MOHAWK CULTURE, BEHAVIOR, TOXICANT EXPOSURE AND HEALTH

多氯联苯等干扰内分泌的环境污染物可能对人类的身心发展产生影响，这一点引起了人们的极大关注。由于生计系统和涉及与自然环境更多接触的文化精神，美洲土著社区面临的风险特别大。这项研究对220名17-21岁的莫霍克青少年进行了随访，他们在10-16岁时参加了先前的研究。所有青少年都是Akwesasne莫霍克族的成员，该族位于圣劳伦斯河上，毗邻多氯联苯污染当地生态的危险废物场。调查研究莫霍克文化认同，传统的莫霍克习俗，与毒物暴露和目前的毒物负担相关的行为之间的相互关系。多氯联苯的血清水平将通过同源物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）心理社会结果，包括学校行为和表现，多动和适应社区。过去的研究收集的数据将用于评估多氯联苯代谢的变化，以及认知和多动的早期措施与17岁的心理社会结果的关系。将通过检查同时接触有毒物质（六氯苯、灭蚁灵、二氯二苯二氯乙烯、铅）、饮食和多氯联苯代谢指标对成年人功能的主要衡量标准的影响，确定对多氯联苯影响的敏感性变化。拟议的研究将阐明文化识别行为，PCB暴露和身体负担，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，同时确定对保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.