Prenatal exposures to endocrine disruptors, including several organochlorine pollutants, have been linked to developmental abnormalities and neurobehavioral deficits, but causal associations and dose-response relationships are unclear. A birth cohort of 182 children was formed in 1994 at the Faroe Islands, where increased exposures to these substances mainly originates from consumption of pilot whale blubber. This North Atlantic fishing community is unique and highly suitable for prospective population-based studies, because exposure levels vary more than 100-fold due to differences in dietary habits. Stored maternal serum from week 34 of pregnancy will now be used to characterize the endocrine disruption potential expressed as activation of the estrogen receptor and the Ah receptor. Postnatal exposure levels will be determined from analysis of serum collected from the children. Exposures to methylmercury and essential nutrient status will also be determined. Data on growth and development from annual examinations up to age 5.5 years are available and will now be supplemented by examinations at ages 7 and 9 years, when advanced testing will be applied to assess sexually dimorphic behaviors, domain-related neurobehavioral function, serum hormone concentrations, and developmental markers of early puberty development. Modern statistical methods will be used to determine whether these outcome variables are associated with estrogen, thyroid, or Ah receptor abnormalities and specific contaminant exposures prenatally or postnatally.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01ES011681-04
Application #
6656295
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZOH1-PCM (01))
Program Officer
Gray, Kimberly A
Project Start
2001-09-01
Project End
2005-08-31
Budget Start
2003-09-01
Budget End
2004-08-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$292,831
Indirect Cost
Name
Harvard University
Department
Public Health & Prev Medicine
Type
Schools of Public Health
DUNS #
149617367
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02115
Grandjean, Philippe; Landrigan, Philip J (2014) Neurobehavioural effects of developmental toxicity. Lancet Neurol 13:330-8
Osuna, Christa E; Grandjean, Philippe; Weihe, Pál et al. (2014) Autoantibodies associated with prenatal and childhood exposure to environmental chemicals in Faroese children. Toxicol Sci 142:158-66
Choi, Anna L; Mogensen, Ulla B; Bjerve, Kristian S et al. (2014) Negative confounding by essential fatty acids in methylmercury neurotoxicity associations. Neurotoxicol Teratol 42:85-92
Grandjean, Philippe; Landrigan, Philip J (2014) Neurodevelopmental toxicity: still more questions than answers--authors' response. Lancet Neurol 13:648-9
Yorifuji, Takashi; Murata, Katsuyuki; Bjerve, Kristian S et al. (2013) Visual evoked potentials in children prenatally exposed to methylmercury. Neurotoxicology 37:15-8
Schlezinger, Jennifer J; Bernard, Pamela L; Haas, Amelia et al. (2010) Direct assessment of cumulative aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist activity in sera from experimentally exposed mice and environmentally exposed humans. Environ Health Perspect 118:693-8
Budtz-Jørgensen, Esben; Debes, Frodi; Weihe, Pal et al. (2010) Structural equation models for meta-analysis in environmental risk assessment. Environmetrics 21:510-527
Choi, Anna L; Budtz-Jorgensen, Esben; Jorgensen, Poul J et al. (2008) Selenium as a potential protective factor against mercury developmental neurotoxicity. Environ Res 107:45-52
Grandjean, Philippe; Budtz-Jorgensen, Esben; Barr, Dana B et al. (2008) Elimination half-lives of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in children. Environ Sci Technol 42:6991-6
Choi, Anna L; Cordier, Sylvaine; Weihe, Pal et al. (2008) Negative confounding in the evaluation of toxicity: the case of methylmercury in fish and seafood. Crit Rev Toxicol 38:877-93

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