Grantee Research Project Results
2006 Progress Report: Exposure Assessment Facility Core
EPA Grant Number: R832141C006Subproject: this is subproject number 006 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R832141
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Water Environment and Reuse Foundation's National Center for Resource Recovery and Nutrient Management
Center Director: Olabode, Lola
Title: Exposure Assessment Facility Core
Investigators: Perera, Frederica P.
Institution: Columbia University in the City of New York
EPA Project Officer: Callan, Richard
Project Period: November 1, 2003 through October 31, 2008 (Extended to October 31, 2010)
Project Period Covered by this Report: November 1, 2005 through October 31,2006
RFA: Centers for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research (2003) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Children's Health , Human Health
Objective:
The specific aims of the project are to: 1) characterize exposures from pregnancy through early childhood to PAHs, non-persistent pesticides (NPP), ETS, allergens, endotoxins, and molds and 2) measure specific genetic polymorphisms and nutritional levels that may modulate effects of these exposures.
Progress Summary:
Exposures are being characterized through: 1) questionnaires administered to the mother during pregnancy, every 3 months after birth until the child is age 24 months and then every 6 months; 2) environmental monitoring including collection of personal and indoor air monitoring and repeat collection of dust samples from the home; 3) biologic monitoring including urine and blood samples collected from the mother during pregnancy and at delivery, and from the child at delivery through age 84 months. To date, 2843 women have been screened and were eligible and willing to participate. The personal air monitoring is being conducted over 48 hours during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and has been completed on 837 women. Two-week integrated indoor air samples are also being collected from a subset of the homes (n=100 completed) beginning during the 32nd week of gestation and continuing through delivery. The air samples are held until after the women deliver and are analyzed only if biologic samples are collected at delivery and the mother/newborn pairs are fully enrolled into the study. To date, 724 mother/newborn pairs have been fully enrolled. The personal and indoor air samples are being analyzed for PAH and NPP. Simultaneous indoor/outdoor monitoring is also being undertaken on 100 of the homes (n=103 currently completed) at postnatal age 12 months to characterize exposures to particulate matter (PM2.5), diesel exhaust particulates (DEP) and NOx. Multiple dust samples are collected from each of the homes during pregnancy (n=757) and at child’s ages 12 (n=430), 36 (n=287), and 60 months (n=240) and are being analyzed for allergens (cockroach, rodent, dust mite, dog and cat), endotoxins and mold. To date, dust samples from beds and kitchens have been analyzed for cockroach allergen (Bla g 2, n=1,999), mouse allergen (MUP, n=1,986), and dust mite allergen (Der f 1, n=974).
The following biologic samples have also been collected: maternal blood at delivery (n=718); umbilical cord blood (n=571); blood samples from the child at 24 months (n=409), 36 months (n=368), and 60 months (n=247). Meconium samples are being collected from a subset of the newborns at delivery (n=406). Biologic samples are analyzed for NPP, plasma cotinine, PAH-DNA adducts, lead, mercury, organochlorines, and antioxidants. Benzo(a)pyrene diolepoxide-DNA (BP-DNA adducts) have been measured in the initial 446 maternal white blood cell (WBC) samples and 295 cord WBC samples collected at birth. Maternal and newborn adduct levels were similar (average 0.22±0.4 and 0.23±0.4 per 108 nucleotides) and were correlated (r=0.3, p<0.001). Despite the 10-fold lower estimated fetal dose, mean adduct levels were comparable in paired newborn and maternal blood samples (n=265). We're working on developing land-use regression models for predicting black carbon and/or PAH levels atunmeasured locations and time points. Much of our effort in this regard during the recent project period has been focused on gathering available traffic volume estimates for streets in our study area. Currently, we are exploring the use of the European OSMP urban street canyon model for estimating air concentrations based on traffic data.
Residential pesticide use is widespread in the U.S. but data are limited on use during pregnancy. Between 1998-2004, we gathered information on pesticide use from 620 inner-city pregnant African American and Dominican women. 87% reported using pest control during pregnancy and 46% reported using higher toxicity methods. Pest problems and pesticide use increased significantly with the level of housing disrepair reported (p<0.01). The organophosphates chlorpyrifos and diazinon and the carbamate propoxur were the insecticides detected most frequently: in 99% - 100% of personal air samples collected over 48 hours from the mother during pregnancy (n=495, range 0.1-6000 ng/m3); and in 29% - 55% of blood samples collected from the mothers and/or newborns at delivery (n=464, range 0.1 – 63 pg/g). Chlorpyrifos and diazinon exposures decreased significantly following the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2001-02 ban on their residential use. Prior to the ban, newborns with the highest cord blood chlorpyrifos levels had significantly lower weight and length at birth (p<0.01) and delayed cognitive (p=0.02) and psycho-motor (p=0.002) development, as well as increased attentional problems (p<0.05), by age three years. A pilot intervention was undertaken between 2001-2004 using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) as a means of reducing residential insecticide exposures during pregnancy. The study included 25 intervention and 42 control homes and consisted of professional cleaning, sealing of pest entry points, application of low toxicity pesticides and education. The potential replacement insecticides for the banned oganophosphates were measured in indoor air samples during pregnancy and in maternal and umbilical cord blood at delivery. Cockroach infestation decreased significantly (p = 0.016) among intervention but not control households. Among the intervention group, indoor air levels of piperonyl butoxide (a synergist and indicator of pyrethroid use) decreased significantly following the intervention (p = 0.016). Among controls, levels of the carbamate propoxur were significantly lower in follow-up compared to baseline air samples (p=0.04). Insecticides levels in blood samples at delivery were lower in the intervention compared to control groups. The difference was significant for 2-isopropoxyphenol (propoxur metabolite, p = 0.04), cis-permethrin, (p = 0.03), and trans-permethrin (p = 0.003) in maternal blood samples and for trans-permethrin (p=0.016) in newborn blood samples. To our knowledge, this is the first study to use biologic markers for assessing the effectiveness of IPM. These pilot data suggest that IPM that includes home repairs is an effective strategy for reducing both pest infestation levels and the internal dose of insecticides during pregnancy.
The geometric mean endotoxin concentration [95% C.I.] was 75.9 EU/mg and load was 3,892 EU/m2 [3,351-4,522]. Lower endotoxin concentrations were associated with wet mop cleaning and certain neighborhoods (lower in East Harlem and Washington Heights vs. West Harlem and South Bronx). Endotoxin concentrations correlated with cockroach (Bla g2; r=0.22, p<0.001) and mouse (MUP: r=0.28, p<0.001) allergens in the dust. Endotoxin levels in this inner-city community are similar to non-farm homes elsewhere.
Significance
The Exposure Assessment Facility Core plays a critical role in providing pre- and postnatal measures of exposures to a range of environmental risk factors in the homes of the New York City Mothers & Children Study cohort. These exposure estimates are used by the etiologic projects to test hypotheses regarding the roles played by early life exposures in the development of asthma, developmental impairment, and other disorders.
Future Activities:
The Exposure Assessment Facility Core will continue to collect environmental measures including personal and indoor air monitoring and repeat collection of dust samples from the home and biologic measures including urine and blood samples collected from the mother during pregnancy and at delivery and from the child at delivery through age 84 months.
Supplemental Keywords:
RFA, Scientific Discipline, Health, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, Genetics, Health Risk Assessment, Epidemiology, Biochemistry, Health Effects, Children's Health, Environmental Policy, Risk Assessment, asthma, prenatal exposure, environmental risks, latino, genetic mechanisms, Human Health Risk Assessment, diesel exhaust, assessment of exposure, genetic risk factors, children's environmental health, exposure assessment, genetic susceptibilityRelevant Websites:
http://www.mailman.hs.columbia.edu/ccceh/ Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractMain Center Abstract and Reports:
R832141 Water Environment and Reuse Foundation's National Center for Resource Recovery and Nutrient Management Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R832141C001 Growth and Development Research Project: Prenatal and Postnatal Urban Pollutants and Neurobehavioral Developmental Outcomes
R832141C002 Research Project on Asthma: Prenatal and Postnatal Urban Pollutants and Childhood Asthma
R832141C003 Mechanistic Research Project
R832141C004 Community-Based Intervention Project: Reduction of Exposure and Risk from Pesticides and Allergens
R832141C005 Community Translation and Application Core (COTAC)
R832141C006 Exposure Assessment Facility Core
R832141C007 Data Management, Statistics and Community Impact Modeling Core
R832141C008 Administrative Core
The 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.