Systematic Review of Human Developmental Health Effects Following Exposure to Polychlorinated Biphenyl Mixtures in Early Life
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a class of persistent environmental pollutants that exist in the environment as complex mixtures linked to a variety of adverse health effects. This review compiles and organizes human studies of selected health endpoints (early life size and growth; offspring mortality; birth defects) following developmental exposure to PCB mixtures to identify areas of robust research, as well as areas of uncertainty and research needs. We developed a Population, Exposures, Comparators, and Outcomes (PECO) statement to directthe literature search, screening, and study evaluation. We identified n = 154 relevant studies, the majority ofwhich focused on birth weight or other aspects of early life size and growth, with fewer studies evaluating sizeand growth into adolescence or adulthood. These studies often reported decrements in size at birth associatedwith higher maternal measures of exposure, although the evidence was less clear for size and growth in laterchildhood. There were fewer human studies of pregnancy loss or birth defects, and the evidence was generallyless consistent for these outcomes.