Top

Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine

Published in:

01-11-2009 | Review

Past, present, and future of environmental specimen banks

Authors: Akio Koizumi, Kouji H. Harada, Kayoko Inoue, Toshiaki Hitomi, Hye-Ran Yang, Chan-Seok Moon, Peiyu Wang, Nguyen Ngoc Hung, Takao Watanabe, Shinichiro Shimbo, Masayuki Ikeda

Published in: Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine | Issue 6/2009

Abstract

Environmental specimen banks are an essential part of the infrastructure of environmental sciences. They have various functions: (1) evaluation of governmental environmental policy-making and regulations; (2) a resource for animal health evaluation; (3) research tools to investigate time trends in ecosystems; (4) detection of newly emerging chemicals in the time trends; (5) validations of computer models for environmental phenomena; (6) source identification of contaminants; (7) a tool for food safety; (8) evaluation of genetic selection pressure due to environmental changes. In this review paper, we present a detailed description of the Kyoto University Human Specimen Bank (history, protocol and questionnaires) and provide brief outlines of other representative environmental specimen banks. We then review two illustrative cases in which environmental specimen banks have unveiled insidious contaminations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and perfluorooctanoic acids. Finally, we give a perspective of new functions for environmental specimen banks in the next 20 years.

Koizumi A, Yoshinaga T, Harada K, Inoue K, Morikawa A, Muroi J, et al. Assessment of human exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in Japan using archived samples from the early 1980s and mid-1990s. Environ Res. 2005;99:31–9.CrossRefPubMed

Watanabe T, Koizumi A, Fujita H, Kumai M, Ikeda M. Dietary cadmium intakes of farmers in nonpolluted areas in Japan, and the relation with blood cadmium levels. Environ Res. 1985;37:33–43.CrossRefPubMed

Watanabe T, Nakatsuka H, Ikeda M. Cadmium and lead contents in rice available in various areas of Asia. Sci Total Environ. 1989;80:175–84.CrossRefPubMed

Watanabe T, Nakatsuka H, Shimbo S, Iwami O, Imai Y, Moon CS, et al. Reduced cadmium and lead burden in Japan in the past 10 years. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 1996;68:305–14.CrossRefPubMed

Watanabe T, Zhang ZW, Moon CS, Shimbo S, Nakatsuka H, Matsuda-Inoguchi N, et al. Cadmium exposure of women in general populations in Japan during 1991–1997 compared with 1977–1981. Int Arch Occup Environ Health. 2000;73:26–34.CrossRefPubMed

Ikeda M, Zhang ZW, Shimbo S, Watanabe T, Nakatsuka H, Moon CS, et al. Exposure of women in general populations to lead via food and air in East and Southeast Asia. Am J Ind Med. 2000;38:271–80.CrossRefPubMed

Sugaya T, Watanabe K, Sasaki S. Levels of organochlorines and polychlorinated biphenyls in human body. J Jpn Assoc Rural Med 1984;33:140–146

Chiba K, Miyasaka M, Koizumi A, Kumai M, Watanabe T, Ikeda M. Comparison of food constituents in the diet of female agricultural workers in Japan with high and low concentrations of high-density lipoprotein in their sera. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1985;39:259–62.CrossRefPubMed

Tanabe S. Environmental Specimen Bank in Ehime University (es-BANK), Japan for global monitoring. J Environ Monit. 2006;8:782–90.CrossRefPubMed

10.

Wise SA, Koster BJ. Considerations in the design of an environmental specimen bank: experiences of the National Biomonitoring Specimen Bank Program. Environ Health Perspect. 1995;103[Suppl 3]:61–7.CrossRefPubMed

11.

Becker PR, Wise SA. The U.S. National biomonitoring specimen bank and the marine environmental specimen bank. J Environ Monit. 2006;8:795–9.CrossRefPubMed

12.

Emons H, Schladot JD, Schwuger MJ. Environmental specimen banking in Germany—present state and further challenges. Chemosphere. 1997;34:1875–88.CrossRefPubMed

13.

Wiesmuller GA, Eckard R, Dobler L, Gunsel A, Oganowski M, Schroter-Kermani C, et al. The environmental specimen bank for human tissues as part of the German Environmental Specimen Bank. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2007;210:299–305.CrossRefPubMed

14.

Odsjö T. The environmental specimen bank, Swedish Museum of Natural History—a base for contaminant monitoring and environmental research. J Environ Monit. 2006;8:791–4.CrossRefPubMed

15.

Sellström U, Jansson B, Kierkegaard A, de Wit C, Odsjö T, Olsson M. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) in biological samples from the Swedish environment. Chemosphere. 1993;26:1703–18.CrossRef

16.

Darnerud PO, Atuma S, Aune M, Cnattingius S, Wernroth ML, Wicklund-Glynn A. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers PBDEs in breast milk from primiparous women in Uppsala County, Sweden. Organohalogen Compd. 1998;35:411–4.

17.

Noren K, Meironyte D. Contaminations in Swedish human milk. Decreasing levels of organocholorine and increasing levels of organobromine compounds. Organohalogen Compd. 1998;38:1–4.

18.

Noren K, Meironyte D. Certain organochlorine and organobromine contaminants in Swedish human milk in perspective of past 20–30 years. Chemosphere. 2000;40:1111–23.CrossRefPubMed

19.

Akutsu K, Kitagawa M, Nakazawa H, Makino T, Iwazaki K, Oda H, et al. Time-trend (1973–2000) of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in Japanese mother’s milk. Chemosphere. 2003;53:645–54.CrossRefPubMed

20.

Thomsen C, Lundanes E, Becher G. Brominated flame retardants in archived serum samples from Norway: a study on temporal trends and the role of age. Environ Sci Technol. 2002;36:1414–8.CrossRefPubMed

21.

Sjödin A, Jones RS, Focant JF, Lapeza C, Wang RY, McGahee EEr, et al. Retrospective time-trend study of polybrominated diphenyl ether and polybrominated and polychlorinated biphenyl levels in human serum from the United States. Environ Health Perspect. 2004;112:654–8.PubMed

22.

Wada Y, Koizumi A, Yoshinaga T, Harada K, Inoue K, Morikawa A, et al. Secular trends and geographical variations in the dietary intake of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) using archived samples from the early 1980s and mid 1990s in Japan. J Occup Health. 2005;47:236–41.CrossRefPubMed

23.

Hooper K, She J. Lessons from the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs): precautionary principle, primary prevention, and the value of community-based body-burden monitoring using breast milk. Environ Health Perspect. 2003;111:109–14.PubMed

24.

Ward J, Mohapatra SP, Mitchell A. An overview of policies for managing polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the Great Lakes basin. Environ Int. 2008;34:1148–56.CrossRefPubMed

25.

Hansen KJ, Johnson HO, Eldridge JS, Butenhoff JL, Dick LA. Quantitative characterization of trace levels of PFOS and PFOA in the Tennessee River. Environ Sci Technol. 2002;36:1681–5.CrossRefPubMed

26.

Kannan K, Choi JW, Iseki N, Senthilkumar K, Kim DH, Masunaga S, et al. Concentrations of perfluorinated acids in livers of birds from Japan and Korea. Chemosphere. 2002;49:225–31.CrossRefPubMed

27.

Kannan K, Corsolini S, Falandysz J, Oehme G, Focardi S, Giesy JP. Perfluorooctanesulfonate and related fluorinated hydrocarbons in marine mammals, fishes, and birds from coasts of the Baltic and the Mediterranean Seas. Environ Sci Technol. 2002;36:3210–6.CrossRefPubMed

28.

Kannan K, Newsted J, Halbrook RS, Giesy JP. Perfluorooctanesulfonate and related fluorinated hydrocarbons in mink and river otters from the United States. Environ Sci Technol. 2002;36:2566–71.CrossRefPubMed

29.

Saito N, Harada K, Inoue K, Sasaki K, Yoshinaga T, Koizumi A. Perfluorooctanoate and perfluorooctane sulfonate concentrations in surface water in Japan. J Occup Health. 2004;46:49–59.CrossRefPubMed

30.

Saito N, Sasaki K, Nakatome K, Harada K, Yoshinaga T, Koizumi A. Perfluorooctane sulfonate concentrations in surface water in Japan. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 2003;45:149–58.CrossRefPubMed

31.

Olsen GW, Huang HY, Helzlsouer KJ, Hansen KJ, Butenhoff JL, Mandel JH. Historical comparison of perfluorooctanesulfonate, perfluorooctanoate, and other fluorochemicals in human blood. Environ Health Perspect. 2005;113:539–45.PubMedCrossRef

32.

Harada K, Saito N, Inoue K, Yoshinaga T, Watanabe T, Sasaki S, et al. The influence of time, sex and geographic factors on levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate and perfluorooctanoate in human serum over the last 25 years. J Occup Health. 2004;46:141–7.CrossRefPubMed

33.

Harada K, Koizumi A, Saito N, Inoue K, Yoshinaga T, Date C, et al. Historical and geographical aspects of the increasing perfluorooctanoate and perfluorooctane sulfonate contamination in human serum in Japan. Chemosphere. 2007;66:293–301.CrossRefPubMed

34.

Harada K, Koizumi A. Environmental and biological monitoring of persistent fluorinated compounds in Japan and their toxicities. Environ Health Prev Med. 2009;14:7–19.CrossRefPubMed

35.

Jin Y, Saito N, Harada KH, Inoue K, Koizumi A. Historical trends in human serum levels of perfluorooctanoate and perfluorooctane sulfonate in Shenyang, China. Tohoku J Exp Med. 2007;212:63–70.CrossRefPubMed

36.

Morikawa A, Kamei N, Harada K, Inoue K, Yoshinaga T, Saito N, et al. The bioconcentration factor of perfluorooctane sulfonate is significantly larger than that of perfluorooctanoate in wild turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans and Chinemys reevesii): an Ai river ecological study in Japan. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2006;65:14–21.CrossRefPubMed

37.

Kärrman A, Harada KH, Inoue K, Takasuga T, Ohi E, Koizumi A. Relationship between dietary exposure and serum perfluorochemical (PFC) levels—a case study. Environ Int 2009;35:712–7.CrossRefPubMed

38.

Kärrman A, Ericson I, van Bavel B, Darnerud PO, Aune M, Glynn A, et al. Exposure of perfluorinated chemicals through lactation: levels of matched human milk and serum and a temporal trend, 1996–2004, in Sweden. Environ Health Perspect. 2007;115:226–30.PubMed

39.

Olsen GW, Mair DC, Church TR, Ellefson ME, Reagen WK, Boyd TM, et al. Decline in perfluorooctanesulfonate and other polyfluoroalkyl chemicals in American Red Cross adult blood donors, 2000–2006. Environ Sci Technol. 2008;42:4989–95.CrossRefPubMed

40.

Wittassek M, Wiesmuller GA, Koch HM, Eckard R, Dobler L, Muller J, et al. Internal phthalate exposure over the last two decades—a retrospective human biomonitoring study. Int J Hyg Environ Health. 2007;210:319–33.CrossRefPubMed

41.

Vitousek PM. Beyond global warming—ecology and global change. Ecology. 1994;75:1861–76.CrossRef

42.

Ghosh P, Brand WA. Stable isotope ratio mass spectrometry in global climate change research. Int J Mass Spectrom. 2003;228:1–33.CrossRef

43.

Gallon C, Tessier A, Gobeil C, Carignan R. Historical perspective of industrial lead emissions to the atmosphere from a Canadian smelter. Environ Sci Technol. 2006;40:741–7.CrossRefPubMed

44.

Duzgoren-Aydn NS, Weiss AL. Use and abuse of Pb-isotope fingerprinting technique and GIS mapping data to assess lead in environmental studies. Environ Geochem Health. 2008;30:577–88.CrossRefPubMed

45.

Gulson B, Mizon K, Korsch M, Taylor A. Changes in the lead isotopic composition of blood, diet and air in Australia over a decade: globalization and implications for future isotopic studies. Environ Res. 2006;100:130–8.CrossRefPubMed

46.

Deagle BE. DNA-based Methods for Studying the Diet of Marine Predators. PhD thesis, University of Tasmania. 2006. Available at: http://eprints.utas.edu.au/1046/.

47.

Balanya J, Oller JM, Huey RB, Gilchrist GW, Serra L. Global genetic change tracks global climate warming in Drosophila subobscura. Science. 2006;313:1773–5.CrossRefPubMed

48.

Repositories ISfBaE. 2008 best practices for repositories—collection, storage, retrieval and distribution of biological materials for research. Cell Preserv Technol. 2008;6:3–58.CrossRef

Title: Past, present, and future of environmental specimen banks
Authors: Akio Koizumi
Kouji H. Harada
Kayoko Inoue
Toshiaki Hitomi
Hye-Ran Yang
Chan-Seok Moon
Peiyu Wang
Nguyen Ngoc Hung
Takao Watanabe
Shinichiro Shimbo
Masayuki Ikeda
Publication date: 01-11-2009
Publisher: Springer Japan
Published in: Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine / Issue 6/2009
Print ISSN: 1342-078X
Electronic ISSN: 1347-4715
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12199-009-0101-1

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Past, present, and future of environmental specimen banks

Abstract

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 6/2009

The current status of hand washing and glove use among care staff in Japan: its association with the education, knowledge, and attitudes of staff, and infection control by facilities

The modulation of immunological activities in human NK cells by extracts of ginkgo

Common risk factors for changes in body weight and psychological well-being in Japanese male middle-aged workers

Acknowledgment to reviewers who served in 2009

Comparison of pesticide exposure and physical examination, neurological assessment, and laboratory findings between full-time and part-time vegetable farmers in the Philippines

A GIS study of dioxin contamination in a Vietnamese region sprayed with herbicide