Determinants of Persistent Organic Pollutants Exposure in Hispanic/Latino Adults of Diverse Backgrounds

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) include several classes of toxic synthetic organic compounds with long half-lives. Despite bans and restrictions placed on POPs production and use, exposure in the general population is ongoing. The objective of this study was to identify the predictors of serum POPs concentrations among Hispanic adults. This study included 2,343 males and females aged 45-74 participating in the Hispanic Community Health Study/ Study of Latinos. Serum concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polybrominated biphenyl-153 (PBB-153), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH), mirex, oxychlordane, and trans-nonachlor were measured. We investigated the cross-sectional association of serum POPs levels with demographic, acculturation, dietary, clinical, lifestyle, and reproductive factors separately for males and females. Serum POPs levels were found to vary by sex. In multivariable models, the associations between serum POPs levels and predictors differed between POPs groups and by sex. Age was positively associated with most POPs and all POPs levels were found to vary by Hispanic heritage. Measures of acculturation including the MESA acculturation score, and the SASH language and social subscales were significantly associated with several POPs in multivariable models. Other frequent predictors of POPs exposure included study recruitment center and among males BMI. Additional factors including diet, socio-economic status, smoking, and physical activity were largely not significant predictors of POPs levels in this population. Serum POPs levels in this study were correlated with time spent in the United States among foreign born Hispanic adults. PCBs, PBDEs, PBB-153, mirex, oxychlordane, and trans-nonachlor tended to be positively associated with time spent in the US while measures of DDT tended to be negatively associated with time spent in the US. Correlations between time in the US and HCB and β-HCH levels varied by Hispanic background. This study identified several predictors of serum POPs levels among Hispanic adults including age, place of residence, Hispanic background, and measures of acculturation that had not been previously studied. These results suggest that immigration history and acculturation may play an important role in POPs exposure among Hispanics living in the US.