Grantee Research Project Results

2012 Progress Report: Adolescent Exposure to BPA/Phthalates Cognitive and Behavioral Development

EPA Grant Number: R834593C002
Subproject: this is subproject number 002 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R834593
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Water Innovation Network for Sustainable Small Systems
Center Director: Reckhow, David A.
Title: Adolescent Exposure to BPA/Phthalates Cognitive and Behavioral Development
Investigators: Schantz, Susan L. , Korrick, Susan A. , Juraska, Janice , Gardiner, Joseph
Current Investigators: Korrick, Susan A.
Institution: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign , Harvard University , Michigan State University
Current Institution: Harvard University
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: February 15, 2010 through February 14, 2014
Project Period Covered by this Report: February 15, 2012 through February 14,2013
RFA: Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers: Formative Centers (with NIEHS) (2009) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Children's Health , Human Health

Objective:

The aim of this pilot project is to assess the relation of adolescent phthalate and bisphenol A (BPA) exposure with adolescent neurobehavior. The proposal builds on an ongoing study designed to assess the relation of early life organochlorine and metal exposures with subsequent development among 788 children followed since birth. Children participating in the parent study were born to mothers residing in towns adjacent to a Superfund site, the New Bedford Harbor, in New Bedford, MA. This pilot study takes advantage of the parent study's established infrastructure and rich data to address the following primary hypothesis: Adolescent exposure to phthalates and BPA (assessed as urine metabolite concentrations) are each independently associated with adolescent visual motor abilities, verbal abilities, working memory, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-related behaviors and psychiatric symptoms. As a secondary hypothesis, we will address the potential for phthalate or BPA associations with adolescent behavior and cognitive function to differ between boys and girls or by pubertal status.

Progress Summary:

A key component of this pilot is collection of urine samples from the New Bedford Birth Cohort (NBC) participants at the time of an extensive neurodevelopmental assessment, with the latter conducted via an ongoing NIEHS funded R01 (ES014864; PI: Korrick). To date, 146 (82% of R01 exams since this P20 Formative Children's Center recruitment began) have participated in the urine collection with mean age of 16 yrs. The NBC is a sociodemographically diverse population with approximately 25% of mothers and almost 35% of children of non-white or Latino ethnicity, most parents with a high school education or less, and a substantial proportion of unmarried mothers (45%) and low income households (38%).

The CDC laboratory measured urine total BPA and 11 phthalate metabolites in the first 50 adolescents assessed using a random urine sample collected in our study clinic (at the time of neurobehavioral testing) and a second sample collected about 1 week later at a study home visit. BPA was detectable in 98% of clinic and 94% of home urine samples; and, except for MEHP, phthalate metabolites were detected in 100% of urine samples. For a more stable measure (given variability in these biomarkers over time), we used the average of the two urine levels (corrected for specific gravity) to estimate exposure. The median (range) of urine BPA and antiandrogenic phthalate metabolite levels were 4.2 (1.0-32.2) ng/mL and 0.7 (0.1-2.0) µmol/L, respectively.

For cognitive outcomes, there were suggestive (but not statistically significant) associations of higher urine BPA with poorer visual spatial and verbal memory skills as well as poorer reading and math achievement with girls showing generally greater BPA-associated decrements on cognitive measures than boys. Urine levels of anti-androgenic phthalates were not associated with cognitive measures in this preliminary analysis. For adolescent behavior measures, both higher urine anti-androgen phthalates and BPA were associated with greater teacher-reported ADHD-like behavior. In addition, antiandrogenic phthalates were associated with increased risk of other adverse behaviors such as social difficulties. Differences in effect by sex were not seen for these behavioral measures. Because of small numbers in this pilot study (by design), analyses were adjusted for a limited number of potential confounders and confidence limits were wide so it is not yet possible to make definitive conclusions.

Future Activities:

In the next funding period (no cost extension), we will complete urine (and urine questionnaire) collection on ~200 of the New Bedford Cohort children. Urines will be processed and stored, and questionnaire data entered and cleaned to complete our pilot work. Once this pilot data collection is complete, we anticipate doing analyses of the full cohort in a larger scale study funding for which currently is pending. In this planned full study, we will use comprehensive multivariable models to account for potential confounding and to assess reproducibility of our initial pilot findings.

Supplemental Keywords:

BPA, phthalates, adolescent health, children's health, behavior, cognition, Health, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Health Risk Assessment, Risk Assessments, Environmental Chemistry, Children's Health, biological markers

Relevant Websites:

Children's Environmental Health Research Center at Illinois Exit /

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

2010

2011

Final Report

Main Center Abstract and Reports:

R834593 Water Innovation Network for Sustainable Small Systems

Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R834593C001 Prenatal Exposure to BPA/Phthalates: Infant Physical and Behavioral Development
R834593C002 Adolescent Exposure to BPA/Phthalates Cognitive and Behavioral Development
R834593C003 Mechanisms of In Utero BPA Exposure on Fetal Gonad Development
R834593C004 Effects of Bisphenol A on the Developing Cortex

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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.