Michigan polybrominated biphenyl

BarrM. 1980. Pediatric aspects of the Michigan polybrominated biphenyl contamination. Environ Res 21 255-274. 

The principal source of pollution by polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) has been the commercial mixture Firemaster, which was produced in the United States between 1970 and 1974. Production was discontinued in 1974 following a severe pollution incident in Michigan, when Firemaster was accidentally mixed with cattle feed on a farm. In due course, PBBs entered the human food chain via contaminated animal products. Substantial residues were found in humans from the area, and were snbse-quently found to be highly persistent. 

Dowhng A (2004) Development of nanotechnologies. Mater Today 7 30-35 Dror 1, Baram D, Berkowitz B (2005) Use of nanosized catalysts for transformation of chloro-organic pollutants. Environ Sci Technol 39 1283-1290 Dunckel AE (1975) An updating on the polybrominated biphenyl disaster in Michigan. J Am Vet Med Assoc 167 838-841... 

Polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) Contaminant Fire retardant inadvertently substituted for feed supplement in Michigan livestock loss, undetermined effect on human health... 

Polybrominated Biphenyls. Symptoms of musculoskeletal effects, described as "joint pain" and "swelling in joints," were frequently cited health complaints in two epidemiological studies of groups of Michigan residents who were likely to have ingested PBB-contaminated food (Anderson et al. 1978c Landrigan et al. 

Polybrominated Biphenyls. Results from several studies of humans exposed to PBBs do not demonstrate, in general, a conclusive association between adverse effects on the liver and oral exposure to PBBs. In a study in which serum was collected in 1974, 1977, 1978, and 1979 from 89, 240, 220, and 200 individuals, respectively, who were predominately residents of quarantined Michigan farms, no consistent statistically significant correlations were found betw een serum PBB levels and levels of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) or serum bilirubin (Kreiss et al. 

Polybrominated Biphenyls. No statistically significant correlations were found between serum PBB levels and serum levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) or creatinine in a study of residents of quarantined Michigan farms after the 1973 PBB contamination episode (Kreiss et al. 1982). No other studies were located with information pertinent to renal effects in humans after oral exposure to PBBs. 

Polybrominated Biphenyls. Numerous reports have been published regarding the immunological competence of individuals exposed to PBBs in the Michigan feed contamination episode. Due to the relatively high number of published reports and to the fact that often different groups of investigators appear to have examined the same cohort, only representative studies are discussed below. 

Polybrominated Biphenyls. Analysis of semen from 41 male residents of Michigan who lived on PBB-contaminated farms or who had bought food directly from such farms and 11 males who were employed in a PBB manufacturing company revealed no abnonnalities in tlie distribution of sperm counts, spenn motility, or sperm morphology, compared w ith an analysis of semen from 52 unexposed men (Rosenman et al. 1979). Tills study was conducted in 1977, 4 years after initial contamination of Michigan s food supply, and would not have detected an earlier response that was subsequently reversed. PBBs were detected (detection limit of 0.2 ppb) in tlie serum of 1 of the 52 unexposed men and in all of the exposed men however, individual or mean values for PBB levels were not reported. 

Polybrominated Biphenyls. Examination of children ( 100 were identified) presumably exposed in utero or in early infancy during the peak of the Michigan PBB contamination episode and whose families lived on farms known to be contaminated with PBBs has not revealed any consistent or maiked abnormalities in the children s physical and neuropsychological development. No significant abnormalities were found by physical and neurological examination of 33 of these exposed children when they had a mean age of... 

Polybrominated Biphenyls. No epidemiological studies were located that provided evidence for an association between exposure to PBBs and the occurrence of cancer in humans, although one case report is available concerning gastrointestinal cancer in a Michigan dairy farmer with known exposure to PBBs and other chemicals. 

Polybrominated Biphenyls. Eleven workers in a PBB manufacturing company in Michigan displayed no differences in the distribution of sperm counts, motility, or morphology compared with a control group of 52 unexposed men (Rosenman et al. 1979). PBBs were detected in the serum of all exposed subjects and in only one unexposed subject, but mean or individual serum PBB values were not reported. 

Polybrominated Biphenyls. The mechanism by which PBBs enter the blood stream from the lungs, skin, or gastrointestinal tract is not known and little information is available on how PBBs are distributed in the body. The available data indicate that the absorption mechanism is likely passive diffusion. Results from studies of Michigan subjects showed that in the blood stream, 80% of the PBBs was bound to protein and 20% was associated with lipids (Greaves et al. 1984). Of the fraction bound to protein, 73% was bound to apolipoprotein B and the remaining percent was bound to apolipoprotein A. In an in vitro model, shown to be representative of environmentally contaminated blood, the distribution of PBBs among plasma, erythrocytes, mononucleocytes, and polymorphonucleocytes was 89 9 <1 <1, respectively (Roboz et al. 1985). 

Polybrominated Biphenyls. A recent study has used caffeine as a potential tool to characterize exposure and/or effect of PBBs (Lambert et al. 1990). In this test, caffeine is used as a metabolic probe of cytochrome P-450 isozymes activity from the CYPIA family, which in animals is significantly induced by PBBs (Safe 1984). Tire caffeine breath test (CBT) is primarily useful for detecting induction of CYP1A2 activity in human liver, and for that reason, it also has been used as a marker for exposure to PCBs, CDDs, and CDFs (Lambert et al. 1992). A volunteer population of 50 Michigan subjects with previously high serum PBB levels and 50 with undetectable or low serum levels was compared to a control population not exposed to PBBs (Lambert et al. 1992). Two tests were conducted, the CYP1A2-dependent caffeine... 

Polybrominated Biphenyls. A limited amount of information is available regarding reproductive effects in humans after exposure to PBBs. No evidence for PBBs-related effects on sperm counts, motility, or sperm morphology was found in a group of male Michigan workers exposed to PBBs by inhalation or dermal contact (Rosenman et al. 1979). No relationship was found between serum levels of PBBs and the frequency and duration of lactation in women exposed during the Michigan contamination episode (Thomas etal. 2001). 

Polybrominated Biphenyls. Michigan Chemical Corporation, the major producer of PBBs from 1970 to 1976, marketed mixtures of PBBs under the trade name FireMaster (e.g., BP-6 and FF-1). Other producers of PBBs in the United States included White Chemical Corporation (Bayonne, New Jersey) and Hexcel Corporation (Sayreville, New Jersey), which both produced technical mixtures of octabromobiphenyl and decabromobiphenyl until 1979. The trade names of some commercial PBB mixtures formerly produced in other countries are Berk Coiporation, Great Britain (e.g., BerkFlam, Flammex), Chemische Fabrik Kalk, Germany (e.g., Bromkal), and Ugine Kuhlmann (now Atofinain France) (e.g., Adine). 

Polybrominated Biphenyls. The production of PBBs in the United States ceased in 1979 (lARC 1986). In the past, PBBs were released to the environment during the manufacture of these compounds and disposal of commercial and consumer products containing these compounds (Hesse and Powers 1978 Neufeld et al. 1977). One of the significant sources of environmental contamination occurred as a result of the accidental mixup ofFireMaster BP-6 with cattle food in a number of farms in the lower peninsula in Michigan (see Section 3.2 for additional details concerning this incident). By June 1975, 412 farms had been quarantined. Disposal of contaminated feed, animal carcasses (poultry, cattle, swine), and... 

Polybrominated Biphenyls. The important former sources of PBBs in soil are manufacturing operations, disposal of PBB-containing finished products, and agricultural operations contaminated in the original episode in 1973 1974. The concentrations of PBBs in soils from bagging and loading areas of the Michigan Chemical Corporation were 3,500 and 2,500 mg/kg, respectively (Di Carlo et al. 1978). 

Polybrominated Biphenyls. Infants who consume breast milk may have had a higher exposure to PBBs than children who drink formula milk, especially children exposed during the Michigan episode (see Section 6.4.4). No additional information was found in the literature about the exposure of children to PBBs (WHO 1994b). 

Polybrominated Biphenyls. Body burden data indicate that low-level exposures to PBBs have occurred for people in the state of Michigan. No recent information about average daily intake of PBBs was located. The levels of PBBs in human tissue and body fluids, such as blood, serum, adipose tissue, breast milk, feces, cord blood, biliary fluid, and placenta, of people in the state of Michigan have been extensively studied (Brilliant et al. 1978 Cordle et al. 1978 Eyster et al. 1983 Humphrey and Hayner 1975 Lambert et al. 1990 Landrigan et al. 1979 Wolff et al. 1982). However, no recent data are available. Data on the levels of PBBs in tissues and body fluids of residents who live in the vicinity of sites of industrial discharge of PBB wastes were not located. Updated infonnation would be useful to understand current exposure levels of people in the state of Michigan to PBBs. This information is necessary for assessing the need to conduct health studies on these populations. 

Polybrominated Biphenyls. The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH), together with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and three other federal agencies, began a major study to assess the health effects of PBBs after the Michigtm contamination episode. A health questionnaire and blood samples were collected from people affected by the feed contamination incident. MDCH had the responsibility to analyze several thousand samples for PBB from 1975 to 1978. MDCH continues contact with this cohort, updates health questionnaires, and collects blood samples to be analyzed (MDCH 2002). 

Bekesi JG, Holland JF, Anderson HA, et al. 1978. Lymphocyte function of Michigan dairy farmers exposed to polybrominated biphenyls. Science 199 1207-1209. 

Brilliant LB, Van Amburg G, Isbister J, et al. 1978. Breast-milk monitoring to measure Michigan s contamination with polybrominated biphenyls. Lancet Sept 643-646. 

Chanda JJ, Anderson HA, Glamb RW, et al. 1982. Cutaneous effects of exposure to polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) The Michigan PBB incident. Environ Res 29 97-108. 

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