Assessing the human health effects of PCBs

Lawton, Richard W.; Ross, Marie; Feingold, J

doi:10.1016/0045-6535(91)90028-c

Cited by 14 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…They were also used in plasticizers, adhesives, and hydraulic fluids ( Silberhorn et al 1990 ; Smith and Brown 1987 ). PCBs have long half-lives, correlated with the degree of chlorination, and persist in humans and in the environment ( Brown and Lawton 2001 ; Hansen 1998 ). Increasing concern in the 1970s about potential health and environmental risks led to a 1977 ban on PCB production and distribution in the United States.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Mortality among Workers Exposed to Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in an Electrical Capacitor Manufacturing Plant in Indiana: An Update

Ruder

Hein

Nilsen

et al. 2006

Environ Health Perspect

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An Indiana capacitor-manufacturing cohort (n = 3,569) was exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from 1957 to 1977. The original study of mortality through 1984 found excess melanoma and brain cancer; other studies of PCB-exposed individuals have found excess non-Hodgkin lymphoma and rectal, liver, biliary tract, and gallbladder cancer. Mortality was updated through 1998. Analyses have included standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using rates for Indiana and the United States, standardized rate ratios (SRRs), and Poisson regression rate ratios (RRs). Estimated cumulative exposure calculations used a new job–exposure matrix. Mortality overall was reduced (547 deaths; SMR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.7–0.9). Non-Hodgkin lymphoma mortality was elevated (9 deaths; SMR, 1.23; 95% CI, 0.6–2.3). Melanoma remained in excess (9 deaths; SMR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.1–4.6), especially in the lowest tertile of estimated cumulative exposure (5 deaths; SMR, 3.72; 95% CI, 1.2–8.7). Seven of the 12 brain cancer deaths (SMR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.0–3.3) occurred after the original study. Brain cancer mortality increased with exposure (in the highest tertile, 5 deaths; SMR, 2.71; 95% CI, 0.9–6.3); the SRR dose–response trend was significant (p = 0.016). Among those working ≥90 days, both melanoma (8 deaths; SMR, 2.66; 95% CI, 1.1–5.2) and brain cancer (11 deaths; SMR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.1–3.8) were elevated, especially for women: melanoma, 3 deaths (SMR, 5.99; 95% CI, 1.2–17.5); brain cancer, 3 deaths (SMR, 2.87; 95% CI, 0.6–8.4). These findings of excess melanoma and brain cancer mortality confirm results of the original study. Melanoma mortality was not associated with estimated cumulative exposure. Brain cancer mortality did not demonstrate a clear dose–response relationship with estimated cumulative exposure.

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confidence: 99%

Mortality among Workers Exposed to Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in an Electrical Capacitor Manufacturing Plant in Indiana: An Update

Ruder

Hein

Nilsen

et al. 2006

Environ Health Perspect

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“…Some of the unexplained variability in the model could be due to the uncertainty regarding Aroclor uses, which are unconfirmed for the period 1956-1959 at the New York plant. Taylor et al (1988), however, assumed Aroclor 1242from 1954to 1965, and Aroclor 1016from 1971to 1976, which is a longer period of Aroclor 1016 than Brown et al (1991) found. Fischbein et al (1985) listed the use of Aroclor 1254and 1242in 1959-1970, and in 1971and during 1973-1974Aroclor 1016and 1242, in 1974-1975 only Aroclor 1016.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…We are designating the serum concentrations as Aroclor 1242/LPCB to encompass LPCB and Aroclor 1242/1016 and as Aroclor 1254/HPCB to encompass HPCB and Aroclor 1254 determinations so that we can consider the two analytical laboratory methods used in 1970-1989 with a packed column GC/ECD (Brown et al 1994(Brown et al , 1991Lawton et al 1985a, b;Smith et al 1982) equally in the statistical analysis (Table 1). These methods differ significantly from today's method because they do not allow for PCB congener determination.…”

Section: Serum Pcbsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of cumulative PCB exposure estimated by a job exposure matrix versus PCB serum concentrations

Hopf

Ruder

Succop

et al. 2013

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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Although polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been banned in many countries for more than three decades, exposures to PCBs continue to be of concern due to their long half-lives and carcinogenic effects. In National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health studies, we are using semiquantitative plant-specific job exposure matrices (JEMs) to estimate historical PCB exposures for workers (n = 24,865) exposed to PCBs from 1938 to 1978 at three capacitor manufacturing plants. A subcohort of these workers (n = 410) employed in two of these plants had serum PCB concentrations measured at up to four times between 1976 and 1989. Our objectives were to evaluate the strength of association between an individual worker's measured serum PCB levels and the same worker's cumulative exposure estimated through 1977 with the (1) JEM and (2) duration of employment, and to calculate the explained variance the JEM provides for serum PCB levels using (3) simple linear regression. Consistent strong and statistically significant associations were observed between the cumulative exposures estimated with the JEM and serum PCB concentrations for all years. The strength of association between duration of employment and serum PCBs was good for highly chlorinated (Aroclor 1254/HPCB) but not less chlorinated (Aroclor 1242/LPCB) PCBs. In the simple regression models, cumulative occupational exposure estimated using the JEMs explained 14-24% of the variance of the Aroclor 1242/LPCB and 22-39% for Aroclor 1254/HPCB serum concentrations. We regard the cumulative exposure estimated with the JEM as a better estimate of PCB body burdens than serum concentrations quantified as Aroclor 1242/LPCB and Aroclor 1254/HPCB.

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“…It appears that, in the absence of concurrent exposures to dioxins and furans, PCBs do not induce the P450A1 enzymes in humans. Furthermore, studies of PCB induction of P450A1 in rodents suggest that such induction, if it occurs in humans, would require exposures of PCBs far higher than have occurred from environmental or historical occupational exposures (Brown et al, 1991).…”

Section: Pcb Toxicity and Dose-response Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Task 3 Report - PCBs in the Environment Near the Oak Ridge Reservation - A Reconstruction of Historical Doses and Health Risks

Price¹,

Widner²,

Bonnevie³

et al. 1999

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Assessing the human health effects of PCBs

Cited by 14 publications

References 17 publications

Mortality among Workers Exposed to Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in an Electrical Capacitor Manufacturing Plant in Indiana: An Update

Mortality among Workers Exposed to Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in an Electrical Capacitor Manufacturing Plant in Indiana: An Update

Evaluation of cumulative PCB exposure estimated by a job exposure matrix versus PCB serum concentrations

Task 3 Report - PCBs in the Environment Near the Oak Ridge Reservation - A Reconstruction of Historical Doses and Health Risks

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