Body Burden of Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethene (DDE) and Childhood Pulmonary Function

Abstract

Longitudinal studies have shown that early life exposure to dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene (DDE) can lead to growth reduction during childhood and adolescence. In addition, DDE exposure has been linked to respiratory tract infections and an increased risk of asthma in children. Our aim was to understand the relationships between DDE exposure and pulmonary function in children, and, particularly, whether associations are mediated by the height of the children. We used data from an environmental epidemiologic study conducted in central Germany in children aged 8-10 years. The pulmonary function (forced vital capacity, FVC, and forced expiratory volume in one second, FEV1) were measured in three consecutive years. Blood DDE levels were measured at 8 and 10 years. We used linear mixed models for repeated measurements and path analyses to assess the association between blood levels of DDE and pulmonary function measurements. All models were adjusted for confounders. Linear mixed approaches and modelling concurrent effects showed no significant associations. The path analytical models demonstrated that DDE measured at eight years had significant, inverse, indirect, and total effects on FVC at ten years (n = 328; −0.18 L per μg/L of DDE) and FEV1 (n = 328; −0.17 L per μg/L of DDE), mediated through effects of DDE on height and weight. The DDE burden reduces pulmonary function through its diminishing effects on height and weight in children. Further studies are required to test these associations in other samples, preferably from a region with ongoing, high DDT application.

Association between exposure to pesticides and allergic diseases in children and adolescents: a systematic review with meta-analysis

“…DDE was seen to have a height-reducing effect in children, with a consequent effect on forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1). 26 Another German study studied the association between organochlorines in blood, IgE, and asthma, showing a positive association between pesticides and asthma and between pesticides and increased IgE. 27 A study from Spain evaluated prenatal exposure using cord blood tests for DDE, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and the presence of asthma up to the age of 14 years and found a positive association between prenatal exposure and adverse effects on the respiratory system.…”

Causal Modeling in Environmental Health

“…The authors illustrated the method by estimating the mediated effect of two environmental exposures, air pollution and temperature, on the intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) via a change in ICAM-1 DNA methylation. In 2017, Balte et al (2) conducted a path analysis using linear mixed-effects models to examine the causal pathways among prenatal and childhood factors that impact lung function later. Path analysis is used to describe dependencies among variables and can be viewed as a special case of structural equation modeling.…”

Airborne Pesticides from Agricultural Practices: A Critical Review of Pathways, Influencing Factors, and Human Health Implications

“…Karmaus et al [205] explained that DDE could alter the immune system's response by promoting the production of Th2 lymphocytes, thereby contributing to the development of allergic diseases like asthma. Moreover, the association between DDE levels in the blood and lung function was examined by Balte et al [206]. The findings showed that DDE had an adverse effect on German children's height, subsequently affecting their forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in one second.…”