PCB contamination in St. Lawrence River linked to decreased testosterone levels

(http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org) Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been linked to decreased testosterone levels in a new study involving Native American boys along the St. Lawrence River.

The Akwesasne Mohawk live on territory between New York, Ontario and Quebec, and much of their diet includes locally caught fish, so they are highly exposed to industrial pollutants such as PCBs and DDE, a breakdown product of DDT.

The researchers from the study, which involved 127 Mohawk boys between the ages of 10 and 17 years old, analyzed 16 types of PCBs that were found in more than half of the boys. The study found a negative correlation between PCB exposure and testosterone levels; a 10 percent increase in PCB exposure was linked to a 5.6 percent decrease in testosterone.

According to Environmental Health News, "The St. Lawrence River and its tributaries have been contaminated by a variety of industries since the 1950s. The Akwesasne community is near a federal Superfund site and two state hazardous waste cleanup sites."