Dataset Information

Organophosphate and Organohalogen Flame-Retardant Exposure and Thyroid Hormone Disruption in a Cross-Sectional Study of Female Firefighters and Office Workers from San Francisco.

ABSTRACT: Occupational exposures to flame retardants (FRs), a class of suspected endocrine-disrupting compounds, are of health concern for firefighters. We sought to characterize exposure to FR compounds and evaluate their association with thyroid hormone levels, a biomarker of early effect, in female firefighters and office workers in San Francisco. In a cross-sectional study, we measured replacement organophosphate and organohalogen FRs in spot urine samples from firefighters (N = 86) and office workers (N = 84), as well as total thyroxine (T₄) and thyroid-stimulating hormone in plasma for 84 firefighters and 81 office workers. Median bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)phosphate (BDCPP) levels were 5 times higher in firefighters than office workers. Among firefighters, a doubling of BDCPP was associated with a 2.88% decrease (95% confidence interval -5.28, -0.42) in T₄. We did not observe significant associations between FRs and T₄ among office workers. In the full group, intermediate body mass index and a college education were associated with higher FR levels. The inverse association observed between FRs and T₄ coupled with the lack of studies on women workers and evidence of adverse health effects from FR exposure─including endocrine disruption and breast cancer risk─warrant further research on occupational exposures and identification of opportunities for exposure reduction.

SUBMITTER: Trowbridge J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9037981 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Organophosphate and Organohalogen Flame-Retardant Exposure and Thyroid Hormone Disruption in a Cross-Sectional Study of Female Firefighters and Office Workers from San Francisco.

Trowbridge Jessica J Gerona Roy R McMaster Michael M Ona Katherine K Clarity Cassidy C Bessonneau Vincent V Rudel Ruthann R Buren Heather H Morello-Frosch Rachel R

Environmental science & technology 20211213 1

Occupational exposures to flame retardants (FRs), a class of suspected endocrine-disrupting compounds, are of health concern for firefighters. We sought to characterize exposure to FR compounds and evaluate their association with thyroid hormone levels, a biomarker of early effect, in female firefighters and office workers in San Francisco. In a cross-sectional study, we measured replacement organophosphate and organohalogen FRs in spot urine samples from firefighters (<i>N</i> = 86) and office ...[more]

PMID: 34902963

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Project description:BackgroundEnvironmental chemical exposures can affect telomere length, which in turn has been associated with adverse health outcomes including cancer. Firefighters are occupationally exposed to many hazardous chemicals and have higher rates of certain cancers. As a potential biomarker of effect, we assessed associations between chemical exposures and telomere length in women firefighters and office workers from San Francisco, CA.MethodsWe measured serum concentrations of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), urinary metabolites of flame retardants, including organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs), and telomere length in peripheral blood leukocytes in women firefighters (N = 84) and office workers (N = 79) who participated in the 2014-15 Women Workers Biomonitoring Collaborative. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess associations between chemical exposures and telomere length.ResultsRegression results revealed significant positive associations between perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and telomere length and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and telomere length among the whole cohort. Models stratified by occupation showed stronger and more significant associations among firefighters as compared to office workers. Among firefighters in models adjusted for age, we found positive associations between telomere length and log-transformed PFOA (β (95%CI) = 0.57(0.12, 1.02)), PFOS (0.44 (0.05, 0.83)), and perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) (0.43 (0.02, 0.84)). Modeling PFAS as categories of exposure showed significant associations between perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and telomere length among firefighters. Significant associations between OPFR metabolites and telomere length were seen for bis (1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCPP) and telomere length among office workers (0.21(0.03, 0.40)) and bis (2-chloroethyl) phosphate (BCEP) and telomere length among firefighters (- 0.14(- 0.28, - 0.01)). For OPFRs, the difference in the direction of effect by occupational group may be due to the disparate detection frequencies and concentrations of exposure between the two groups and/or potential unmeasured confounding.ConclusionOur findings suggest positive associations between PFAS and telomere length in women workers, with larger effects seen among firefighters as compared to office workers. The OPFR metabolites BDCPP and BCEP are also associated with telomere length in firefighters and office workers. Associations between chemical exposures and telomere length reported here and by others suggest mechanisms by which these chemicals may affect carcinogenesis and other adverse health outcomes.

Project description:ObjectiveTo evaluate whether urinary concentrations of organophosphate flame retardant (PFR) metabolites are associated with pregnancy loss among women conceiving with assisted reproductive technology (ART).DesignProspective preconception cohort of subfertile women.SettingAcademic hospital fertility center in Boston, Massachusetts.Patient(s)A total of 155 women conceiving 179 pregnancies with ART.Intervention(s)None. Mean exposure to each of five PFR metabolites was estimated by averaging the specific-gravity adjusted natural log concentrations from two urine samples collected during the ART cycle of conception.Main outcome measure(s)Adjusted risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for biochemical and total pregnancy loss (all losses <20 weeks' gestation) by quartiles of PFR metabolite concentrations were estimated using a repeated measures log-binomial model, accounting for multiple pregnancies per woman.Result(s)Of the 179 pregnancies, 31% ended in pregnancy loss (12% in biochemical loss). Among the three metabolites with high detection frequency [bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCIPP), diphenyl phosphate (DPHP), and isopropylphenyl phenyl phosphate (ip-PPP)], an increased risk of biochemical loss was observed for women with DPHP concentrations in the fourth vs. first quartile (RR 1.64; 95% CI 0.61-4.39). Also found was an elevated risk of biochemical pregnancy loss among women in the highest quartile of the molar sum of urinary PFR metabolites compared with the lowest (RR 1.89; 95% CI 0.64-5.58). Urinary concentrations of ip-PPP and BDCIPP were not associated with either outcome.Conclusion(s)Among subfertile women, urinary DPHP metabolite concentrations measured during the ART cycle of conception may be associated with early pregnancy loss. Although this study is uniquely designed to investigate early markers of pregnancy success and maintenance, the small sample size likely contributed to imprecision. Given their increasing use as replacement chemicals for traditional flame retardants, exposure to PFRs may increase, and more studies will be needed to investigate their potential to impact pregnancy and reproduction.

Project description:BackgroundEvidence from animal studies suggests that exposure to organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs) can disrupt endocrine function and impair embryo development. However, no epidemiologic studies have been conducted to evaluate effects on fertility and pregnancy outcomes.ObjectivesWe evaluated associations between urinary concentrations of PFR metabolites and outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment among couples recruited from an academic fertility clinic.MethodsThis analysis included 211 women enrolled in the Environment And Reproductive Health (EARTH) prospective cohort study (2005-2015) who provided one or two urine samples per IVF cycle. We measured five urinary PFR metabolites [bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCIPP), diphenyl phosphate (DPHP), isopropylphenyl phenyl phosphate (ip-PPP), tert-butylphenyl phenyl phosphate (tb-PPP), and bis(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BCIPP)] using negative electrospray ionization liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Molar concentrations of the urinary PFR metabolites were summed. We used multivariable generalized linear mixed models to evaluate the association of the PFR metabolites with IVF outcomes, accounting for multiple IVF cycles per woman.ResultsDetection frequencies were high for BDCIPP (87%), DPHP (94%), and ip-PPP (80%), but low for tb-PPP (14%) and BCIPP (0%). We observed decreased success for several IVF outcomes across increasing quartiles of both summed and individual PFR metabolites (DPHP and ip-PPP) in our adjusted multivariable models. Significant declines in adjusted means from the lowest to highest quartile of ?PFR were observed for the proportion of cycles resulting in successful fertilization (10% decrease), implantation (31%), clinical pregnancy (41%), and live birth (38%).ConclusionsUsing IVF to investigate human reproduction and pregnancy outcomes, we found that concentrations of some urinary PFR metabolites were negatively associated with proportions of successful fertilization, implantation, clinical pregnancy, and live birth. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1021.

Dataset Information

Organophosphate and Organohalogen Flame-Retardant Exposure and Thyroid Hormone Disruption in a Cross-Sectional Study of Female Firefighters and Office Workers from San Francisco.

Publications

Organophosphate and Organohalogen Flame-Retardant Exposure and Thyroid Hormone Disruption in a Cross-Sectional Study of Female Firefighters and Office Workers from San Francisco.

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