title: Public health and chronic low chlordecone exposure in Guadeloupe, Part 1: hazards, exposure-response functions, and exposures.
abstract: Inhabitants of Guadeloupe are chronically exposed to low dose of chlordecone via local food. The corresponding health impacts have not been quantified. Nevertheless the public authority implemented an exposure reduction program in 2003. We develop methods for quantifying the health impacts of chlordecone and present the results in 2 articles: 1. hazard identification, exposure-response functions (ERF) and exposure in Guadeloupe, 2. Health impacts and benefits of exposure reduction. Here is the first article.
  
  
  
  Relevant data are extracted from publications searched in Medline and Toxline. Available knowledges on mode of action and key-event hazards of chlordecone are used to identify effects of chlordecone that could occur at low dose. Then a linear ERF is derived for each possible effect. From epidemiological data, ERF is the delta relative risk (RR-1) divided by the corresponding delta exposure. From animal studies, ERF is the benchmark response (10 %) divided by the best benchmark dose modeled with BMDS2.4.0. Our goal is to obtain central values for the ERF slopes, applicable to typical human populations, rather than lower or upper bounds in the most sensitive species or sex.
  
  
  
  We derive ERFs for 3 possible effects at chronic low chlordecone dose: cancers, developmental impairment, and hepatotoxicity. Neurotoxicity in adults is also a possible effect at low dose but we lack quantitative data for the ERF derivation. A renal toxicity ERF is derived for comparison purpose. Two ERFs are based on epidemiological studies: prostate cancer in men aged >44y (0.0019 per μg/Lblood) and altered neurodevelopment in boys (-0.32 QIpoint per μg/Lcord-blood). Two are based on animal studies: liver cancer (2.69 per mg/kg/d), and renal dysfunction in women (0.0022 per mg/kg/d).
  
  
  
  The methodological framework developed here yields ERFs for central risk estimates for non-genotoxic effects of chemicals; it is robust with regard to models used. This framework can be used generally to derive ERFs suitable for risk assessment and for cost-benefit analysis of public health decisions.
authors.affiliation: Consultant on Environmental risks and health safety, 23, rue André Masséna, 83000, Toulon, France. vincent.nedellec3@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8177-4777
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nedellec
authors.affiliation: Retired from Ecole des Mines/ARMINES, Paris, Consultant on Environmental Impacts, 6 av. Faidherbe, 91440, Bures sur Yvette, France.
authors.forename: Ari
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rabl
authors.affiliation: Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (CNAM), 292, rue Saint Martin, 75141, Paris cedex 03, France.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dab
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007631:Chlordecone / Q000633:toxicity*; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D019430:Guadeloupe; D006801:Humans; D007306:Insecticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D011634:Public Health; D018570:Risk Assessment
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D007631:Chlordecone
keywords: Chlordecone; Endocrine disrupter; Exposure-response function; Key-events; Low-dose; Mode of action; Non-mutagenic agent; Risk assessment