ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 29, 97- 108 (1982) Cutaneous Effects of Exposure to Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBBs): The Michigan PBB Incident JOSEPH J. CHANDA,” HENRY A. ANDERSON,? ROMAN W. GLAMB,” DIANE L. LOMATCH,” MARY S. WOLFF,? JOHN J. VOORHEES,* AND IRVING J. SELIKOFF~ Received September 17, 1981 In 1973 an environmental accident occurred in northern Michigan in which 1000-2000 pounds of the toxic fire retardant polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) was added to the livestock food supply of much of northern Michigan. PBB is highly lipophilic. poorly metabolized, and biocumulative. It subsequently entered the human food chain of the entire state of Michigan. Health effects were noted in contaminated animals and among exposed farmers some months after the contamination: these often included cutaneous problems. Three years later a multidisciplinary study of the farming population was undertaken. Detected cutaneous abnormalities included halogen acne, hair loss, skin redness, skin peeling, and scaling. itching, increased sweating. and increased growth of fingernails and toenails. The mecha- nisms underlying these effects are unknown. PBBs appear to be etiologically implicated for significant cutaneous toxicity. INTRODUCTION During the late spring of 1973, an environmental accident occurred in the state of Michigan with far-reaching medical, economical, political, and legal implica- tions ( 1). As a result of a labeling error, approximately 1000-2000 pounds of the toxic fire retardant polybrominated biphenyl (PBB; trade name Firemaster) was substituted for the nontoxic feed supplement magnesium oxide (trade name Nutri- master) and inadvertently added to the livestock food supply of much of north- ern Michigan. During the summer of 1973, adverse health effects (weight loss, lethargy, decreased milk production, alopecia, poor resistance to infection, infer- tility, and abortion) began to appear in animals that consumed the contaminated food (2). A few months later farmers and area residents whose food supply derived primarily from these animals also began to note adverse symptoms (3). The label- ing error was not discovered and PBB was not isolated and identified as a probable cause of the abnormalities until almost a year after the substitution error occurred. During that period of time contaminated animals and their produce entered the human food supply of the state of Michigan. The result was the contamination of much of such food with polybrominated biphenyls. Polybrominated biphenyls are polyhalogenated hydrocarbons which are struc- turally similar to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). PCBs have been manufactured for over 40 years, have multiple industrial uses, and are well-known environmen- 97 0013.9351/82/050097-12$02.00/O Copyright 6 1982 by Academic Press. Inc. All rights of reproductmn in any form reserved