MOHAWK CULTURE, BEHAVIOR, TOXICANT EXPOSURE AND HEALTH

多氯联苯等干扰内分泌的环境污染物对人的生理和心理发育可能产生的影响已引起人们的广泛关注。由于维持生计的制度和与自然环境有更多接触的文化风气，美洲土著社区尤其处于危险之中。这项研究跟踪调查了220名年龄在17-21岁的莫霍克青少年，他们在10-16岁时参加了之前的一项研究。所有的青少年都是阿克威森的莫霍克民族的成员，他们位于圣劳伦斯河上，毗邻危险废物场，多氯联苯已经污染了当地的生态。调查考察了莫霍克文化认同、传统莫霍克习俗、与毒物接触有关的行为和当前的毒物负担之间的相互关系。血清多氯联苯水平将通过同族特异性分析进行评估。该研究将确定1)同系物及其羟基化代谢物与甲状腺功能（甲状腺激素水平和抗甲状腺抗体）的关系，以及2)社会心理结果，包括学校行为和表现、多动症和对社区的适应。过去研究收集的数据将用于评估多氯联苯代谢的变化，以及早期认知和多动症与17岁儿童心理社会结果的关系。对多氯联苯影响的易感性变化将通过检查同时接触有毒物质（六氯苯、灭螨、二氯二苯二氯乙烯、铅）、饮食和多氯联苯代谢指标对成人功能的重点指标的影响来确定。建议的研究将澄清文化认同行为、多氯联苯暴露与身体负担、甲状腺功能、认知功能、社会行为和学校功能之间的因果关系，同时确定对维持文化认同重要且与暴露无关的活动。

Considerable concern exists over possible effects on human physical and psychological development of endocrine disrupting environmental contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Native American communities are particularly at risk owing to subsistence systems and a cultural ethos involving greater contact with the physical environment. The proposed study follows-up 220 Mohawk adolescents aged 17-21 years, who participated in a previous study when they were 10-16 years old. All adolescents are members of the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne which is located on the St. Lawrence River, adjacent to hazardous waste sites where PCBs have contaminated the local ecology. The investigation examines the interrelationship between Mohawk cultural identity, traditional Mohawk customs, behaviors related to toxicant exposure and current toxicant burden. Serum level of PCBs will be assessed by congener specific analysis. The study will determine 1) the relationship of congeners and their hydroxylated metabolites to thyroid function (thyroid hormone levels and anti-thyroid antibodies), and 2) psychosocial outcomes including school behavior and performance, hyperactivity, and adaptation to the community. Data gathered for the past study will be employed to assess variation in metabolism of PCBs, as well as how earlier measures of cognition and hyperactivity relate to 17 year old psychosocial outcomes. Variation in susceptibility to PCB effects will be determined by examining the effects of concurrent toxicant exposure (hexachlorobenzene, Mirex, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethene, lead), diet, and indicators of PCB metabolism, on the focal measures of adult functioning. The proposed study will clarify the causal pathways between culturally identifying behavior, PCB exposure and body burden, thyroid functioning, cognitive functioning, social behavior and school functioning while identifying activities that are important to maintain cultural identify and unrelated to exposure.