TY - JOUR

T1 - Risk of cardiovascular diseases following residential exposure to airborne polychlorinated biphenyls

T2 - A register-based cohort study

AU - Deen, Laura

AU - Clark, Alice

AU - Hougaard, Karin Sørig

AU - Meyer, Harald William

AU - Frederiksen, Marie

AU - Pedersen, Ellen Bøtker

AU - Petersen, Kajsa Ugelvig

AU - Flachs, Esben Meulengracht

AU - Bonde, Jens Peter Ellekilde

AU - Tøttenborg, Sandra Søgaard

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Background: Indoor air in buildings constructed with materials containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may be contaminated with especially lower-chlorinated PCBs. So far, the cardiovascular consequences of living with such contamination are unknown. Objectives: To determine the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) following residential exposure to predominantly lower-chlorinated PCBs in indoor air. Methods: The Health Effects of PCBs in Indoor Air (HESPAIR) cohort is register-based with 51 921 residents of two residential areas near Copenhagen: Farum Midtpunkt and Brøndby Strand Parkerne. Here, indoor air was contaminated with PCB in one third of the apartments due to construction with materials containing PCB. Individual PCB exposure was estimated based on register-based information on relocation dates and indoor air PCB measurements in subsets of the apartments. Information on CVD was retrieved from the Danish National Patient Register for the follow-up period of 1977–2018. We estimated adjusted hazard ratios using Cox regression with time-varying exposure. Results: Cumulative residential exposure to airborne PCB was not associated with a higher overall risk for CVD (HR for highly exposed (≥3300 ng/m3 PCB × year): 1.02, 95% CI 0.94–1.10). This was also the case for most of the specific cardiovascular diseases, apart from acute myocardial infarction where a higher risk was observed for residents exposed to ≥3300 ng/m3 PCB × year compared to the reference group (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.00–1.35). However, no exposure-response relationship was apparent and additional adjustment for education attenuated the risk estimate. Discussion: In this, to our knowledge, first study ever to examine the risk of CVD following residential exposure to PCBs in indoor air, we observed limited support for cardiovascular effects of living in PCB-contaminated indoor air. Considering the prevalence of exposure to airborne PCBs and lack of literature on their potential health effects, these findings need to be corroborated in other studies.

AB - Background: Indoor air in buildings constructed with materials containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may be contaminated with especially lower-chlorinated PCBs. So far, the cardiovascular consequences of living with such contamination are unknown. Objectives: To determine the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) following residential exposure to predominantly lower-chlorinated PCBs in indoor air. Methods: The Health Effects of PCBs in Indoor Air (HESPAIR) cohort is register-based with 51 921 residents of two residential areas near Copenhagen: Farum Midtpunkt and Brøndby Strand Parkerne. Here, indoor air was contaminated with PCB in one third of the apartments due to construction with materials containing PCB. Individual PCB exposure was estimated based on register-based information on relocation dates and indoor air PCB measurements in subsets of the apartments. Information on CVD was retrieved from the Danish National Patient Register for the follow-up period of 1977–2018. We estimated adjusted hazard ratios using Cox regression with time-varying exposure. Results: Cumulative residential exposure to airborne PCB was not associated with a higher overall risk for CVD (HR for highly exposed (≥3300 ng/m3 PCB × year): 1.02, 95% CI 0.94–1.10). This was also the case for most of the specific cardiovascular diseases, apart from acute myocardial infarction where a higher risk was observed for residents exposed to ≥3300 ng/m3 PCB × year compared to the reference group (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.00–1.35). However, no exposure-response relationship was apparent and additional adjustment for education attenuated the risk estimate. Discussion: In this, to our knowledge, first study ever to examine the risk of CVD following residential exposure to PCBs in indoor air, we observed limited support for cardiovascular effects of living in PCB-contaminated indoor air. Considering the prevalence of exposure to airborne PCBs and lack of literature on their potential health effects, these findings need to be corroborated in other studies.

KW - CVD

KW - Environmental pollutants

KW - Heart disease

KW - Lower-chlorinated PCBs

KW - PCBs

KW - Volatile PCBs

U2 - 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115354

DO - 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115354

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 36709868

AN - SCOPUS:85147311216

VL - 222

JO - Environmental Research

JF - Environmental Research

SN - 0013-9351

M1 - 115354

ER -