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PCBs may play a role in the development of cancers of the immune system because some tests of laboratory animals subjected to very high doses of PCBs have shown effects on the animals' immune system, and some studies of human populations have reported an association between environmental levels of PCBs and immune response.
PCB contamination in humans may come from drinking the contaminated water, absorption through the skin, eating contaminated aquatic life, and/or inhaling volatilized PCBs. PCB contamination is especially dangerous for pregnant and nursing women. The contamination can reach the fetus and potentially cause birth defects.
Humans and wildlife are rarely exposed to solitary contaminants, but rather to complex mixtures of potentially harmful compounds. Dioxins and DLCs are no exception. [ 3 ] This is important to consider when assessing toxicity because the effects of chemicals in a mixture are often different from when acting alone.
PCBs are human carcinogens, and can also have a negative effect on the human immune, reproductive, and endocrine systems. [4] PCBs in the Kalamazoo River adhere to the fatty tissue of fish, and over time a process of bioaccumulation takes place, meaning that the PCBs appear in increasing concentrations in organisms higher up on the food chain ...
Ortho-PCBs may alter hormone regulation through disruption of the thyroid hormone transport by binding to transthyretin. [8] Coplanar PCBs are similar to dioxins and furans, both bind to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in organisms and may exert dioxin-like effects, in addition to the effects shared with non-coplanar PCBs.
First, it’s important to understand that inflammation isn’t always bad. “Inflammation is one of the body’s key mechanisms for maintaining homeostasis, acting as a natural response to ...
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Early studies on the effects of PBBs on human beings concerned the people in Michigan, United States who consumed PBB-contaminated animal products (see history of PBBs below). [3] A study of 327 girls aged 5–24 years in Michigan found those who were exposed in utero to PBBs at or above a level of 7 ppb found had an earlier age at menarche ...