- Full (HTML) - Full (PDF) - Related EHP Articles - PubMed:Related Articles - PubMed:Citation - Cited in PMC - Purchase This Issue

Lawrence M. Schell,^1,2 Mia V. Gallo,¹ Melinda Denham,¹ Julia Ravenscroft,¹ Anthony P. DeCaprio,³ and David O. Carpenter⁴

¹Department of Anthropology, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York, USA; ²Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, New York, USA; ³School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA; ⁴Institute for Health and the Environment, University at Albany, State University of New York, Rensselaer, New York, USA

Abstract
Background: It is well documented that acute exposure to high levels of persistent organic pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) , p,p´-dichlorophenyldichloroethylene (p,p´-DDE) , and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) , can affect human health including thyroid function. Chronic exposure to multiple toxicants is common but difficult to analyze, and most prior studies have focused on adults or newborns, creating a gap in our understanding of multitoxicant effects among adolescents.

Objective: We investigated whether levels of PCBs, p,p´-DDE, HCB, mirex, lead, and mercury reflecting past chronic exposure are associated with alterations in levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) , triiodothyronine (T₃) , total thyroxine (TT₄) , and free thyroxine (FT₄) among older children and adolescents.

Methods: The sample consists of youth from the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation (n = 232) who reside in proximity to several industries that have contaminated the local environment. We used multiple regression analysis to examine the effect of PCB groupings, p,p´-DDE, HCB, lead, and mercury on thyroid hormones after adjusting for sociodemographic covariates and controlling for all other toxicants.

Results: Exposure to PCBs affects the thyroid hormone profile in adolescents. The group of persistent PCBs was positively associated with TSH but inversely related to FT₄. Nonpersistent PCBs were significantly and negatively related to FT₄ only. HCB was negatively associated with T₄, and lead was positively associated with T₃. Breast-fed adolescents had higher levels of persistent PCBs and p,p´-DDE but not of nonpersistent PCBs or any other toxicant when compared with non-breast-fed adolescents. Though having lower levels of persistent PCBs and p,p´-DDE, non-breast-fed adolescents exhibited significant relationships between persistent PCBs and TSH and FT₄, but breast-fed adolescents did not. It appears that PCBs from breast milk obscure the relationship between prenatal PCB exposure and thyroid function by adding random variation in PCB levels.

Conclusion: Our results demonstrate a reduction in thyroid function in adolescents in relation to their current serum levels of PCBs. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to PCBs alters thyroid function in a long-lasting manner but does not exclude the possibility that postnatal exposure is influential also.

Key words: adolescents, hexachlorobenzene, mercury, mirex, Mohawk, Native American, PCBs, POPs, p, p´-dichlorophenyldichloroethylene, thyroid, thyroid hormones. Environ Health Perspect 116:806–813 (2008) . doi:10.1289/ehp.10490 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 25 February 2008]

Address correspondence to L.M. Schell, A&S 237, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12222 USA. Telephone: (518) 442-5761. Fax: (518) 442-4563. E-mail: l.schell@albany.edu

We thank the Akwesasne Mohawk community for their cooperation and participation in this research.

This research was supported by grants from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (ESO4913-10 ; ES10904-06) and the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (5RDMD001120) .

L.M.S. and A.P.D. have received financial compensation as experts in litigation involving human exposure to environmental contaminants at Akwesasne. D.O.C. has served as an expert witness in legal cases related to health effects of PCB exposure, with all reimbursement going to the Researach Foundation of the University at Albany. The other authors declare they have no competing financial interests.