The impact of a community health worker intervention on uptake of antenatal care: a cluster-randomized pragmatic trial in Dar es Salaam.

The provision of high-quality antenatal care (ANC) is important for preventing maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity, but only around half of pregnant women in Tanzania attended four or more ANC visits in 2019. Although there is emerging evidence on the benefit of community health worker (CHW) interventions on ANC uptake, few large-scale pragmatic trials have been conducted. This pragmatic cluster-randomized trial, implemented directly through the public sector health system, assessed the impact of an intervention that trained public sector CHWs to promote the uptake of ANC. We randomized 60 administrative wards in Dar es Salaam to either a targeted CHW intervention or a standard of care. The impact of the intervention was assessed using generalized estimating equations with an independent working correlation matrix to account for clustering within wards. A total of 243 908 women were included in the analysis of our primary outcome of four or more ANC visits. The intervention significantly increased the likelihood of attending four or more ANC visits [relative risk (RR): 1.42; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05, 1.92] and had a modest beneficial effect on the total number of ANC visits (percent change: 7.7%; 95% CI: 0.2%, 15.5%). While slightly more women in the intervention arm attended ANC in their first trimester compared with the standard-of-care arm (19% vs 18.7%), the difference was not significant (RR: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.84, 1.22). Our findings suggest that trained CHWs can increase attendance of ANC visits in Dar es Salaam and similar settings. However, additional interventions appear necessary to promote the early initiation of ANC. This study demonstrates that routine health system data can be leveraged for outcome assessment in trials and programme evaluation and that the results are likely superior, both in terms of bias and precision, to data that are collected specifically for science.

Efficacy of vitamin D3 supplementation for the prevention of pulmonary tuberculosis and mortality in HIV: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Observational data suggest that low vitamin D status is associated with an increased incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis and mortality among people living with HIV. The primary aims of this study were to assess the effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on the risk of mortality and incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis among adults initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART). METHODS: This was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of vitamin D3 supplementation among adults living with HIV who initiated ART and had serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations of less than 30 ng/mL at four large HIV care and treatment centres in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Patients were excluded if they were younger than 18 years, pregnant at the time of randomisation, or were enrolled in any other clinical trial. Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive either weekly oral 50 000 IU vitamin D3 supplements (cholecalciferol) for the first month of ART followed by daily 2000 IU vitamin D3 supplements or a matching weekly and daily placebo regimen. The randomisation list was computer-generated by a non-study statistician with sequence blocks of ten that were stratified by study clinic. Complete allocation concealment was ensured and patients, field team, and investigators were masked to group assignment. The trial follow-up duration was 1 year and the primary efficacy outcomes were death and incident pulmonary tuberculosis. An intention-to-treat analysis was followed for all-cause mortality; participants diagnosed with or receiving treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis at randomisation, or suspected to have tuberculosis at randomisation and who later had that diagnosis confirmed, were excluded from analyses of pulmonary tuberculosis incidence. Safety was assessed in the intention-to-treat population. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01798680, and is completed. FINDINGS: Between Feb 24, 2014, and Feb 24, 2017, 6250 adults initiating ART had serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D screening, 4000 of whom were enrolled in the trial and followed up for 1 year (follow-up of all participants was completed on March 7, 2018). 2001 patients were randomly assigned to the vitamin D3 supplementation group, and 1999 to the placebo group. 415 deaths were recorded: 211 in the vitamin D3 group and 204 in the placebo group. Among all randomly assigned participants, there was no overall effect of vitamin D3 supplementation on the risk of mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1·04, 95% CI 0·85-1·25; p=0·73). There was also no difference in the overall incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis between the vitamin D3 (50 events in 1812 patients analysed) and placebo groups (64 events in 1827 patients; HR 0·78, 0·54-1·13; p=0·19). The vitamin D3 regimen did not increase the risk of hypercalcaemia (three events in the vitamin D3 group and two events in the placebo group; relative risk 1·25, 95% CI 0·43-3·66; Fisher's exact p=1·00). 101 hospital admissions were reported in the vitamin D3 group and 94 in the placebo group (incidence rate ratio 1·06, 95% CI 0·80-1·41; p=0·66). INTERPRETATION: Additional research is needed before vitamin D3 supplementation should be considered for implementation in HIV care and treatment programmes for the prevention of pulmonary tuberculosis or mortality. FUNDING: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Birth Weight and Adult-Onset Hearing Loss.

OBJECTIVES: Among low-birth-weight infants, exposure to stress or undernutrition in utero may adversely affect cochlear development. As cochlear reserve declines, the risk of hearing loss may increase with age. While low birth weight is associated with a higher risk of neonatal hearing loss, our objective was to examine whether birth weight was associated with adult-onset, self-reported hearing loss in the Nurses' Health Studies (NHS) I and II (n = 113,130). DESIGN: We used Cox proportional hazards regression to prospectively examine whether birth weight, as well as gestational age at birth, is associated with adult-onset hearing loss. Participants reported their birth weight in 1992 in NHS I and 1991 in NHS II. Mothers of NHS II participants reported gestational age at birth in a substudy (n = 28,590). The primary outcome was adult-onset, self-reported moderate or greater hearing loss, based on questionnaires administered in 2012/2016 in NHS I and 2009/2013 in NHS II. RESULTS: Our results suggested a higher risk of hearing loss among those with birth weight <5.5 lbs compared with birth weight 7 to <8.5 lbs (pooled multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio 1.14, 95% confidence interval = 1.04-1.23; p trend = 0.01). Additionally, participants with gestational age at birth ≥42 weeks had a higher risk of hearing loss, compared with gestational age 38 to <42 weeks (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio 1.33, 95% confidence interval = 1.06-1.65). CONCLUSIONS: Birth weight <5.5 lbs was independently associated with higher risk of self-reported, adult-onset hearing loss. In addition, gestational age at birth ≥42 weeks was also associated with higher risk.

Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Among Lesbian, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Women: Findings From the Nurses' Health Study II.

OBJECTIVE: Lesbian and bisexual (LB) women are more likely than heterosexual women to exhibit risk factors for type 2 diabetes, but studies estimating the burden of type 2 diabetes among LB women are uncommon and limited to cross-sectional designs. This study investigated incidence of type 2 diabetes in LB women and heterosexual women in a large, longitudinal U.S. cohort. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Women participating in the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS II) ages 24-44 years in 1989 were prospectively followed through 2013. Self-reported clinician diagnosis of type 2 diabetes was assessed every other year to identify incidence. Of the participants, 1,267 identified as lesbian or bisexual and 92,983 identified as heterosexual. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to model incidence of type 2 diabetes. RESULTS: LB women had a 27% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than heterosexual women (adjusted incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.27, 95% CI 1.05, 1.54). Differences between LB women and heterosexual women in risk of type 2 diabetes were greater during younger ages (sexual orientation-by-age interaction, P < 0.001). BMI mediated the relationship between sexual orientation and type 2 diabetes; the IRR was completely attenuated when BMI was added to the model (IRR 0.85, 95% CI 0.70, 1.03). CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that LB women develop type 2 diabetes at younger ages than heterosexual women. Higher BMI in LB women is an important contributor to this disparity. Public health and clinical efforts to prevent, detect, and manage obesity and type 2 diabetes among LB women are warranted.

The association of long-term exposure to PM2.5 on all-cause mortality in the Nurses' Health Study and the impact of measurement-error correction.

BACKGROUND: Long-term exposure to particulate matter less than 2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5) has been consistently associated with risk of all-cause mortality. The methods used to assess exposure, such as area averages, nearest monitor values, land use regressions, and spatio-temporal models in these studies are subject to measurement error. However, to date, no study has attempted to incorporate adjustment for measurement error into a long-term study of the effects of air pollution on mortality. METHODS: We followed 108,767 members of the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) 2000-2006 and identified all deaths. Biennial mailed questionnaires provided a detailed residential address history and updated information on potential confounders. Time-varying average PM2.5 in the previous 12-months was assigned based on residential address and was predicted from either spatio-temporal prediction models or as concentrations measured at the nearest USEPA monitor. Information on the relationships of personal exposure to PM2.5 of ambient origin with spatio-temporal predicted and nearest monitor PM2.5 was available from five previous validation studies. Time-varying Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 percent confidence intervals (95%CI) for each 10 µg/m(3) increase in PM2.5. Risk-set regression calibration was used to adjust estimates for measurement error. RESULTS: Increasing exposure to PM2.5 was associated with an increased risk of mortality, and results were similar regardless of the method chosen for exposure assessment. Specifically, the multivariable adjusted HRs for each 10 µg/m(3) increase in 12-month average PM2.5 from spatio-temporal prediction models were 1.13 (95%CI:1.05, 1.22) and 1.12 (95%CI:1.05, 1.21) for concentrations at the nearest EPA monitoring location. Adjustment for measurement error increased the magnitude of the HRs 4-10% and led to wider CIs (HR = 1.18; 95%CI: 1.02, 1.36 for each 10 µg/m(3) increase in PM2.5 from the spatio-temporal models and HR = 1.22; 95%CI: 1.02, 1.45 from the nearest monitor estimates). CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the large body of literature on the adverse effects of PM2.5, and suggest that adjustment for measurement error be considered in future studies where possible.

Particulate matter air pollution exposure, distance to road, and incident lung cancer in the nurses' health study cohort.

BACKGROUND: A body of literature has suggested an elevated risk of lung cancer associated with particulate matter and traffic-related pollutants. OBJECTIVE: We examined the relation of lung cancer incidence with long-term residential exposures to ambient particulate matter and residential distance to roadway, as a proxy for traffic-related exposures. METHODS: For participants in the Nurses' Health Study, a nationwide prospective cohort of women, we estimated 72-month average exposures to PM2.5, PM2.5-10, and PM10 and residential distance to road. Follow-up for incident cases of lung cancer occurred from 1994 through 2010. Cox proportional hazards models were adjusted for potential confounders. Effect modification by smoking status was examined. RESULTS: During 1,510,027 person-years, 2,155 incident cases of lung cancer were observed among 103,650 participants. In fully adjusted models, a 10-µg/m3 increase in 72-month average PM10 [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.04; 95% CI: 0.95, 1.14], PM2.5 (HR = 1.06; 95% CI: 0.91, 1.25), or PM2.5-10 (HR = 1.05; 95% CI: 0.92, 1.20) was positively associated with lung cancer. When the cohort was restricted to never-smokers and to former smokers who had quit at least 10 years before, the associations appeared to increase and were strongest for PM2.5 (PM10: HR = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.32; PM2.5: HR = 1.37; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.77; PM2.5-10: HR = 1.11; 95% CI: 0.90, 1.37). RESULTS were most elevated when restricted to the most prevalent subtype, adenocarcinomas. Risks with roadway proximity were less consistent. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support those from other studies indicating increased risk of incident lung cancer associated with ambient PM exposures, especially among never- and long-term former smokers.

Effect of brown rice, white rice, and brown rice with legumes on blood glucose and insulin responses in overweight Asian Indians: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Improving the carbohydrate quality of the diet by replacing the common cereal staple white rice (WR) with brown rice (BR) could have beneficial effects on reducing the risk for diabetes and related complications. Hence we aimed to compare the effects of BR, WR, and BR with legumes (BRL) diets on 24-h glycemic and insulinemic responses among overweight Asian Indians. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Fifteen overweight (body mass index, ≥23 kg/m(2)) Asian Indians without diabetes who were 25-45 years old participated in a randomized crossover study. Test meals (nonisocaloric, ad libitum) were identical except for the type of rice and the addition of legumes (50 g/day) and were provided for 5 consecutive days. Glucose profiles were assessed using the Medtronic MiniMed (Northridge, CA) iPro™2 continuous glucose monitoring device. The mean positive change from baseline glucose concentration was calculated as the daily incremental area under the curve (IAUC) on each test day for 5 days and averaged. Fasting serum insulin was measured prior to and at the end of each test diet. RESULTS: The percentage difference in 5-day average IAUC was 19.8% lower in the BR group than in the WR group (P=0.004). BRL further decreased the glycemic response (22.9% lower compared with WR (P=0.02). The 5-day percentage change in fasting insulin was 57% lower (P=0.0001) for the BR group and 54% lower for the BRL group compared with the 5-day percentage change observed in the WR group. The glycemic and insulinemic responses to the BR and BRL diets were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of BR in place of WR can help reduce 24-h glucose and fasting insulin responses among overweight Asian Indians.

Exposure measurement error in PM2.5 health effects studies: a pooled analysis of eight personal exposure validation studies.

BACKGROUND: Exposure measurement error is a concern in long-term PM2.5 health studies using ambient concentrations as exposures. We assessed error magnitude by estimating calibration coefficients as the association between personal PM2.5 exposures from validation studies and typically available surrogate exposures. METHODS: Daily personal and ambient PM2.5, and when available sulfate, measurements were compiled from nine cities, over 2 to 12 days. True exposure was defined as personal exposure to PM2.5 of ambient origin. Since PM2.5 of ambient origin could only be determined for five cities, personal exposure to total PM2.5 was also considered. Surrogate exposures were estimated as ambient PM2.5 at the nearest monitor or predicted outside subjects' homes. We estimated calibration coefficients by regressing true on surrogate exposures in random effects models. RESULTS: When monthly-averaged personal PM2.5 of ambient origin was used as the true exposure, calibration coefficients equaled 0.31 (95% CI:0.14, 0.47) for nearest monitor and 0.54 (95% CI:0.42, 0.65) for outdoor home predictions. Between-city heterogeneity was not found for outdoor home PM2.5 for either true exposure. Heterogeneity was significant for nearest monitor PM2.5, for both true exposures, but not after adjusting for city-average motor vehicle number for total personal PM2.5. CONCLUSIONS: Calibration coefficients were <1, consistent with previously reported chronic health risks using nearest monitor exposures being under-estimated when ambient concentrations are the exposure of interest. Calibration coefficients were closer to 1 for outdoor home predictions, likely reflecting less spatial error. Further research is needed to determine how our findings can be incorporated in future health studies.

Consumer Acceptance and Preference Study (CAPS) on brown and undermilled Indian rice varieties in Chennai, India.

OBJECTIVES: To study consumer acceptance of unmilled brown and undermilled rice among urban south Indians. METHODS: Overweight and normal weight adults living in slum and nonslum residences in Chennai participated (n = 82). Bapatla (BPT) and Uma (red pigmented) rice varieties were chosen. These rice varieties were dehusked (unmilled, 0% polish) and further milled to 2.3% and 4.4% polishing (undermilled). Thus, 9 rice samples in both raw and parboiled forms were provided for consumer tasting over a period of 3 days. A 7-point hedonic scale was used to rate consumer preferences. A validated questionnaire was used to collect demographic, anthropometric, medical history, physical activity, dietary intake data, and willingness of the consumers to switch over to brown rice. RESULTS: Consumers reported that the color, appearance, texture, taste, and overall quality of the 4.4% polished rice was strongly preferred in both varieties and forms. Ratings for 0% polished (brown rice) were substantially lower than those of 2.3% polished rice, which were intermediate in ratings between 0% and 4.4% polishing. However, most of the consumers (93%) expressed a willingness to substitute brown or 2.3% polished rice, if affordable, after the taste tests and education on nutritional and health benefits of whole grains. CONCLUSION: Though most consumers preferred polished white rice, education regarding health benefits may help this population switch to brown or undermilled rice. Cooking quality and appearance of the grains were perceived as the most important factors to consider when purchasing rice among Chennai urban adults.

Estimation of age- and sex-specific background human serum concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs, and PCBs in the UMDES and NHANES populations.

Age- and sex-specific estimates of serum dioxin concentrations are important for comparisons among populations. However, such comparisons are problematic because populations have different age and sex structures and values are typically reported only in broad age ranges that are not comparable across studies. There are few studies that report congener-specific serum concentrations, and none that provide these by sex for age as a continuous function. We combined the NHANES 2003-2004 data with the University of Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study (UMDES) referent population 2005 data to achieve stable and accurate estimates of mean and quantiles of serum dioxins by sex over ages 18-85. Survey-weighted linear and quantile regression models were fitted on the combined data with the log-transformed congener concentration as outcome and age, sex, and data source as covariates. Formulas are provided to allow calculations of age- and sex-specific mean and quantile estimates over ages 18-85. For instance, the geometric mean, median, 75th percentile, and 95th percentile of serum TEQ for men aged 50 can be estimated, respectively, from the formulas as 18.33, 19.02, 22.60, and 30.37 pg g(-1) lipids among the Michigan general population, and as 15.71, 15.89, 22.60, and 29.90 pg g(-1) lipids among US non-Hispanic whites. These methods and results are useful for comparing the congener-specific human serum dioxin concentrations in any individual to the general population mean, median, 75th percentile, and 95th percentile, and for comparing the serum dioxin concentration in any group of interest to the US and the Michigan general populations.

Substituting white rice with brown rice for 16 weeks does not substantially affect metabolic risk factors in middle-aged Chinese men and women with diabetes or a high risk for diabetes.

Epidemiologic studies have suggested that higher consumption of white rice (WR) is associated with increased risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, it is unclear whether substituting brown rice (BR) for WR can improve metabolic risk factors. A total of 202 middle-aged adults with diabetes or a high risk for diabetes were randomly assigned to a WR (n = 101) or BR group (n = 101) and consumed the rice ad libitum for 16 wk. Metabolic risk markers, including BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, glycated hemoglobin, and serum lipid, glucose, and insulin concentrations were measured before and after the intervention. Over the course of the intervention, no between-group differences were found for any markers except the serum LDL cholesterol concentration, which decreased more in the WR group compared to the BR group (P = 0.02). However, this effect was observed only among participants with diabetes (n = 47). The reversion rate of reduced serum HDL cholesterol was marginally higher in the BR group (14.9%) than in the WR group (6.9%) (P = 0.07). Among participants with diabetes, a greater reduction in diastolic blood pressure was observed in the BR group compared to the WR group (P = 0.02). Our study suggests that incorporating BR into the daily diet for 16 wk did not substantially improve metabolic risk factors. Further studies with larger sample sizes, longer durations of follow-up, and different varieties of rice are needed to carefully examine the role of BR in the prevention and management of diabetes.

Relationship between polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin, polychlorinated dibenzofuran, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations in vegetation and soil on residential properties.

The University of Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study was undertaken to address concerns that the industrial discharge of dioxin-like compounds in the Midland, Michigan, USA area had resulted in the contamination of soil and vegetation in the Tittabawassee River floodplain and downwind of the incinerator in the City of Midland. The study included the analysis of 597 vegetation samples, predominantly grass and weeds, from residential properties selected through a multistage probabilistic sample design in the Midland area, and in Jackson and Calhoun Counties (Michigan), as a background comparison, for 29 polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The mean toxic equivalent (TEQ) of the house perimeter vegetation samples ranged from 4.2 to 377 pg/g. The ratio of TEQs (vegetation to soil) was about 0.3, with a maximum of 3.5. Based on a calculation of the similarity of the congener patterns between the soil and the vegetation, it appeared that the source of the contamination on the vegetation was the surrounding soil. This conclusion was supported by linear regression analysis, which showed that the largest contributor to the R(2) for the outcome variable of log(10) of the vegetation concentration was log(10) of the surrounding soil concentration. Models of vegetation contamination usually focus on atmospheric deposition and partitioning. The results obtained here suggest that the deposition of soil particles onto vegetation is a significant route of contamination for residential herbage. Thus, the inclusion of deposition of soil particles onto vegetation is critical to the accurate modeling of contamination residential herbage in communities impacted by historic industrial discharges of persistent organic compounds.

Case report: the University of Michigan dioxin exposure study: a follow-up investigation of a case with high serum concentration of 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran.

CONTEXT: Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls that have toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) were measured in serum of 946 subjects in five Michigan counties. The study was motivated by concerns about human exposure to dioxin-contaminated sediments in the Tittabawassee River (TR). Most of the toxic equivalency in TR sediments is from two furan congeners, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran and 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran (2,3,4,7,8-pentaCDF). CASE PRESENTATION: The individual with the highest adjusted (for age, age squared, and body mass index) serum level of 2,3,4,7,8-pentaCDF in the study (42.5 ppt) reported a unique history of raising cattle and vegetables in the floodplain of the TR. Interviews and serum samples were obtained from the index case and 15 other people who ate beef and vegetables raised by the index case. 2,3,4,7,8-pentaCDF in beef lipid was estimated to have been more than three orders of magnitude greater than background (1,780 vs. 1.1 ppt). The mean, median, and 95th percentile for serum 2,3,4,7,8-pentaCDF in the study control population were 6.0, 5.4, and 13.0 ppt, respectively, and were 9.9, 8.4, and 20.5 ppt among beef and vegetable consumers, respectively. Back extrapolation for the index case suggests that his increase in serum concentration of 2,3,4,7,8-pentaCDF above background may have been as high as 146 ppt. DISCUSSION: Consumption of beef and/or vegetables raised on dioxin-contaminated soil may be an important completed pathway of exposure. RELEVANCE TO PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE: Animals and crops should not be raised for human consumption in areas contaminated with dioxins.

Estimation of background serum 2,3,7,8-TCDD concentrations by using quantile regression in the UMDES and NHANES populations.

BACKGROUND: The goal of the present study was to quantify the population-based background serum concentrations of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) by using data from the reference population of the 2005 University of Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study (UMDES) and the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). METHODS: Multiple imputation was used to impute the serum TCDD concentrations below the limit of detection by combining the 2 data sources. The background mean, quartiles, and 95th percentile serum TCDD concentrations were estimated by age and sex by using linear and quantile regressions for complex survey data. RESULTS: Any age- and sex-specific mean, quartiles, and 95th percentiles of background serum TCDD concentrations of study participants between ages 18 and 85 years can be estimated from the regressions for the UMDES reference population and the NHANES non-Hispanic white population. For example, for a 50-year-old man in the reference population of UMDES, the mean, quartiles, and 95th percentile serum TCDD concentrations are estimated to be 1.1, 0.6, 1.1, 1.8, and 3.3 parts per trillion, respectively. The study also shows that the UMDES reference population is a valid reference population for serum TCDD concentrations for other predominantly white populations in Michigan. CONCLUSION: The serum TCDD concentrations increased with age and increased more over age in women than in men, and hence estimation of background concentrations must be adjusted for age and sex. The methods and results discussed in this article have wide application in studies of the concentrations of chemicals in human serum and in environmental samples.

Impact of WHO 2005 revised toxic equivalency factors for dioxins on the TEQs in serum, household dust and soil.

BACKGROUND: In 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) - International Programme on Chemical Safety reevaluated the toxic equivalency factors (TEFs) for dioxin-like compounds and made changes that affect the calculation of the total toxic equivalent (TEQ). The impact of these changes on the TEQs for human blood and abiotic matrices such as soil and household dust has not been widely assessed or reported. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using a major exposure study which examined blood, household dust, and soil levels of dioxin-like compounds in several regions of Michigan, we found the mean total TEQ was significantly reduced by 26%, 12% and 14% for serum, household dust, and soil, respectively, when the TEQ was based on the 2005 TEFs compared to the 1998 TEFs. The decrease in the serum total TEQ was largely due to the down-weighting of the TEFs for the majority of mono-ortho PCBs. In contrast, the decrease in the soil total TEQ was mostly due to the down-weighting of the TEF for 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran (PeCDF) (1998 TEF=0.5, 2005 TEF=0.3). For household dust, the decrease in total TEQ was not due to any single TEF but was due to small changes in a number of compounds. There was a dramatic decrease (-88%) in the mean and 95th percentile for mono-ortho PCB TEQ due to the 2005 TEFs. DISCUSSION: These findings suggest that comparisons between studies based on the TEQ-WHO(98) and TEQ-WHO(05) may need to consider an appropriate conversion factor to assure comparability. Furthermore, the changes in TEFs may have impact in locations where regulations of soil contamination are triggered by specific TEQ levels.

The University of Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study: methods for an environmental exposure study of polychlorinated dioxins, furans, and biphenyls.

BACKGROUND: The University of Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study (UMDES) was undertaken in response to concerns that the discharge of dioxin-like compounds from the Dow Chemical Company facilities in Midland, Michigan, resulted in contamination of soils in the Tittabawassee River floodplain and areas of the city of Midland, leading to an increase in residents' body burdens of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans. OBJECTIVES: The UMDES is a hypothesis-driven study designed to answer important questions about human exposure to dioxins in the environment of Midland, where the Dow Chemical Company has operated for > 100 years, and in neighboring Saginaw, Michigan. In addition, the UMDES includes a referent population from an area of Michigan in which there are no unusual sources of dioxin exposure and from which inferences regarding the general Michigan population can be derived. A central goal of the study is to determine which factors explain variation in serum dioxin levels and to quantify how much variation each factor explains. CONCLUSIONS: In this article we describe the study design and methods for a large population-based study of dioxin contamination and its relationship to blood dioxin levels. The study collected questionnaire, blood, dust, and soil samples on 731 people. This study provides a foundation for understanding the exposure pathways by which dioxins in soils, sediments, fish and game, and homegrown produce lead to increased body burdens of these compounds.

The University of Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study: population survey results and serum concentrations for polychlorinated dioxins, furans, and biphenyls.

BACKGROUND: The University of Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study was undertaken to address concerns that the discharge of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzo furans (PCDFs) from the Dow Chemical Company in the Midland, Michigan, area had resulted in contamination of soils in the Tittabawassee River floodplain and the city of Midland, leading to an increase in residents' body burdens of these compounds. OBJECTIVE: In this article we present descriptive statistics from the resident survey and sampling of human serum, household dust, and soil and compare them with other published values. METHODS: From a multistage random sample of populations in four areas of Midland and Saginaw counties and from a distant referent population, we interviewed 946 adults, who also donated blood for analysis of PCDDs, PCDFs, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Samples of household dust and house perimeter soil were collected from consenting subjects who owned their property. RESULTS: All five study populations were comparable in age, race, sex, and length of residence in their current home. Regional differences existed in employment history, personal contact with contaminated soils, and consumption of fish and game from contaminated areas. Median soil concentrations were significantly increased around homes in the Tittabawassee River floodplain (11.4 ppt) and within the city of Midland (58.2 ppt) compared with the referent population (3.6 ppt). Median serum toxic equivalencies were significantly increased in people who lived in the floodplain (23.2 ppt) compared with the referent population (18.5 ppt). CONCLUSIONS: Differences in serum dioxin concentrations among the populations were small but statistically significant. Regression modeling is needed to identify whether the serum concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs, and PCBs are associated with contaminated soils, household dust, and other factors.

The University of Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study: predictors of human serum dioxin concentrations in Midland and Saginaw, Michigan.

BACKGROUND: We conducted a population-based human exposure study in response to concerns among the population of Midland and Saginaw counties, Michigan, that discharges by the Dow Chemical Company of dioxin-like compounds into the nearby river and air had led to an increase in residents' body burdens of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), here collectively referred to as "dioxins." OBJECTIVES: We sought to identify factors that explained variation in serum dioxin concentrations among the residents of Midland and Saginaw counties. Exposures to dioxins in soil, river sediments, household dust, historic emissions, and contaminated fish and game were of primary interest. METHODS: We studied 946 people in four populations in the contaminated area and in a referent population, by interview and by collection of serum, household dust, and residential soil. Linear regression was used to identify factors associated with serum dioxins. RESULTS: Demographic factors explained a large proportion of variation in serum dioxin concentrations. Historic exposures before 1980, including living in the Midland/Saginaw area, hunting and fishing in the contaminated areas, and working at Dow, contributed to serum dioxin levels. Exposures since 1980 in Midland and Saginaw counties contributed little to serum dioxins. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides valuable insights into the relationships between serum dioxins and environmental factors, age, sex, body mass index, smoking, and breast-feeding. These factors together explain a substantial proportion of the variation in serum dioxin concentrations in the general population. Historic exposures to environmental contamination appeared to be of greater importance than recent exposures for dioxins.

An investigation of homes with high concentrations of PCDDs, PCDFs, and/or dioxin-like PCBs in house dust.

As part of the University of Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study, the 29 congeners of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls that have World Health Organization consensus toxic equivalency factors were measured in house dust from 764 homes using a population-based sampling design over selected regions in five Michigan counties. Twenty homes had a total toxic equivalency in house dust that was more than 2.5 standard deviations above the mean (i.e., defined to be outliers). This follow-up investigation describes the outlier house dust measurements and corresponding soil measurements and explores possible sources of these toxins in house dust. The congener distributions in the house dust outliers varied and were dominated (i.e., >50% of the total toxic equivalency) by either polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (n = 9), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (n = 1), or dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (n = 9). Likely sources of contamination of house dust were identified in only three cases. In two cases, dust contamination appeared to be related to contaminated soil adjacent to the home; in one case, contamination was related to a source within the home (a carpet pad). In most cases, the source(s) of contamination of house dust could not be identified but appeared likely to be related to uncharacterized sources within the homes.

Residences with anomalous soil concentrations of dioxin-like compounds in two communities in Michigan, USA: a case study.

Most contamination of residential property soil with dioxin-like compounds occurs as a result of proximity to industrial activity that produces such compounds and, outside the industrially impacted zone, the soil concentrations are at background levels. However, as part of the University of Michigan Dioxin Exposure Study, residential properties in the lower peninsula of Michigan, USA, were identified that were located far enough from known sources of these compounds that the soil concentrations should have been at background levels and yet the toxic equivalent (TEQ) of some properties' soil was greater than 2.5 standard deviations above the mean background level. In the three cases presented here from Midland/Saginaw Counties, the anomalously high-TEQ values were primarily due to the presence of polychlorinated dibenzofurans. Based on interviews with the residents and a comparison of soil congener profiles, it was deduced that these values resulted from anthropogenic soil movement from historically contaminated areas. In the cases from Jackson/Calhoun Counties, the unusually high-TEQ values were primarily due to polychlorinated biphenyls. In the case profiled here, it appears that the soil became contaminated through sandblasting to remove paint from the swimming pool. This study identified two mechanisms for soil contamination outside zones of industrial impact; thus, an assumption of background levels of soil contamination outside industrial zones may not be valid.