Inhalation Of Polychlorinated Biphenyls Research Articles

A Review of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Pollution in the Air: Where and How Much Are We Exposed to?

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were widely used in industrial and commercial applications, until they were banned in the late 1970s as a result of their significant environmental pollution. PCBs in the environment gained scientific interest because of their persistence and the potential threats they pose to humans. Traditionally, human exposure to PCBs was linked to dietary ingestion. Inhalational exposure to these contaminants is often overlooked. This review discusses the occurrence and distribution of PCBs in environmental matrices and their associated health impacts. Severe PCB contamination levels have been reported in e-waste recycling areas. The occurrence of high PCB levels, notably in urban and industrial areas, might result from extensive PCB use and intensive human activity. Furthermore, PCB contamination in the indoor environment is ten-fold higher than outdoors, which may present expose risk for humans through the inhalation of contaminated air or through the ingestion of dust. In such settings, the inhalation route may contribute significantly to PCB exposure. The data on human health effects due to PCB inhalation are scarce. More epidemiological studies should be performed to investigate the inhalation dose and response mechanism and to evaluate the health risks. Further studies should also evaluate the health impact of prolonged low-concentration PCB exposure.

Investigation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) residues and retention rates in two different face masks used during the COVID-19 lockdown period

This study aimed to determine the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations in the ambient air and in face masks of different configurations and to reveal how much masks protect from cancer risk. The total concentrations of 43 PCB congeners (∑43PCBs) in the particulate phase, measured with a high-volume air sampler (HVAS), were 169.2±30.7 pg/m3 and the ∑43PCBs concentrations in surgical masks were found to be 201.6±66.6 pg/m3. Similarly, the ∑43PCBs concentrations in double surgical masks were 297.7±62.3 pg/m3 and 126.7±31.7 pg/m3 in non-surgical masks (cloth masks). A typical surgical mask consists of three layers (outer, filter and inner). The ∑43PCBs concentrations in the outer, filter and inner layers were 273.5±8.8, 199.1±25.7 and 132.1±25.9 pg/m3, respectively. Finally, it has been determined how much the masks reduce the risk of cancer that may occur through inhalation of PCBs. According to the results, the mask with the lowest protection was the cloth mask, while the mask with the highest protection was the double surgical mask.

PCBs in indoor air and human blood in Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and three chlorinated pesticides were determined in serum from 21 residents of Pittsfield, MA and in the basement, living room and outdoor air of the 10 homes in which they lived. Median serum PCB levels were 4.2 ng/g, which are at least four times the average level in the US population, and consisted primarily of more highly chlorinated, persistent congeners. This reflects contamination with PCBs coming from the local General Electric facility. Median basement air concentration was 20.3 ng/m3, while the median living room air was 11.4 ng/m3 and median outdoor air concentration was 3.0 ng/m3. The PCB congeners detected in air were primarily low chlorinated (four and fewer) congeners, reflecting the greater volatility of PCBs with fewer chlorines. The congener pattern between basement and living room air showed a 95% correlation, while correlation with outdoor air was much less. While the congener pattern in air is very different from that of the PCB products used in Pittsfield (Aroclors 1254 and 1260), low chlorinated PCBs are detected in the vapor phase after air is blown across the commercial mixtures. The human serum samples did not show detectible levels of many of the congeners seen in the basement air samples, reflecting rapid metabolism of lower chlorinated PCBs by the human body. However, with continuous inhalation of indoor air, especially in the living room, the exposure to these non-persistent congeners may still have adverse health effects. Cellular studies of some of these non-persistent, low chlorinated congeners indicate that they are neurotoxic, mutagenic and cytotoxic. These results demonstrate the importance of consideration of inhalation of PCBs as a route of exposure, especially in indoor sites, and suggest that monitoring serum PCB concentration may not always provide a good measurement of exposure, especially to congeners that are relatively rapidly metabolized but have significant toxicity.

Toxicity Assessment of 91-Day Repeated Inhalation Exposure to an Indoor School Air Mixture of PCBs.

School indoor air contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) released from older building materials and paint pigments may pose health risks to children, as well as teachers and staff, by inhalation of PCBs. The health effects of long-term inhalation exposure to PCBs are poorly understood. We conducted a comprehensive toxicity assessment of 91-day repeated inhalation exposure to a lab-generated mixture of PCBs designed to emulate indoor school air, combining transcriptomics, metabolomics, and neurobehavioral outcomes. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to school air mixture (SAM+) at a concentration of 45.5 ± 5.9 μg/m3 ∑209PCB or filtered air 4 h/day, 6 days/week for 13 weeks using nose-only exposure systems. The congener-specific PCB body burden was quantified in major tissues using GC-MS/MS. The generated SAM+ vapor recapitulated the target school air profile with a similarity coefficient, cos θ of 0.91. PCB inhalation yielded 875-9930 ng/g ∑209PCBlipidweight levels in tissues in the following ascending order: brain < liver < lung < serum < adipose tissue. We observed that PCB exposure impaired memory, induced anxiety-like behavior, significantly reduced white blood cell counts, mildly disrupted metabolomics in plasma, and influenced transcription processes in the brain with 274 upregulated and 58 downregulated genes. With relatively high exposure and tissue loading, evidence of toxicity from half the end points tested was seen in the rats.

Inhalation Exposure to PCB from Contaminated Indoor Air—How Much Is Absorbed into the Blood?

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were used in many construction products until their banning in the 1970s and 1980s. Nonetheless, exposure to PCBs from contaminated indoor air is still an important public health issue. The aim of our study was to estimate the contribution of PCB congeners in indoor air to the levels of PCBs in human blood. We analyzed all 209 PCB congeners in the blood of 35 individuals exposed to PCBs from contaminated indoor air. For each individual, we measured the six marker indicators PCB28, PCB52, PCB101, PCB138, PCB153 and PCB180 in indoor air at the workplace. Statistically significant correlations between PCB-contaminated indoor air and the existence of the sum of mono-, di-, tri-, tetra- and pentachlorinated biphenyls (∑PCB1–127) in the blood of the exposed individuals were found. We quantified the proportions of PCBs that are absorbed into the blood via inhalation of contaminated indoor air. Inhalation of PCBs from contaminated indoor air, especially in children, adolescents and younger adults, may lead to PCB blood burdens that are higher than general PCB background levels or in approximately the same range.

Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls in ambient air and solid residues around a municipal solid waste open burning site

Open burning of municipal solid waste is a common practice in developing countries of Africa, and combustion of these wastes is an important source of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) emission in the ambient air. This study determined the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls in ambient air and solid residues in the soil around a municipal solid waste (MSW) open burning site in Nigeria. Air samples were collected around the vicinity of the waste site using polyurethane foam (PUF) passive samplers, and solid residue samples were obtained at different locations at the burning site. Quantification of PCBs was carried out using GC–MS operated in selected ion monitoring mode. Result showed the ambient ∑ PCB concentration range of 3.12–5.04 ng/ m3. Also, ∑ PCBs in the solid residue ranged from 23.72 ng/g to 28.66 ng/g. The daily inhalation exposure dose from inhalation of PCBs in the ambient air was 0.3 pg TEQ kg−1 day−1 for children and 0.09 pg TEQ kg−1 day−1 for adult. The mean values of Hazard Quotient (HQ) calculated from accidental ingestion of PCB of the solid residue were $${4.7\times 10}^{-5}$$ and $${7.5\times 10}^{-5}$$ for adult and children, respectively, while the calculated Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk (ILCR) are above the WHO permissible limit. In conclusion, the study may be used to evaluate the environmental contribution PCBs from MSW open burning in Nigeria

Comprehensive Subchronic Inhalation Toxicity Assessment of an Indoor School Air Mixture of PCBs.

Few in vivo inhalation studies have explored the toxicity of environmentally relevant mixtures of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The manufacture of industrial PCBs was banned in 1978, but PCBs continue to be formed in industrial and consumer products. Schools represent a significant source of airborne exposures to legacy and nonlegacy PCBs, placing children at risk. To evaluate the impact of these exposures, we generated an airborne mixture of PCBs, called the School Air Mixture (SAM), to match the profile of an older school from our adolescent cohort study. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed either to SAM or filtered air in nose-only exposure systems, 4 h/day for 4 weeks. Congener-specific air and tissue PCB profiles were assessed using gas chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). PCB exposures recapitulated the target school air profile with a similarity coefficient, cos θ of 0.83. PCB inhalation yielded μg/g ∑209 PCB levels in tissues. Neurobehavioral testing demonstrated a modest effect on spatial learning and memory in SAM-exposed rats. PCB exposure induced oxidative stress in the liver and lungs, affected the maturational stages of hematopoietic stem cells, reduced telomerase activity in bone marrow cells, and altered the gut microbiota. This is the first study to emulate PCB exposures in a school and comprehensively evaluate toxicity.

Dredging Contaminated Sediments: Is it Worth the Risks?

Dredging Contaminated Sediments: Is it Worth the Risks?

Inhalation and Dietary PCB Exposures in Urban and Rural Cohorts of U.S. School Children and their Mothers

PDS 62: Chemicals and metals: exposure and biomarkers, Johan Friso Foyer, Floor 1, August 28, 2019, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM Background: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent man-made compounds that are carcinogenic, neurotoxic, immunotoxic, and act as endocrine disrupters. The AESOP Study is a rural and urban, community-based, prospective cohort study that assesses airborne and dietary exposures to all 209 PCBs and 72 OH-PCB metabolites in adolescent school children and their mothers. Methods: Exposures and risk factors were assessed through demographic, health, dietary (DHQ2), occupational and activity questionnaires and measurements of blood, urine, DNA, air, and food. We repeatedly evaluated indoor and outdoor air concentrations of PCBs from participants’ homes and from two rural and four urban schools over multiple seasons and years. The urban schools were located near a PCB-contaminated shipping canal off Lake Michigan. Air, blood and food samples were analyzed for PCBs using GC/MS-MS. Whole blood and surficial soil samples were analyzed for toxic metals using ICP-MS. Results: Concentrations of PCBs inside schools were 1−2 orders of magnitude higher than outdoors and were generally higher than in homes. Congener air profiles differed between schools and indicated the PCB sources as both legacy Aroclors and non-Aroclors from building materials. PCBs and OH-PCBs in the serum of the children showed enrichment of lower-chlorinated congeners compared to their mothers. Breast feeding was found to significantly decrease PCBs in mothers and increase PCBs in children who were breast fed. Modeling dietary intake and inhalation exposures (apportioning airborne exposures by time and location from activity logs) revealed that some children’s PCB inhalation exposure exceeded their exposure through diet, especially for the lower-chlorinated and more volatile PCBs. The AESOP study also showed that inhalation at school dominates children’s PCB inhalation exposures. Conclusions: To enhance children’s environmental health, air concentrations of PCBs in U.S. schools should be assessed in order to identify high-exposure locations and prioritize schools for replacement or repurposing.

Contamination pathways of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) - From the worker to the family.

The improper recycling of old industrial sized capacitors and transformers in Dortmund, Germany, led to a contamination of workers and environment with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In 2010, a surveillance program was conducted for the former workers, their relatives, and residents next to the recycling company. In the human biomonitoring, elevated values for PCBs were detected in a proportion of the in-house relatives of the workers, including children. The aim of this study was to reconstruct the contamination pathways from the company to the family. Brought home working clothes of the former employees were identified as a first pathway for a contamination of the residential environment. Those clothes were cleaned at home, due to temporary employment contract. Washing machines and dryers were in consequence highly contaminated with PCBs. This led to a contamination of the relative's clothes and by this to a dermal uptake of PCBs. Another exposure pathway was the inhalation of PCB containing dust. In particular at locations, that were in contact with the working boots, high levels of PCBs were detected in the ambient monitoring. This established another exposure pathway by inhalation of PCB containing dust. The link between the residential influence factors and the PCB plasma concentration (n = 54) is shown by rank correlation. In conclusion, it should be avoided to take home potentially contaminated working clothes or boots, to prevent an exposure of children and other family members.

Toxicity Evaluation of Exposure to an Atmospheric Mixture of Polychlorinated Biphenyls by Nose-Only and Whole-Body Inhalation Regimens.

The health risk of inhalation exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) cannot be assessed with high confidence due to the lack of rigorous inhalation studies. One uncertainty rests on exposure regimen, as whole-body exposure systems allow oral PCB intake that confounds the exposure. We conducted contemporaneous PCB inhalation exposures with whole-body and nose-only exposure methods. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were concurrently exposed to vapor-phase PCBs (533 ± 93 μg/m(3)) generated from PCB11-supplemented Chicago Air Mixture resembling the Chicago airshed, 4 h/day, 6 days/week, for 4 weeks. Congener-specific analysis showed 1.5-fold higher ∑PCBs in the lungs of nose-only exposed than the whole-body exposed animals (p = 0.0024). Higher ∑PCB concentrations were also found in the sera, livers, brains, and adipose tissue of nose-only exposed animals (1.1-1.5-fold), but these increases were not statistically significant. Congener profiles of five tissue types were dominated by PCB 28/31 and higher-chlorinated congeners in both groups reflecting rapid metabolism of other lower-chlorinated PCBs. No toxicity was seen regarding metabolic enzyme expression, glutathione, or histopathology. However, diminished weight gain and reduced plasma total thyroxine levels were found in both groups compared with controls, after exposure to 76 μg/m(3) ∑PCBs as adjusted for continuous exposure. Hepatic lipid peroxidation was also elevated in the nose-only group. Our study shows that prolonged nose-only exposure was well-tolerated and eliminated the need for housing animals outside the vivarium, thus was preferred for long-term PCB inhalation studies.

Inhalation of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) Produces Hyperactivity in Rats

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a serious behavioral syndrome seen in children, and more common in males than females. There is increasing evidence that prenatal and/or early life exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POP) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) is associated with increased risk of ADHD occurrence. While PCB exposure is usually attributed to ingestion of contaminated food, recent reports of elevated PCB concentrations in indoor air, especially in schools, raised concern regarding inhalation as an important route of exposure to PCB with consequent effects on neurobehavior. The effects of exposure to air contaminated with Aroclor 1248 or contaminated sediment (SED) from the St. Lawrence River were examined on operant behavior of male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Data showed that relative to controls, vapor-phase inhalation of PCB, whether from blowing air over Aroclor 1248 or from blowing air over sediment contaminated with PCB, resulted in hyperactivity and impatience in rats, more pronounced in males than females. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that inhalation of PCB may contribute to behavioral abnormalities in children.

Inhalation and Dietary Exposure to PCBs in Urban and Rural Cohorts via Congener-Specific Measurements

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a group of 209 persistent organic pollutants, whose documented carcinogenic, neurological, and respiratory toxicities are expansive and growing. However, PCB inhalation exposure assessments have been lacking for North American ambient conditions and lower-chlorinated congeners. We assessed congener-specific inhalation and dietary exposure for 78 adolescent children and their mothers (n = 68) in the Airborne Exposure to Semi-volatile Organic Pollutants (AESOP) Study. Congener-specific PCB inhalation exposure was modeled using 293 measurements of indoor and outdoor airborne PCB concentrations at homes and schools, analyzed via tandem quadrupole GS-MS/MS, combined with questionnaire data from the AESOP Study. Dietary exposure was modeled using Canadian Total Diet Survey PCB concentrations and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) food ingestion rates. For ∑PCB, dietary exposure dominates. For individual lower-chlorinated congeners (e.g., PCBs 40+41+71, 52), inhalation exposure was as high as one-third of the total (dietary+inhalation) exposure. ∑PCB inhalation (geometric mean (SE)) was greater for urban mothers (7.1 (1.2) μg yr–1) and children (12.0 (1.2) μg yr–1) than for rural mothers (2.4 (0.4) μg yr–1) and children (8.9 (0.3) μg yr–1). Schools attended by AESOP Study children had higher indoor PCB concentrations than did homes, and account for the majority of children’s inhalation exposure.

Evaluating health risks from inhaled polychlorinated biphenyls: research needs for addressing uncertainty.

Background: Indoor air concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in some buildings are one or more orders of magnitude higher than background levels. In response to this, efforts have been made to assess the potential health risk posed by inhaled PCBs. These efforts are hindered by uncertainties related to the characterization and assessment of source, exposure, and exposure-response.Objectives: We briefly describe some common sources of PCBs in indoor air and estimate the contribution of inhalation exposure to total PCB exposure for select age groups. Next, we identify critical areas of research needed to improve assessment of exposure and exposure response for inhaled PCBs.Discussion: Although the manufacture of PCBs was banned in the United States in 1979, many buildings constructed before then still contain potential sources of indoor air PCB contamination. In some indoor settings and for some age groups, inhalation may contribute more to total PCB exposure than any other route of exposure. PCB exposure has been associated with human health effects, but data specific to the inhalation route are scarce. To support exposure–response assessment, it is critical that future investigations of the health impacts of PCB inhalation carefully consider certain aspects of study design, including characterization of the PCB mixture present.Conclusions: In certain contexts, inhalation exposure to PCBs may contribute more to total PCB exposure than previously assumed. New epidemiological and toxicological studies addressing the potential health impacts of inhaled PCBs may be useful for quantifying exposure–response relationships and evaluating risks.Citation: Lehmann GM, Christensen K, Maddaloni M, Phillips LJ. 2015. Evaluating health risks from inhaled polychlorinated biphenyls: research needs for addressing uncertainty. Environ Health Perspect 123:109–113; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408564

Zehn Jahre PCB-Richtlinie - Versuch einer Bilanz aus hygienischer und umweltmedizinisch-toxikologischer Sicht

In 1995 a guideline was established in Germany, which requires the remediation of buildings with elevated indoor air concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). The action limit is 3000 ng/m(3). The tolerable PCB indoor air concentration is 300 ng/m(3). The aim of remediation actions is to reduce PCB in indoor air to levels < 300 ng/m(3) by removing the sources of PCB in buildings (mainly sealants, ceiling plates, wall colours). Based on this guideline a great number of school buildings, university buildings and administration buildings constructed in the 1960-ties and 1970-ties were renovated. In this paper, the toxicological basis of the aforementioned guide values are discussed. Furthermore, recent papers and proposals to establish lower guideline values for PCB in indoor air are discussed. The existing PCB guideline should be revised. When revising the guide values for PCB in indoor air it should be kept in mind that human PCB exposure is mainly via food, that PCB intake via food has been declining since more than 20 years, and that there is only a minor increase of PCB blood levels following inhalation of PCB in indoor air. In public discussions it should be clearly stated that remediation of PCB contaminated buildings is a preventive action. PCB concentrations in indoor air, which are associated with significant health risks, are presumably much higher than the current action value.

PCB in interiors - a relevant health risk?

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) were manufactured between 1929 and 1989. Due to their great chemical persistence, these substances have been used for many different purposes. These chemical properties, however, caused PCB to accumulate in the food chain and resulted in background exposure of the general population. PCB has also been used as plasticizer for sealants in prefabricated buildings, thus causing problems to the present date. At the end of the 90-ties in a school in Nuremberg, Germany, elevated PCB concentrations were measured in indoor air. Some of these results were higher than 3,000 ng/m(3) which means decontamination according to the German "PCB directive". Press coverage made these results a matter of public debate, so that teachers, school children and parents were highly worried because of possible health effects. The Bavarian Minister for Health, Nutrition and Consumer Protection asked us to examine school children and teachers with regard to their internal PCB exposure and health complaints. A group of school children from a non-contaminated school served as controls. For the determination of PCB levels the plasma samples were blinded before analysis. Lower chlorinated PCB (PCB 28, 52, 101) were detected more often and in higher concentrations in plasma samples of school children of the contaminated school compared to the controls. The plasma levels of the higher chlorinated PCBs (PCB 138, 153, 180) did not show similar differences between exposed and non-exposed school children. The relative PCB doses additionally taken up in the contaminated school were less then 5 % of the background exposure of the children. That is why it could finally be concluded that no appreciable additional health risk may result from inhalation of PCB contaminated indoor air in this school. Due to the design, performance and interpretation of this study, including representatives of parents and teachers, these results were widely accepted by most of the parents who initially had been very concerned about possible health effects.