Polychlorinated biphenyls human health

The structural range of industrially important representatives of these groups is enormous, and includes chlorobenzenes (solvents), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (hydraulic and insulating fluids), and polybrominated biphenyls and diphenyl ethers (flame retardants). There is widespread concern over both the persistence and the potential toxicity of all these compounds, and sites that have become contaminated during their production represent a threat both to the environment and to human health. Pathways for the aerobic bacterial degradation of chlorobenzenes and chlorobiphe-nyls, and their brominated analogs have been discussed in Chapter 9, Part 1. 

Sjodin A, Jones RS, Focant JF, Lapeza C, Wang RY, McGahee EE, Zhang YL, Turner WE, Slazyk B, Needham LL, Patterson DG (2004) Retrospective time-trend study of polybrominated diphenyl ether and polybrominated and polychlorinated biphenyl levels in human serum from the United States. Environ Health Perspect 112(6) 654—658. doi 10.1289/ehp. 6826... 

Kimbrough, R.D. 1995. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and human health an update. Crit. Rev. Toxicol. 25 133-163. 

U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS). 1995. Draft Toxicological Profile for Polychlorinated Biphenyls (Update). U.S. Dept. Health Human Serv., PHS, Agen Toxic. Subst. Dis. Regis. 371 pp. 

Human health effects, of polychlorinated biphenyls, 13 140-142 Human IgG (hlgG), detection of, 14 155, 156. See also Immunoglobulin G (IgG) Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). See also HIV entries Nevirapine entries inactivation of, 12 139 lactoferricins and, 18 258... 

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a family of compounds that were used extensively in electrical equipment, such as transformers, because of their insulating and heat transferring qualities. They are suspected human carcinogens and have been linked to liver, kidney, and other health problems. It is known that PCBs can be transported by air, and this is thought to be one of the major ways in which they circulate around the world, explaining why they are found in the Arctic and Antarctic. Indian women dwelling on Cornwall Island located in the Canadian portion of the reservation have elevated levels of toxic PCBs in their breast mUk. The PCB contamination does not appear to come from fish, but from air the women breathe every day [45]. 

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), pp 1-765. US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, 2000... 

F. Falck et al., Pesticides and Polychlorinated Biphenyl Residues in Human Breast Lipids and Their Relation to Breast Cancer, Arch. Environ. Health A7 (1992) 145-46. 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. 2000. Toxicological profile for Polychlorinated biphenyls. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Atlanta, GA. 

Cordel F, Comeliussen P, Jelinek C, et al. 1978. Human exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated biphenyls. Environ Health Perspect 24 157-172. 

Jacobson JL, Fein GG, Jacobson SW, et al. 1984. The transfer of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polvbrominated biphenyls (PBBs) across the human placenta and into maternal milk. Am J Public Health 74(4) 378-379. 

Kimbrough RD. 1987. Human health effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs). Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 27 87-111. 

Safe S. 1993. Toxicology structure- function relationship and human and environmental health impacts of polychlorinated biphenyls progress and problems. Environ Health Perspect 100(0) 259-268. 

PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) A family of chemicals composed of biphenyl molecules that have been chlorinated to varying degrees, performance assessment A type of risk assessment in which the potential long-term impacts of hazardous waste disposal on human health and the environment are evaluated for the purpose of determining whether disposal of specific wastes at specific sites should be acceptable, persistence The length of time that a contaminant persists in the environment. 

The Stockholm Convention is a global treaty committing the international community to protecting human health and the environment from the potentially harmful effects of POPs (UNEP Chemicals, 2005). The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has identified 12 most toxic POPs (the Dirty Dozen ) for control under the Convention, including 10 intentionally produced POPs pesticides/industrial chemicals (aldrin, chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), mirex, toxaphene and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)) and two unintentionally produced POPs by-products (polychlorinated dibenzo-/ -dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs)). In implementing the Convention, Parties to the Convention will take measures to restrict the trade, production and use of the intentional POPs and to reduce and, where possible, to ultimately eliminate the production and release of the unintentional POPs by-products. 

In 1997, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Governing Council decided that immediate international action should be taken to protect human health and the environment. International negotiations to reduce and eliminate the emission and discharges of an initial set of 12 POPs were initiated at the Stockholm Convention on POPs in May 2001. The 12 substances that were addressed at the Stockholm Convention were aldrin, endrin, dieldrin, dichlorodiphenyltrichoroethanes (DDTs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), chlordane, toxaphene, heptachlor, hex-achlorobenzene (HCB) and mirex. Basic information and status of major organochlorine pesticides in China are summarized in Table 8.1. 

Yakushiji, T., Watanabe, I., Kuwabara, K., Yoshida, S., Koyama, K., Kunito, N., 1979. Levels of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in human milk and blood collected in Osaka prefecture from 1972-1977. Int. Arch. Occup. Environ. Health 43, 1-15. 

WHO (World Health Organization) 1978. IARC monographs on the evaluation of the carcinogenic risk of chemicals to humans. Polychlorinated biphenyls and polybromin-ated biphenyls. 18, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland. 

Nicholson, W.J., Landrigan, P J., 1994. Human health effects of polychlorinated biphenyls. In Schecter, A. (Ed.), Dioxin and Health. Plenum Press, New York, pp. 487-525. 

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