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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
5097.0: Wednesday, November 13, 2002: 12:30 PM-2:00 PM | |||
Oral | |||
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| A number of persistent organic pollutants, or POPs, were banned in the U.S. in the 1970s because of their adverse effects on the environment. Prime among these are PCBs, which have contaminated lakes, rivers, and fish, and are now known to damage the neurological development of human and animal fetuses. In the context of what we know about PCBs, this session will examine a group of chemicals known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs. Widely used as flame retardant additives in polymers and textiles, PBDEs are building up rapidly in the global environment and in human bodies. There is emerging evidence that, like PCBs, this new generation of POPs poses a danger to the environment and to human health. In addition, evidence points to similar health implications for vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and their developing fetuses, nursing infants, and young children. While PBDEs serve an important role in reducing losses of human life and property from fire, new research has shown that they are highly persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic. While PCB levels are falling as a result of national and international policy actions, levels of PBDEs in the environment and in humans are rising exponentially, and production and use remain unchecked in North America. To fully protect public health, the unintended effects of PBDEs in the U.S. and globally must be better understood, and actions must be taken to avoid a repeat of the PCB experience and to ensure the public’s right to know about this emerging threat. | |||
| Learning Objectives: 1) What brominated flame retardants are and in what quantities they are used and released into the environment worldwide; 2) A brief summary of the varying chemical and toxicological properties of major types of BFRs, including: brominated bisphenols, brominated diphenyl ethers, brominated cyclododecane, brominated phenols, and brominated phthallic acid derivatives; 3) Sources and environmental fate of PBDEs in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S., including the potential role of fire retardant-treated polyurethane foam as a source; 4) Levels of contamination observed in fish in two large Virginia watersheds; 5) What is known at present about the levels and trends of PBDEs in the Canadian environment and in pooled breast milk samples; 6) Future plans for national monitoring, human exposure, and health studies in Canada; 7) Toxicity concerns for low-dose exposure to PBDEs; 8) A perspective on assessing the potential human health risks posed by PBDEs in the environment. | |||
| See individual abstracts for presenting author's disclosure statement and author's information. | |||
| Marybeth Smuts, PhD Paul Locke, DrPH, JD | |||
| Karen L. Perry, MPA | |||
| What PCBs Tell Us About Reducing Exposures to Other Persistent Organic Pollutants Kathleen E. Schuler, MPH | |||
| Withdrawn -- Health effects on children of mercury and PCB exposure through fish consumption Deborah Rice, PhD | |||
| Sources and persistence of polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants and bioaccumulation in fish Robert C. Hale, PhD | |||
| Levels and trends of PBDEs in the Canadian environment Mehran Alaee | |||
| Toxicity of PBDEs: Are they the PCBs of the future? Thomas McDonald, MPH, PhD | |||
| Implications of PBDEs in the Environment and the Need for National and Global Action Linda S. Birnbaum, PhD | |||
| Organized by: | Environment | ||
| Endorsed by: | Medical Care | ||
| CE Credits: | CME, Environmental Health, Health Education (CHES), Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work | ||