# Endocrine disruption by perfluoroalkyl substances and mercury

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO · 2020 · $191,595

## Abstract

7. Project Summary/Abstract
Consumption of fish is a major source of exposure to environmental contaminants for the general population,
including persistent organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), p,p’-diphenyldichloroethene
(DDE), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), as well as metals such
as methyl mercury (meHg). Exposure to these pollutants may cause dysregulation of endocrine function,
affecting steroid and thyroid hormones as well as glucose and lipid metabolism. To date, few studies have
evaluated the impact of multiple contaminants found in fish on endocrine function, and even fewer have
considered that the harmful effects of contaminants in fish may be counterbalanced by beneficial nutrients
such as selenium and iodide. The Great Lakes Fish Consumer Study (GLFCS) is an ongoing longitudinal study
of both frequent and infrequent consumers of sport fish. In this population, we have previously demonstrated
associations of PCBs, PBDEs, DDE and/or fish consumption with various endocrine endpoints, including
increased diabetes incidence and changes in hemoglobin A1c, thyroid hormones, thyroid autoantibodies,
steroid hormones and hormone binding proteins. We propose to leverage this unique, well characterized
cohort to measure additional contaminant exposures and nutrients, namely PFAS, Hg, and selenium, in
banked biosamples from 490 study participants. Specifically, we will (1) determine if key measures of
endocrine function in the GLFCS cohort are associated with exposure to PFAS and mercury individually and in
mixed exposures with PCBs, DDE and PBDEs; and (2) investigate if levels of serum selenium and urinary
iodide impact associations of endocrine function with PFAS, mercury, PCBs, DDE and PBDEs. We will also
explore associations of mercury and PFAS on self-reported incident and prevalent endocrine disease,
including diabetes, hypothyroidism and hyperlipidemia.Currently available exposure and nutrient
measurements include serum PCBs, DDE, and PBDEs, urinary iodide, and estimated mercury intake from
reported fish consumption. Currently available outcome measurements include self-reported diabetes,
prediabetes, hypothyroidism; thyroid hormones, sex steroid hormones, gonadotropins, hormone binding
proteins, autoantibodies and markers of glucose and lipid homeostasis. We will use both standard (linear,
logistic and Cox proportional hazards regression models) and alternative (elastic net; propensity score
adjustment; weighted quantile sum regression) analytic approaches to evaluate associations of individual
chemicals and mixtures of contaminants with markers of endocrine dysregulation. This investigation is
expected to lead to a better understanding of the effects of pollutants on endocrine function and disease in
adults, which will guide advice to consumers on the risks and benefits of fish consumption.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9980906
- **Project number:** 5R21ES030792-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Mary Ellen Turyk
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $191,595
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-08-01 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9980906

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9980906, Endocrine disruption by perfluoroalkyl substances and mercury (5R21ES030792-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9980906. Licensed CC0.

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