PBB has not gone away – Huron Daily Tribune

HURON COUNTY — As health and environmental concerns mount with frightening topics such as lead and polyfluoroalkyl substances, local health officials have partnered with Emory University to further research polybrominated biphenyl.

Studies conducted by the university show that 60% of Michigan residents have PBB levels above the U.S. population, placing the state in the 95th percentile.

The registry of exposed Michigan residents was the basis for many years of scientific research until 2011, when the Michigan Department of Community Health discontinued its maintenance. Emory University Pediatrics Schools of Public Health and Medicine Professor Michele Marcus, along with interested cohort members, continue to research the health effects of PBB.

“As citizens we all need to be aware of what happened,” Markus said. “It still impacts us.”

The university’s findings suggest up to 107 Huron County farms may have been affected.

The Michigan PBB Research Team held a meeting on Sunday, Dec. 8 at the Franklin Inn in Bad Axe. According to Huron County Health Department Health Services Director Mitzi Koroleski, nearly 50 people showed and 30 people of all ages participated in blood draws. High PBB levels were found in 20 of those tested. Blood draws were done at Sanilac and Huron County health departments.

Associate Professor of the Department of History at Central Michigan University Brittany Bayless Fremion is head of an oral research project dedicated to the PBB epidemic.

According to Fremion, in 1973 both PBB and magnesium oxide were produced by the Michigan Chemical Company at the same St. Louis plant. A paper bag shortage led to the shipment of 10 to 20 fifty-pound PBB bags to Michigan Farm Bureau Services.

Michigan dairy farmer Rick Halbert noticed problems with his herd in the fall of 1973. Milk production dropped and his heifers exhibited health problems, such as watery eyes, patchy skin, and loss of appetite. Halbert ultimately discovered that PBB had accidentally been added to his livestock feed. Other farmers across the state noticed similar problems. Farm families started to feel changes in their own health as well. Fremion’s research revealed that public officials often overlooked such concerns and observations, even as details related to the exposure unfolded.

Halbert discovered one of the largest chemical contaminations in U.S. history. PBB chemically entered the human food chain and exposed millions of people. More than 500 contaminated Michigan farms were quarantined and approximately 30,000 cattle and 1.5 million chickens were destroyed, along with over 800 tons of animal feed.The U.S. Government ordered the discontinuation of PBB manufacturing in 1976.

MDCH created a registry of more than 6,000 people who consumed the contaminated farm products or had been employed by the chemical plant. They referenced research, suggesting a link between high PBB exposures to an increased risk of certain cancers. Tests could not conclusively confirm PBB caused cancer in humans but concluded that they cause liver cancer in mice and rats. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services determined that PBB was a reasonably anticipated carcinogen.

Kal Pokely teaches chemistry at Bad Axe High School. He described polybrominated biphenyls as a relatively stable substance that is insoluble in water but highly soluble in fat.

“PBBs do not leave the body once ingested,” Pokely said They are stored in fat deposits and resist mixing with our blood so they can be removed via the kidneys like most other toxins. That is why PBBs can stay in our bodies for so long.”

Pokely suggested this is the reason science continues to study compounds and take blood samples in the state.

“The idea is that we can not change our DNA but chemicals could interact with our DNA to turn certain genes on or off,” Pokely said.

Marcus referred to epigenetics, the study of changes in organisms caused by modifications in gene expression. A study currently being conducted by Emory, in conjunction with Huron and Tuscola health departments, researches exposed men who had children with unexposed women.

Therefore, it is possible that the affected father’s DNA could be altered and passed on to his offspring.

An additional study pertains to decreasing PBB levels through weight loss. It transcended out of concerns expressed during community meetings and by the PBB Advisory Board.

“We announced that 60 percent of tested individuals still had high PBB levels,” Markus said. “They wanted to know what they could do and how to get rid of it.”

That is when Emory consulted with several nutrition experts. Current trials are six months and include a weight loss regiment, accompanied by a weight loss drug or placebo. Participants are set up with coaches and receive help reviewing their diets and exercise routines.

Another Emory study pertains to decreasing PBB levels through weight loss. It transcended out of concerns expressed during community meetings and by the PBB Advisory Board.

“We announced that 60 percent of tested individuals still had high PBB levels,” Markus said. “They wanted to know what they could do and how to get rid of it.”

That is when the university consulted with several nutrition experts. Current trials are six months and include a weight loss regiment, accompanied by a weight loss drug or placebo. Participants are set up with coaches and receive help reviewing their diets and exercise routines. Markus said research enrollment occurs on a rolling basis. Individuals are tested at three months and then again at 6 months. There is one more year left in the weight loss study.

Emory has worked with Michigan health departments for the past 25 years. However, exposed community members, researchers and grants fund current research.

Markus said the research team has been waiting for over a year for MDCH to approve an updated registry. She said the funding is there and would allow researchers to look at the mortality rate and its associated causes. Researchers would have the ability to learn if people are dying from related PBB diseases. They also wish to update the cancer incidents cohort.

The National Institute of Health supports Emory’s research. Markus noted the competition for NIH grants is extremely competitive. PBB research had to undergo extensive review but the agency found it was important enough to continue funding.

“It was a pleasure to meet the folks in Bad Axe and hear their stories,” Markus said. “People need to be aware.”

Recent studies maintain that six out of 10 Michigan residents still have elevated levels of PBB in their bodies.

For more information, visit the Michigan PBB Registry: http://pbbregistry.emory.edu

To learn about PBB research activities view the Michigan PBB Oral History Project at https://www.recollectionhistory.com/blog/2019/10/1/were-listening?rq=pbb

The following is a link to the posters that project partners created for a legislative event last spring: http://mleead.umich.edu/files/PBB_to_PFAS_Event_Posters.pdf