBs andDioxins in Children(See Patandin et al., p. 45)Dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs) are persistent environmental conta-minants that bioaccumulate up the foodchain (1-3). Human exposure is largely viamicrocontamination of animal products inthe diet (4-72. Lactational transfer is a majorroute of exposure to the nursing infant(8,9); approximately 10-12% of total life-time exposure can occur via nursing (10). Anursing infant may receive as much as 50times the daily exposure of an adult (7,11).However, several studies have demonstratedthat the benefits of nursing outweigh anypotential risk from contaminants transferredin the milk (11-13).This paper by Patandin et al. is part of alarge ongoing investigation looking at expo-sure and health effects in children whosemothers are from the general population inThe Netherlands. Approximately 400 moth-er-infant pairs were included in the cohort.Previous studies have measured the levels ofboth total and congener-specific PCBs, con-gener-specific polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans, and total dioxintoxic equivalency (TEQ) in maternal plasma,cord blood, and milk. Developmental effectson neurobehavioral, hormonal, and immuno-logical end points were examined at 2 weeks,3 months, and 18 months. A decrease inneuro-optimality and circulating thyroxinelevels were observed in the infants. Therewere also changes in lymphocyte subsets.These were relatively subtle changes, and theclinical importance is not clear.In this paper, which deals with the expo-sure issues, Patandin et al. examine not onlyexposure via lactation and its impact on theblood levels in the children at 3.5 years of agebut the relative contribution of different foodsthat the children eat during their preschoolyears. This dietary exposure, assessed via a foodquestionnaire, was compared to that estimatedfrom older children and young adults. Becauseof their dietary patterns, young children con-sume three times more TEQ on a daily basisthan do adults. As observed in other studies,nursing infants consume a daily TEQ intakethat is 50 times higher than adults. While meatand dairy products each contribute approxi-mately one-third of the daily TEQ in adults, inyoung children dairy products contributeapproximately half of the total daily TEQ.Meat products account for less than 20% andprocessed foods approximately 20% of thedailyTEQ in young children.This paper thus supports other studies(8,9) which have reported that lactationaltransfer represents a major source of PCBsand dioxins to the developing infant. Whilethe level of exposure decreases after weaning,the young child is still more highly exposedon a daily basis than the adult. The meandaily TEQ for infants was approximately110-120 pg TEQ/kg/day during the first 6months of life for a nursing infant. Exposuredropped to -6-7 pg TEQ/kg/day for ages1-5 years, and continued to drop until adult-hood. The current daily TEQ intake perkilogram body weight in The Netherlands isapproximately 2-3 pg TEQ/kg/day. This iswithin the range of the tolerable daily intake(TDI) recently set by the World HealthOrganization (WHO) in May of 1998 (1-4pg/kg body weight) (14).Further studies on this cohort by theseinvestigators are anticipated. It is importantto determine whether the relatively subtleneurological, hormonal, and immunologicaleffects noted in infants persist in the chil-dren as they grow up. While exposure dur-ing lactation is quantitatively highly signifi-cant, it is important to note that the effectsobserved in the children correlated withtheir prenatal, rather than their lactational,exposure. These children and their mothersall come from among the general popula-tion, with no known "excess" exposure toPCBs and dioxins. Yet, children whosemothers are at the "high end" of the back-ground population, in terms of TEQ andtotal PCBs, appear to function less well thanchildren whose mothers are at the "low end"of the population. These results, which arein general agreement with those involvingother populations in the United States andJapan (15-20) support the recent WHOrecommendation to continue to reduceexposure to these ubiquitous pollutants.Linda S. BirnbaumNational Health and EnvironmentalEffects Research LaboratoryU.S. Environmental Protection AgencyResearch Triangle Park, North CarolinaBrian P. SlezakUniversity of North CarolinaCurriculum in ToxicologyChapel Hill, North Carolinaand Experimental Toxicology DivisionNational Health and EnvironmentalEffects Research LaboratoryU.S. Environmental Protection AgencyResearch Triangle Park, North CarolinaREFERENCES AND NOTES1. Cook P, Kuehl D, Walker M, Peterson R. Bioaccu-mulation and toxicity of TCDD and related compoundsin aquatic ecosystems. In: Biological Basis for RiskAssessment of Dioxins and Related Compounds (GalloMA, Scheuplein RJ, van der Heijden KA, eds).Banbury Report 35. Cold Spring Harbor, NY:ColdSpring Harbor Laboratory Press, 1991;143-165.2. Webster T, Commoner B. Overview: The dioxin debate.In: Dioxins and Health (Schecter A, ed). New York:Plenum Press, 1994;1-50.3. Gayer HJ, Schenunert I, Filser JG, Korte F. Bioconcen-tration potential (BCP) of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) in terrestrial organisms includinghumans. Chemosphere 15:1495-1502 (1986).4. Beck H, Ekhart K, Mathar W, Wittkowski R. PCDD andPCDF body burden from food intake in the FederalRepublic of Germany. Chemosphere 18:417-424 (1989).5. Theelen RMC. Modeling of human exposure to TCDD andl-TEQ in the Netherlands: background and occupational.In: Biological Basis for Risk Assessment of Dioxins andRelated Compounds (Gallo MA, Scheuplein RJ, van derHeijden KA, eds). Banbury Report 35. Cold Spring Harbor,NY:Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 1991;277-290.6. Rappe C. Sources of PCDDs and PCDFs. Introduction,reactions, levels, patterns, profiles, and trends.Chemosphere 25(1-2):41-44 (1992).7. Huisman M, Erenstein SEJ, Koopman-Esseboom C,Brouwer M, Fidler V, Muskiet FAJ, Sauer PJJ,Boersma ER. Perinatal exposure to polychlorinatedbiphenyls and dioxins through dietary intake.Chemosphere 31:4273-4287 (1995).8. Yakushiji T. Contamination, clearance and transfer ofPCB from human milk. Rev Environ Contam Toxicol101:139-164 (1988).9. Li X, Weber LW, Rozman KK. Toxicokinetics of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in female Sprague-Dawley rats including placental and lactational trans-fer to fetuses and neonates. Fundam AppI Toxicol2701):70-76 (1995).10. Schecter A, Papke 0, Lis A, Ball M, Ryan JJ, Olson JR,Li L, Kessler H. Decrease in milk and blood dioxin lev-els over two years in a mother nursing twins: esti-mates of decreased maternal and increased infantdioxin body burden from nursing. Chemosphere32(3):543-549 (1996).11. PohI HR, Hibbs BF. Breast-feeding exposure of infantsto environmental contaminants-a public health riskassessment viewpoint: chlorinated dibenzodioxins andchlorinated dibenzofurans. Toxicol Ind Health12(5):593-611 (1996).12. Lawrence RA. Breast feeding: A Guide for the MedicalProfession. New York:Mosby Yearbook, Inc., 1994.13. Jelliffee DB, Jelliffee PE, eds. Programs to PromoteBreast Feeding. New York:Oxford University Press, 1988.14. van Leeuwen FXR, Younes M. WHO revises the tolera-ble daily intake (TDI) for dioxins. OrganohalogenCompounds 38:295-298 (1998).15. Gladen BC, Rogan WJ. Effects of perinatal polychlori-nated biphenyls and dichlorodiphenyl dichloroetheneon later development. J Pediatr 119:58-63 (1991).16. Rogan WJ, Gladen BC. PCBs, DDE, and child develop-ment at 18 and 24 months. Ann Epidemiol 1(5):407-413(1991).17. Darvill T, Lonky E, Reihman J, Daly H. Critical issuesfor research on the neurobehavioral effects of PCBs inhumans. Neurotoxicol Teratol 18(3):265-270 (1996).18. Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW. Evidence for PCBs asneurodevelopmental toxicants in humans. Neurotoxicol18(2):415-424 (1997).19. Nagayama J, lida T, Hirakawa H, Matsueda T, Tsuji H,Hasegawa M, Sato K, Ma H-Y, Yanagawa T, Igarashi H,et al. Effects of lactational exposure to chlorinated diox-ins and related chemicals on lymphocyte subpopula-tions in Japanese babies. Organohalogen Compounds33:440-445 (1997).20. Nagayama J, lida T, Hirakawa H, Matsueda T, OkamuraK, Hasegawa M, Sato K, Ma H-Y, Yanagawa T, IgarashiH, et al. Effects of lactational exposure to chlorinateddioxins and related chemicals on thyroid function inJapanese babies. Organohalogen Compounds 33:446-450(1997).The views in this article have been reviewed by theNational Health and Environmental Effects ResearchLaboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, andapproved for publication. Approval does not signify thatthe contents necessarily reflect the views and policies ofthe agency. B.P.S. is funded by the EPA/UNCToxicology Research Program, training agreement CT902908.Environmental Health Perspectives * Volume 107, Number 1, January 1999 1

Dietary Exposure to PCBs and Dioxins in Children

and child development at 18 and 24 months.

Bioaccumulation and toxicity of TCDD and related compounds in aquatic ecosystems. In: Biological Basis for Risk Assessment of

Bioconcentration potential (BCP) of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-pdioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) in terrestrial organisms including humans.

Breast feeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession. NewYork:Mosby Yearbook,

Breast-feeding exposure of infants to environmental contaminants-a public health risk assessmentviewpoint: chlorinated dibenzodioxins and chlorinated dibenzofurans. Toxicol Ind Health

Contamination, clearance and transfer of PCB from human milk. Rev Environ Contam Toxicol

Critical issues for research on the neurobehavioral effects of PCBs in humans.

Decrease in milk and blood dioxin levels over two years in a mother nursing twins: estimates of decreased maternal and increased infant dioxin body burden from nursing.

Effects of lactational exposure to chlorinated dioxins and related chemicals on lymphocyte subpopulations in Japanese babies.

Effects of lactational exposure to chlorinated dioxins and related chemicals on thyroid function in Japanese babies.

Effects of perinatal polychlorinated biphenyls and dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene on later development.

Environmental Health Perspectives *

Evidence for PCBs as neurodevelopmental toxicants in humans.

Modeling of human exposure to TCDD and l-TEQ in the Netherlands: background and occupational. In: Biological Basis for Risk Assessment of Dioxins and

Overview: The dioxin debate. In:

PCDD and PCDF body burden from food intake in the Federal Republic of Germany. Chemosphere

Perinatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and dioxins through dietary intake.

Sources of PCDDs and PCDFs. Introduction, reactions, levels, patterns, profiles, and trends.

Toxicokinetics of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in female SpragueDawley rats including placental and lactational transfer to fetuses and neonates. Fundam AppI Toxicol

WHO revises the tolerable daily intake (TDI) for dioxins.

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Dietary exposure to PCBs and dioxins in children.

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