A State of the Science Review of Human Health Effects of the Michigan Polybrominated Biphenyl Contamination after Five Decades
Year: 2025
Type: review
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The Michigan Polybrominated Biphenyl (PBB) Registry, followed since 1976, was created after a 1973 chemical manufacturing mistake. The flame retardant PBB was accidentally mixed into animal feed and distributed to Michigan farms for nearly a year, exposing farm residents and animal product consumers. OBJECTIVE: We synthesized knowledge to date on health effects of PBB exposure within the Michigan PBB Registry and describe research findings in the context of literature on other persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). METHODS: We reviewed literature published from 1973 to 2025 on human health effects of PBB following the Michigan contamination, using PubMed and Thompson Reuters (ISI) Web of Science databases. We excluded studies not in English; studies on exposures besides PBB; animal studies; reviews, abstracts, or letters to the editor; studies without a health outcome; and studies outside of Michigan or unrelated to the 1973 contamination. For each article, two researchers performed title and abstract screening, full article review, and data extraction. RESULTS: , lower estrone 3-glucuronide and follicle-stimulating hormone among women exposed in childhood, and increased miscarriage risk among daughters of exposed women. Epigenetic and metabolomic research reported altered pathways related to estrogenic effects and immune function as well as the epigenetic alterations of spermatogenic cells. DISCUSSION: This unique community-academic partnership has produced insights into multigenerational consequences of EDC/POP exposures across the life course. The findings from this cohort underscore the broader relevance of critical windows of vulnerability, particularly during fetal development and childhood. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP15012.
DOI: 10.1289/ehp15012
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,500
Funders: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Emory University, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Strong, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Awards: G1148649446, G2097307473, G2478726691, G3317766904, G3395503763, The Michigan PBB Cohort: A unique, highly exposed community followed for 45 years and three generations, Brominated Flame Retardants: Multigenerational Endocrine Disruption?, Polybrominated Biphenyls and Cancer Risk, G7671733674, MI PBB COHORT 20 YEARS--ENDOCRINE DISRUPTION, Collaborative Research and Action: Empowering an Exposed Community, Genetic Biomarkers of Polybrominated Biphenyl (PBB), The Michigan PBB Cohort: A unique, highly exposed community followed for 50 years and three generations, Graduate and Postdoctoral Training in Environmental Health Science and Toxicology
OpenAlex ID: W4409890843