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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Long-term Behavioral and Reproductive Consequences of Embryonic Exposure to Low-dose Toxicants
Published on: March 6, 2018
Endometriosis among women exposed to polybrominated biphenyls
Caroline S Hoffman1, Chanley M Small, Heidi Michels Blanck
1Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.
Purpose:
We examined the association between endometriosis and exposure to polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) among women inadvertently exposed to PBBs in 1973.
Methods:
Serum PBBs and PCBs were measured in the late 1970s. Women self-reported endometriosis at interview in 1997. We constructed Cox models to estimate the relative incidence of endometriosis in relation to PBB and PCB levels.
Results:
Seventy-nine of 943 women (9%) reported endometriosis. Compared with women with low PBB exposure (
Conclusions:
Our study does not support an association between PBB exposure and endometriosis. Findings for serum PCB level are consistent with an emerging body of literature suggesting an association between PCB exposure and endometriosis.
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