Effects of Persistent and Bioactive Organic Pollutants on Human Health

Examines what we know about the relationship between organic chemicals and human disease Organic chemicals are everywhere: in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. They are also found in a myriad of common household and personal care products. Unfortunately, exposure to some organic chemicals can result in adverse health effects, from growth and developmental disorders to cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. This book examines how organic chemicals affect human health. It looks at the different diseases as well as how individual organ systems are affected by organic chemicals. Effects of Persistent and Bioactive Organic Pollutants on Human Health begins with an introductory chapter explaining why we should care about organic chemicals and their effect on human health. Next, the authors address such important topics as: Burden of cancer from organic chemicals Organic chemicals and obesity Effects of organic chemicals on the male reproductive system Organic chemicals and the immune system Intellectual developmental disability syndromes and organic chemicals Mental illness and exposure to organic chemicals The book ends with an assessment of how much human disease is caused by organic chemicals. Chapters have been contributed by leading international experts in public and environmental health and are based on the latest research findings. Readers will find that all of the contributions are clear and easy to comprehend, with extensive references for further investigation of individual topics. Effects of Persistent and Bioactive Organic Pollutants on Human Health is recommended for students and professionals in medicine as well as public and environmental health, bringing them fully up to date with what we know about the relationship between organic chemicals and human health.

Contributors vii 1. Introduction: Why Should We Care about Organic Chemicals and Human Health? 1 David O. Carpenter 2. Sources of Human Exposure 8 Martí Nadal and José L. Domingo 3. The Burden of Cancer from Organic Chemicals 26 Molly M. Jacobs, Rachel I. Massey, and Richard W. Clapp 4. Carcinogenicity and Mechanisms of Persistent Organic Pollutants 57 Gabriele Ludewig, Larry W. Robertson, and Howard P. Glauert 5. Diabetes and the Metabolic Syndrome 101 Duk–Hee Lee and David R. Jacobs, Jr. 6. Mechanistic Basis for Elevation in Risk of Diabetes Caused by Persistent Organic Pollutants 130 Jérôme Ruzzin 7. Cardiovascular Disease and Hypertension 143 Marian Pavuk and Nina Dutton 8. Obesity 174 Eveline Dirinck, Adrian Covaci, Luc Van Gaal, and Stijn Verhulst 9. Effects and Predicted Consequences of Persistent and Bioactive Organic Pollutants on Thyroid Function 203 Stefanie Giera and R. Thomas Zoeller 10. An Overview of the Effects of Organic Compounds on Women’s Reproductive Health and Birth Outcomes 237 Susan R. Reutman and Juliana W. Meadows 11. Effects of Organic Chemicals on the Male Reproductive System 315 Lars Rylander and Anna Rignell–Hydbom 12. Effects of Endocrine–Disrupting Substances on Bone and Joint 332 Chi–Hsien Chen and Yueliang Leon Guo 13. Organic Chemicals and the Immune System 362 David O. Carpenter 14. Exposures to Organic Pollutants and Respiratory Illnesses in Adults and Children 384 Krassi Rumchev, Jeff Spickett, and Janelle Graham 15. Cognitive Function 400 Lizbeth López–Carrillo and Mariano E. Cebrián 16. Intellectual Developmental Disability Syndromes and Organic Chemicals 421 David O. Carpenter 17. Mechanisms of the Neurotoxic Actions of Organic Chemicals 448 David O. Carpenter 18. Parkinson’s Disease 471 Samuel M. Goldman 19. Psychiatric Effects of Organic Chemical Exposure 514 James S. Brown, Jr. 20. Growth and Development 532 Lawrence M. Schell, Mia V. Gallo, and Kristopher K. Burnitz 21. How Much Human Disease Is Caused by Exposure to Organic Chemicals? 557 David O. Carpenter Index 570

DAVID O. CARPENTER, MD, is a public health physician. His research focuses on human diseases resulting from exposure to environmental contaminants. Following positions at the National Institute of Mental Health and the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Dr. Carpenter joined the New York State Department of Health as Director of the Wadsworth Center for Laboratories and Research. He helped create and became the first Dean of the School of Public Health, a collaborative endeavor of the University at Albany (SUNY) and the New York State Department of Health. Upon stepping down as Dean, Dr. Carpenter founded the Institute for Health and the Environment. In 2011, the Institute was named a Collaborating Centre of the World Health Organization in Environmental Health.