Grantee Research Project Results
2017 Progress Report: A Non-Targeted Method for Measuring Multiple Chemical Exposures Amoung a Demographically Diverse Population of Pregnant Women in Northern California
EPA Grant Number: R835643Title: A Non-Targeted Method for Measuring Multiple Chemical Exposures Amoung a Demographically Diverse Population of Pregnant Women in Northern California
Investigators: Woodruff, Tracey J. , Sirota, Marina , Morello-Frosch, Rachel , Gerona, Roy
Institution: University of California - San Francisco
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2017 (Extended to September 30, 2018)
Project Period Covered by this Report: October 1, 2016 through September 30,2017
Project Amount: $900,000
RFA: New Methods in 21st Century Exposure Science (2013) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Chemical Safety for Sustainability
Objective:
We will apply an innovative non-targeted biomonitoring method using liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF/MS) to evaluate everyday exposure to over 700 chemicals classified as Environmental Organic Acids (EOAs) and the extent to which exposures vary among different racial/ethnic and socio-economic groups of pregnant women. Our new LC-QTOF/MS non-targeted screening methodology has the capacity to directly (without enzymatic hydrolysis) and simultaneously screen for approximately 10-times more EOAs than what is currently being biomonitored in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
We focus on EOAs, which are industrial compounds with at least one ionizable proton, because: 1) their chemical structure facilitates a higher rate of analytical detection; 2) many of their chemical structures are similar to hormones, increasing the potential for endocrine disruption, which can negatively affect fetal development; and 3) many are produced in high quantities and used in a wide range of consumer products, but have not been extensively biomonitored in pregnant women. We will use liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to confirm the presence and levels of select EOAs identified through our non-targeted screening. Finally, we will assess differences in EOA exposures by race/ethnicity and socio-economic status. We hypothesize that pregnant women are exposed to more EOAs than previously documented, and that EOA exposure varies by race/ethnicity and SES, resulting in disproportionate EOA body-burdens among certain subpopulations.
Progress Summary:
Fund Year 3 (FY) was spent recruiting participants and collecting biospecimens at San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH), and the UCSF Betty Irene Moore Women’s Health Hospital at Mission Bay (MB).
In FY3, we collected 136 3rd trimester maternal serum samples, reaching our overall goal for this project of 200 maternal serum samples. This was part of our Pregnancy Exposures to Environmental Chemicals (PEEC) study, in which we reached our overall enrollment goal of 500 participants in 2017.
A summary of the demographics demonstrating ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of our PEEC study population can be found in the cumulative enrollment table (Table 1).
All study personnel have undergone required trainings for Human Subjects Research, electronic medical records (APeX), Biosafety and Bloodborne Pathogens. We maintain institutional approvals for our project, including IRB/Human Subjects Approval, Biological Use Authorization, San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH) and Mission Bay research approvals.
Dr. Roy Gerona, Assistant Professor in the UCSF Department of OB/Gyn and Reproductive Sciences and Co-investigator on this project, has analyzed all 200 3rd trimester serum samples. Preliminary findings were presented at ISEE 2017, ISES 2017, published in Fertility and Sterility, and currently under review at Environmental Health Perspectives. Non-targeted and targeted analysis of six EOAs is continuing through 2018.
Future Activities:
We will work on assessing three or more compounds to add to the four that we have identified for targeted analysis. Data cleaning and analysis will continue throughout the year.
Journal Articles on this Report : 2 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other project views: | All 23 publications | 7 publications in selected types | All 7 journal articles |
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Type | Citation | ||
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Gerona RR, Schwartz JM, Pan J, Friesen MM, Lin T, Woodruff TJ. Suspect screening of maternal serum to identify new environmental chemical biomonitoring targets using liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology 2018;28(2):101-108. |
R835643 (2017) R835433 (2017) R835433 (Final) |
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Wang A, Padula A, Sirota M, Woodruff TJ. Environmental influences on reproductive health: the importance of chemical exposures. Fertility and Sterility 2016;106(4):905-929. |
R835643 (2016) R835643 (2017) R835433 (2016) R835433 (2017) R835433 (Final) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
Endocrine disrupting chemicals, Environmental Organic Acids, Non-targeted testing, LC-QTOF/MS, LC-MS/MS, Environmental justice, Ethnic/racial disparities, pregnancyRelevant Websites:
UCSF Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment Exit Exit Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.