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.


OBJECTIVE
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.
Garabrant
David H
DH
Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Risk Science Center, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2029, USA. dhg@umich.edu
Franzblau
Alfred
A
Lepkowski
James
J
Gillespie
Brenda W
BW
Adriaens
Peter
P
Demond
Avery
A
Ward
Barbara
B
Ladronka
Kathy
K
Hedgeman
Elizabeth
E
Knutson
Kristine
K
Zwica
Lynn
L
Olson
Kristen
K
Towey
Timothy
T
Chen
Qixuan
Q
Hong
Biling
B
D001572:Benzofurans / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008824:Michigan; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities
D001572:Benzofurans; D000072338:Dibenzofurans, Polychlorinated; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls