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Conklin MB, Wells BM, Doe EM, Strother AM, Tarasiewicz MEB, Via ER, Conrad LB, Farias-Eisner R. Understanding Health Disparities in Preeclampsia: A Literature Review. Am J Perinatol 2024; 41:e1291-e1300. [PMID: 36603833 DOI: 10.1055/a-2008-7167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Preeclampsia is a multifactorial pathology with negative outcomes in affected patients in both the peripartum and postpartum period. Black patients in the United States, when compared to their White and Hispanic counterparts, have higher rates of preeclampsia. This article aims to review the current literature to investigate how race, social determinants of health, and genetic profiles influence the prevalence and outcomes of patients with preeclampsia. Published studies utilized in this review were identified through PubMed using authors' topic knowledge and a focused search through a Medline search strategy. These articles were thoroughly reviewed to explore the contributing biosocial factors, genes/biomarkers, as well as negative outcomes associated with disparate rates of preeclampsia. Increased rates of contributing comorbidities, including hypertension and obesity, which are largely associated with low access to care in Black patient populations lead to disparate rates of preeclampsia in this population. Limited research shows an association between increased rate of preeclampsia in Black patients and specific APOL1, HLA-G, and PP13 gene polymorphisms as well as factor V Leiden mutations. Further research is required to understand the use of certain biomarkers in predicting preeclampsia within racial populations. Understanding contributing biosocial factors and identifying genes that may predispose high-risk populations may help to address the disparate rates of preeclampsia in Black patients as described in this review. Further research is required to understand if serum, placental, or urine biomarkers may be used to predict individuals at risk of developing preeclampsia in pregnancy. KEY POINTS: · Prevalence of preeclampsia in the U.S. is higher in Black patients compared to other racial groups.. · Patients with preeclampsia are at risk for poorer health outcomes both during and after delivery.. · Limited research suggests specific biomarkers or gene polymorphisms contribute to this difference; however, explanations for this disparity are multifactorial and further investigation is necessary..
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary B Conklin
- School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey
| | | | - Emily M Doe
- School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska
| | | | | | - Emily R Via
- School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Lesley B Conrad
- School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska
- Lynch Comprehensive Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Robin Farias-Eisner
- School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska
- Lynch Comprehensive Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine, the University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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Wang S, Wang Y, Wan Y, Su P, Tao F, Sun Y. Modifiable factors associated with cognitive performance in Chinese adolescents: a national environment-wide association study. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024; 33:1047-1056. [PMID: 37204501 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-023-02229-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Growing evidence exists about the candidate factors of childhood cognitive performance, but mainly limited to single-exposure studies. We sought to systematically and simultaneously identify and validate a wide range of potential modifiable factors for childhood cognitive performance. We used data from five waves of data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS-2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018). Our analytical sample was restricted to those children aged 2-5 at baseline with valid exposure information. A total of 80 modifiable factors were identified. Childhood cognitive performance was assessed using vocabulary and mathematics test at wave 5. We used an environment-wide association study (EnWAS) to screen all exposure-outcome associations independently and used the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) variable selection algorithm to identify factors associated with cognitive performance. Multivariable linear model was then used to evaluate causal relationships between identified factors and cognitive performance. Of the 1305 participants included in the study (mean ± SD, 3.5 ± 1.1 years age at baseline, 45.1% girls). Eight factors were retained in the LASSO regression analysis. Six factors across community characteristics (percentage of poverty in the community; percentage of children in the community), household characteristics (family size), child health and behaviors (mobile internet access), parenting behaviors and cognitive enrichment (parental involvement in child' s education), and parental wellbeing (paternal happiness) domains were significantly associated with childhood cognition. Using a three-stage approach, this study validates several actionable targets for improving childhood cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Wang
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, Anhui Medical University School of Public Health, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Ya Wang
- Section of Child Health, Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yuhui Wan
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, Anhui Medical University School of Public Health, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Puyu Su
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, Anhui Medical University School of Public Health, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Fangbiao Tao
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, Anhui Medical University School of Public Health, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Ying Sun
- Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, Anhui Medical University School of Public Health, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China.
- Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle, Anhui Medical University, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, Anhui, China.
- Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health and Aristogenics, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
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Hoke MK, Long AM. Human biology and the study of precarity: How the intersection of uncertainty and inequality is taking us to new extremes. Am J Hum Biol 2024; 36:e24018. [PMID: 38053455 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Inequality represents an extreme environment to which humans must respond. One phenomenon that contributes to this growing extreme is precarity or the intersection of uncertainty and some form of inequality. While precarity has an important intellectual history in the fields of sociology and sociocultural anthropology, it has not been well studied in the field of human biology. Rather human biologists have engaged with the study of closely related concepts such as uncertainty and resource insecurity. In this article, we propose that human biology take on the study of precarity as a novel way of investigating inequality. We first provide a brief intellectual history of precarity which is followed by a review of research on uncertainty and resource security in human biology which, while not exhaustive, illustrates some key gaps that precarity may aid us in addressing. We then review some of the pathways through which precarity comes to affect human biology and health and some of the evidence for why the unpredictable nature of precarity may make it a unique physiological stress. A case study based on research in Nuñoa, Peru provides an important example of how precarity can elucidate the influences of health in an extreme setting, albeit with insights that apply more broadly. We conclude that precarity holds important potential for the study of human biology, including helping us more effectively operationalize and study uncertainty, encouraging us to explore the predictability of resources and stressors, and reminding us to think about the intersectional nature of stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan K Hoke
- Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Anneliese M Long
- Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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Weiss MC, Wang L, Sargis RM. Hormonal Injustice: Environmental Toxicants as Drivers of Endocrine Health Disparities. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am 2023; 52:719-736. [PMID: 37865484 PMCID: PMC10929240 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecl.2023.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
The toll of multiple endocrine disorders has increased substantially in recent decades, and marginalized populations bear a disproportionate burden of disease. Because of the significant individual and societal impact of these conditions, it is essential to identify and address all modifiable risk factors contributing to these disparities. Abundant evidence now links endocrine dysfunction with exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), with greater exposures to multiple EDCs occurring among vulnerable groups, such as racial/ethnic minorities, those with low incomes, and others with high endocrine disease burdens. Identifying and eliminating EDC exposures is an essential step in achieving endocrine health equity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret C Weiss
- School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1603 West Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1853 West Polk Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 South Wolcott, Suite E625, M/C 640, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Luyu Wang
- College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1853 West Polk Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 South Wolcott, Suite E625, M/C 640, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Robert M Sargis
- College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1853 West Polk Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 South Wolcott, Suite E625, M/C 640, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; Chicago Center for Health and Environment, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1603 West Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 820 South Damen, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
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Talayero MJ, Robbins CR, Smith ER, Santos-Burgoa C. The association between lead exposure and crime: A systematic review. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 3:e0002177. [PMID: 37527230 PMCID: PMC10393136 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Prior research has demonstrated an association between lead exposure and criminal behavior at the population-level, however studies exploring the effect of lead exposure on criminal behavior at the individual-level have not been reviewed systematically. The intent of this study is to complete a systematic review of all studies assessing individual-level exposures to lead and the outcomes of crime and antisocial behavior traits. We included peer reviewed studies that were published prior to August 2022 and were classified as cohort, cross-sectional, or case-control. Studies measuring the outcomes of crime, delinquency, violence, or aggression were included. The following databases were searched using a standardized search strategy: ProQuest Environmental Science Database, PubMed, ToxNet and the Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS). Seventeen manuscripts met our inclusion criteria. Blood lead was measured in 12 studies, bone lead in 3 studies, and dentine lead levels in 2 studies. This systematic review identified a wide range of diverse outcomes between exposure to lead at multiple windows of development and later delinquent, criminal and antisocial behavior. A review of all potential confounding variables included within each study was made, with inclusion of relevant confounders into the risk of bias tool. There is limited data at the individual level on the effects of prenatal, childhood, and adolescent lead exposure and later criminal behavior and more evidence is necessary to evaluate the magnitude of the associations seen in this review. Our review, in conjunction with the available biological evidence, suggests that an excess risk for criminal behavior in adulthood exists when an individual is exposed to lead in utero or in the early years of childhood. The authors report no conflict of interest and no funding source. Clinical trial registration: PROSPERO ID: CRD42021268379.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Jose Talayero
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - C Rebecca Robbins
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Emily R Smith
- Department of Global Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Carlos Santos-Burgoa
- Department of Global Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States of America
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Thilakaratne R, Lin PID, Rifas-Shiman SL, Wright RO, Hubbard A, Hivert MF, Bellinger D, Oken E, Cardenas A. Mixtures of Metals and Micronutrients in Early Pregnancy and Cognition in Early and Mid-Childhood: Findings from the Project Viva Cohort. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:87008. [PMID: 37585348 PMCID: PMC10431487 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The developing fetal brain is sensitive to many environmental exposures. However, the independent and joint effects of prenatal exposure to metals and micronutrients on child cognition are not well understood. OBJECTIVES Our aim was to evaluate associations of first-trimester (∼ 10 wk) maternal erythrocyte concentrations of mixtures of nonessential and essential metals and micronutrients with early (∼ 3 y) and mid-childhood (∼ 8 y) cognitive test scores in Project Viva, a prebirth cohort in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. METHODS We measured concentrations of five essential metals (Cu, Mg, Mn, Se, Zn) and two micronutrients (vitamin B12 and folate), together termed the "nutrient mixture," as well as six nonessential metals (As, Ba, Cd, Cs, Hg, Pb), together termed the "neurotoxic mixture," in first-trimester (∼ 10 wk) maternal erythrocytes (metals) or plasma (micronutrients). We assessed visual-motor function and receptive vocabulary in early childhood (∼ 3 y), and visual-motor function, visual memory, and fluid and crystallized intelligence in mid-childhood (∼ 8 y). We employed adjusted quantile g-computation and linear regression to estimate mixture and individual component associations, respectively. RESULTS Analyses included 900 mother-child pairs (74% college graduates; 52% male children). In mixture analyses, a quartile increase in the nutrient mixture was associated with a mean difference in early childhood receptive vocabulary score of 1.58 points [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.06, 3.10], driven by Zn and Se. A quartile increase in the neurotoxic mixture was associated with a mean difference in mid-childhood visual-motor score of - 3.01 points (95% CI: - 5.55 , - 0.47 ), driven by Ba and Cs. Linear regressions supported quantile g-computation findings for mixture component contributions. DISCUSSION Maternal circulating concentrations of several essential (Zn and Se) and nonessential (Ba and Cs) metals were associated with some domains of child cognition. In this folate-replete cohort, first-trimester circulating concentrations of known neurotoxic metals, such as Pb, were not associated with child cognition. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruwan Thilakaratne
- Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Pi-I D Lin
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sheryl L Rifas-Shiman
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Robert O Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Alan Hubbard
- Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | | | - David Bellinger
- Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Emily Oken
- Division of Chronic Disease Research Across the Lifecourse, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andres Cardenas
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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Kodjebacheva GD, Lapeyrouse LM, Okungbowa-Ikponmwosa J, Walker L, Campbell K, Cupal S. Knowledge, confidence, and reported behaviors that promote safe water drinking among women of reproductive age. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1049499. [PMID: 37435520 PMCID: PMC10331607 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1049499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Drinking lead contaminated water during pregnancy is associated with infant mortality. All women of reproductive age are advised by health agencies to adhere to healthy behaviors due to the chance of unintended pregnancy. Our objectives are to understand knowledge, confidence, and reported behaviors that promote safe water drinking and prevent lead exposure among women of reproductive age. Methods A survey among females of reproductive age from the University of Michigan - Flint was administered. A total of 83 females who wished to become pregnant one day participated. Results Low levels of knowledge, confidence, and reported preventative health behaviors related to safe water drinking and lead exposure prevention existed. Specifically, 71.1% of respondents (59 of 83) were not at all or were somewhat confident in their ability to choose an appropriate lead water filter. Most participants rated their knowledge on how to decrease exposure to lead during pregnancy as poor/fair. No statistically significant differences were detected between respondents residing inside and outside of the city of Flint, Michigan for most variables assessed. Conclusion While the small sample size is a limitation, the study adds to an area of scarce research. Despite widespread media attention and resources directed toward reducing the negative health effects of lead exposure following the Flint Water Crisis, significant gaps in knowledge related to safe water drinking remain. Interventions are needed to increase knowledge, confidence, and healthy behaviors that promote safe water drinking among women of reproductive age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergana Damianova Kodjebacheva
- Department of Public Health and Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Michigan – Flint, Flint, MI, United States
- International Institute, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Lisa M. Lapeyrouse
- Department of Public Health and Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Michigan – Flint, Flint, MI, United States
| | - Jennifer Okungbowa-Ikponmwosa
- Department of Public Health and Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Michigan – Flint, Flint, MI, United States
| | - Loretta Walker
- Department of Public Health and Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Michigan – Flint, Flint, MI, United States
| | - Kanday Campbell
- Department of Public Health and Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Michigan – Flint, Flint, MI, United States
| | - Suzanne Cupal
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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Lodge EK, Martin CL, Fry RC, White AJ, Ward-Caviness CK, Galea S, Aiello AE. Objectively measured external building quality, Census housing vacancies and age, and serum metals in an adult cohort in Detroit, Michigan. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2023; 33:177-186. [PMID: 35577901 PMCID: PMC9666563 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-022-00447-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Residentially derived lead pollution remains a significant problem in urban areas across the country and globe. The risks of childhood residence in housing contaminated with lead-based paint are well-established, but less is known about the effects of housing quality on adult lead exposure. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of residential-area housing age, vacancy status, and building quality on adult lead exposures. METHODS We evaluated the effect of Census block group housing vacancy proportion, block group housing age, and in-person survey evaluated neighborhood building quality on serum levels of lead, mercury, manganese, and copper among a representative cohort of adults in Detroit, Michigan, from 2008-2013 using generalized estimating equations. RESULTS Participants in Census block groups with higher proportions of vacant and aged housing had non-significantly elevated serum lead levels. We identified similar positive associations between residence in neighborhoods with poorer objectively measured building quality and serum lead. Associations between Census vacancies, housing age, objectively measured building quality, and serum lead were stronger among participants with a more stable residential history. SIGNIFICANCE Vacant, aged, and poorly maintained housing may contribute to widespread, low-level lead exposure among adult residents of older cities like Detroit, Michigan. US Census and neighborhood quality data may be a useful tool to identify population-level lead exposures among US adults. IMPACT Using longitudinal data from a representative cohort of adults in Detroit, Michigan, we demonstrate that Census data regarding housing vacancies and age and neighborhood survey data regarding housing quality are associated with increasing serum lead levels. Previous research has primarily focused on housing quality and lead exposures among children. Here, we demonstrate that area-level metrics of housing quality are associated with lead exposures among adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evans K Lodge
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Chantel L Martin
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Center for Environmental Health & Susceptibility, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Rebecca C Fry
- Center for Environmental Health & Susceptibility, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Alexandra J White
- Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Cavin K Ward-Caviness
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, US Environmental Protection Agency, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sandro Galea
- School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Allison E Aiello
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Persistent organic pollutant exposure contributes to Black/White differences in leukocyte telomere length in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19960. [PMID: 36402910 PMCID: PMC9675834 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-24316-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite racial disparities in diseases of aging and premature mortality, non-Hispanic Black Americans tend to have longer leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a biomarker of cellular aging, than non-Hispanic White Americans. Previous findings suggest that exposure to certain persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is both racially-patterned and associated with longer LTL. We examine whether Black/White differences in LTL are explained by differences in exposure to 15 POPs by estimating the indirect effect (IE) of self-reported race on LTL that is mediated through nine polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), three furans, and three dioxins, as well as their mixtures. Our study population includes 1,251 adults from the 1999-2000 and 2001-2002 cycles of the cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We characterized single-pollutant mediation effects by constructing survey-weighted linear regression models. We also implemented various approaches to quantify a global mediation effect of all POPs, including unpenalized linear regression, ridge regression, and examination of three summary exposure scores. We found support for the hypothesis that exposure to PCBs partially mediates Black/White differences in LTL. In single-pollutant models, there were significant IEs of race on LTL through six individual PCBs (118, 138, 153, 170, 180, and 187). Ridge regression (0.013, CI 0.001, 0.023; 26.0% mediated) and models examining summative exposure scores with linear combinations derived from principal components analysis (0.019, CI 0.009, 0.029; 34.8% mediated) and Toxic Equivalency Quotient (TEQ) scores (0.016, CI 0.005, 0.026; 28.8% mediated) showed significant IEs when incorporating survey weights. Exposures to individual POPs and their mixtures, which may arise from residential and occupational segregation, may help explain why Black Americans have longer LTL than their White counterparts, providing an environmental explanation for counterintuitive race differences in cellular aging.
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Reinert K, Debebe G. The ethics of talent development: frameworks and identities. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1108/ejtd-07-2021-0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the ethics of authentic talent development in socioeconomic context by considering a set of alternative ethical frameworks. It juxtaposes the ideals of civic virtue, which involve a concern for the common good, with the reality that socioeconomic deprivation and sociocultural practices severely constrain talent development opportunities and choice.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on several frameworks complementary to the ideals of civic virtue – the basic goods approach, human capital theory, the capabilities approach and the ethic of care – to elucidate the barriers to talent development embodied in sociocultural context, as well as policy and institutional practices to overcoming these barriers.
Findings
While multiple ethical frameworks are necessary to fully capture the issues related to authentic talent development in socioeconomic context, a focus on the ethic of care and basic goods provision is an important starting point. There are also a few fundamental starting points for human resource development in responding to ethical concerns regarding authentic talent development.
Originality/value
While the prevailing approach to talent development is implicitly based on a logic of social identity ascription, this paper promotes an alternative approach based on the ethics of civic virtue. While the former is oriented to the support of social hierarchies based on identity, the latter is oriented to fostering both social and human well-being via choice and authentic talent development.
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Arshad S, Arif A, Wattoo JI. Response of Iron Deficiency Markers to Blood Lead Levels and Synergistic Outcomes at Prenatal Stage. Dose Response 2022; 20:15593258221101744. [PMID: 35602584 PMCID: PMC9121471 DOI: 10.1177/15593258221101744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Lead may be passed on from a mother to their unborn fetus. If she has been
exposed to lead for an extended period, the lead deposited in their bones can be
stimulated to be released into the bloodstream during gestation. This study was
planned to examine blood lead level at the prenatal stage and its response to
markers of iron deficiency during gestation. We collected 396 samples during the
second trimester of gestation from women age 19 to 45 years. Hematological
markers including hemoglobin, hepcidin, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC),
ferritin, and blood iron were analyzed. For the detection of blood lead, we used
Atomic absorption spectroscopy. The mean blood lead level of the control group
was 3.25 ± .407 μg/dL, and in the iron deficiency group, it was 7.96 ±
.502 μg/dL. At the same time, the women with iron deficiency anemia showed 22.12
± 1.02 μg/dL of mean blood lead. Pearson’s approach showed a non-significant
negative correlation between blood lead and hepcidin, while hemoglobin, total
iron-binding capacity, ferritin, and serum iron showed a significant (.01)
negative correlation with blood lead. Blood lead has no direct effect on iron
deficiency markers. In contrast, iron deficiency contributes to an increase in
lead accumulation during pregnancy. Iron and lead both have an impact on the
heme-biosynthetic pathways. The study revealed that pre-existing iron deficiency
is connected with increased lead intake and can negatively impact health in
gestational females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shafia Arshad
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Pakistan
- Faculty of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, The Islamia University, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Amina Arif
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Javed I. Wattoo
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Central Punjab, Pakistan
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12
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Swaringen BF, Gawlik E, Kamenov GD, McTigue NE, Cornwell DA, Bonzongo JCJ. Children's exposure to environmental lead: A review of potential sources, blood levels, and methods used to reduce exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 204:112025. [PMID: 34508773 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Lead has been used for thousands of years in different anthropogenic activities thanks to its unique properties that allow for many applications such as the manufacturing of drinking water pipes and its use as additives to gasoline and paint. However, knowledge of the adverse impacts of lead on human health has led to its banning from several of its applications, with the main goal of reducing environmental pollution and protecting human health. Human exposure to lead has been linked to different sources of contamination, resulting in high blood lead levels (BLLs) and adverse health implications, primarily in exposed children. Here, we present a summary of a literature review on potential lead sources affecting blood levels and on the different approaches used to reduce human exposure. The findings show a combination of different research approaches, which include the use of inspectors to identify problematic areas in homes, collection and analysis of environmental samples, different lead detection methods (e.g. smart phone applications to identify the presence of lead and mass spectrometry techniques). Although not always the most effective way to predict BLLs in children, linear and non-linear regression models have been used to link BLLs and environmental lead. However, multiple regressions and complex modelling systems would be ideal, especially when seeking results in support of decision-making processes. Overall, lead remains a pollutant of concern and many children are still exposed to it through environmental and drinking water sources. To reduce exposure to lead through source apportionment methods, recent technological advances using high-precision lead stable isotope ratios measured on multi-collector induced coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) instruments have created a new direction for identifying and then eliminating prevalent lead sources associated with high BLLs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin F Swaringen
- Dept. of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructures and Environment. University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Emory Gawlik
- Dept. of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructures and Environment. University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - George D Kamenov
- Dept. of Geological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Nancy E McTigue
- Cornwell Engineering Group, 712 Gum Rock Ct, Newport News, VA 23606, USA
| | - David A Cornwell
- Dept. of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructures and Environment. University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA; Cornwell Engineering Group, 712 Gum Rock Ct, Newport News, VA 23606, USA
| | - Jean-Claude J Bonzongo
- Dept. of Environmental Engineering Sciences, Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructures and Environment. University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
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13
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Freisthler MS, Robbins CR, Benbrook CM, Young HA, Haas DM, Winchester PD, Perry MJ. Association between increasing agricultural use of 2,4-D and population biomarkers of exposure: findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2014. Environ Health 2022; 21:23. [PMID: 35139875 PMCID: PMC8830015 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-021-00815-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is one of the most extensively used herbicides in the United States. In 2012, 2,4-D was the most widely used herbicide in non-agricultural settings and the fifth most heavily applied pesticide in the US agricultural sector. The objective of this study was to examine trends in 2,4-D urinary biomarker concentrations to determine whether increases in 2,4-D application in agriculture are associated with increases in biomonitoring levels of urine 2,4-D. METHODS Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) with available urine 2,4-D biomarker measurements from survey cycles between 2001 and 2014 were utilized. Urine 2,4-D values were dichotomized using the highest limit of detection (LOD) across all cycles (0.40 μg/L or 0.4 ppb). Agricultural use of 2,4-D was estimated by compiling publicly available federal and private pesticide application data. Logistic regression models adjusted for confounders were fitted to evaluate the association between agricultural use of 2,4-D and urine 2,4-D level above the dichotomization threshold. RESULTS Of the 14,395 participants included in the study, 4681 (32.5%) had urine 2,4-D levels above the dichotomization threshold. The frequency of participants with high 2,4-D levels increased significantly (p < .0001), from a low of 17.1% in 2001-2002 to a high of 39.6% in 2011-2012. The adjusted odds of high urinary 2,4-D concentrations associated with 2,4-D agricultural use (per ten million pounds applied) was 2.268 (95% CI: 1.709, 3.009). Children ages 6-11 years (n = 2288) had 2.1 times higher odds of having high 2,4-D urinary concentrations compared to participants aged 20-59 years. Women of childbearing age (age 20-44 years) (n = 2172) had 1.85 times higher odds than men of the same age. CONCLUSIONS Agricultural use of 2,4-D has increased substantially from a low point in 2002 and it is predicted to increase further in the coming decade. Because increasing use is likely to increase population level exposures, the associations seen here between 2,4-D crop application and biomonitoring levels require focused biomonitoring and epidemiological evaluation to determine the extent to which rising use and exposures cause adverse health outcomes among vulnerable populations (particularly children and women of childbearing age) and highly exposed individuals (farmers, other herbicide applicators, and their families).
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlaina S Freisthler
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Ave NW Suite 400, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | - C Rebecca Robbins
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Ave NW Suite 400, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | | | - Heather A Young
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Ave NW Suite 400, Washington, DC, 20052, USA
| | - David M Haas
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Paul D Winchester
- Neonatology, Indiana University School of Medicine/Riley Hospital, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Melissa J Perry
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, 950 New Hampshire Ave NW Suite 400, Washington, DC, 20052, USA.
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14
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Early life lead exposure from private well water increases juvenile delinquency risk among US teens. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2110694119. [PMID: 35101975 PMCID: PMC8832992 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2110694119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Public health agencies worldwide have determined that there is no safe level for children’s exposure to lead, a neurotoxin. This study shows that lead in drinking water from private wells is significantly associated with juvenile delinquency. Compared to children in homes with public water supplies, those relying on private wells have a 21% higher risk of any delinquency and a 38% increased risk of serious delinquency. The steepest increases in risk occur at the lowest exposure levels. The results highlight the need to prevent lead-leaching from well components, plumbing, and fixtures in the 13% of US households relying on private wells. They also suggest the need to decrease blood and environmental lead thresholds currently used to identify at-risk children. Early life exposure to environmental lead (Pb) has been linked to decreased IQ, behavior problems, lower lifetime earnings, and increased criminal activity. Beginning in the 1970s, limits on Pb in paint, gasoline, food cans, and regulated water utilities sharply curtailed US environmental Pb exposure. Nonetheless, hundreds of thousands of US children remain at risk. This study reports on how unregulated private well water is an underrecognized Pb exposure source that is associated with an increased risk of teenage juvenile delinquency. We build a longitudinal dataset linking blood Pb measurements for 13,580 children under age 6 to their drinking water source, individual- and neighborhood-level demographics, and reported juvenile delinquency records. We estimate how early life Pb exposure from private well water influences reported delinquency. On average, children in homes with unregulated private wells had 11% higher blood Pb than those with community water service. This higher blood Pb was significantly associated with reported delinquency. Compared to children with community water service, those relying on private wells had a 21% (95% CI: 5 to 40%) higher risk of being reported for any delinquency and a 38% (95% CI: 10 to 73%) increased risk of being reported for serious delinquency after age 14. These results suggest that there could be substantial but as-yet-unrecognized social benefits from intervention programs to prevent children’s exposure to Pb from private wells, on which 13% of the US population relies.
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15
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Svoboda LK, Ishikawa T, Dolinoy DC. Developmental toxicant exposures and sex-specific effects on epigenetic programming and cardiovascular health across generations. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIGENETICS 2022; 8:dvac017. [PMID: 36325489 PMCID: PMC9600458 DOI: 10.1093/eep/dvac017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Despite substantial strides in diagnosis and treatment, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) continue to represent the leading cause of death in the USA and around the world, resulting in significant morbidity and loss of productive years of life. It is increasingly evident that environmental exposures during early development can influence CVD risk across the life course. CVDs exhibit marked sexual dimorphism, but how sex interacts with environmental exposures to affect cardiovascular health is a critical and understudied area of environmental health. Emerging evidence suggests that developmental exposures may have multi- and transgenerational effects on cardiovascular health, with potential sex differences; however, further research in this important area is urgently needed. Lead (Pb), phthalate plasticizers, and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants with numerous adverse human health effects. Notably, recent evidence suggests that developmental exposure to each of these toxicants has sex-specific effects on cardiovascular outcomes, but the underlying mechanisms, and their effects on future generations, require further investigation. This review article will highlight the role for the developmental environment in influencing cardiovascular health across generations, with a particular emphasis on sex differences and epigenetic mechanisms. In particular, we will focus on the current evidence for adverse multi and transgenerational effects of developmental exposures to Pb, phthalates, and PFAS and highlight areas where further research is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie K Svoboda
- *Correspondence address. Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. Tel: +734-764-2032; E-mail:
| | - Tomoko Ishikawa
- Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Dana C Dolinoy
- Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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16
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Wang C, Huertas DS, Rowe JW, Finkelstein R, Carstensen LL, Jackson RB. Rethinking the urban physical environment for century-long lives: from age-friendly to longevity-ready cities. NATURE AGING 2021; 1:1088-1095. [PMID: 35937461 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-021-00140-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
In response to increasing life expectancies and urbanization, initiatives for age-friendly cities seek to facilitate active and healthy aging by strengthening supports and services for older people. While laudable, these efforts typically neglect early-life exposures that influence long-term well-being. With a focus on the urban physical environment, we argue that longevity-ready cities can accomplish more than initiatives focused solely on old age. We review features of cities that cumulatively influence healthy aging and longevity, discuss the need for proactive interventions in a changing climate, and highlight inequities in the ambient physical environment, especially those encountered at early ages, that powerfully contribute to disparities in later life stages. Compared with strategies aimed largely at accommodating older populations, longevity-ready cities would aim to reduce the sources of disadvantages across the life course and simultaneously improve the well-being of older people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenghao Wang
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Stanford Center on Longevity, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Diego Sierra Huertas
- Stanford Center on Longevity, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - John W Rowe
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ruth Finkelstein
- Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging, Hunter College, The City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Laura L Carstensen
- Stanford Center on Longevity, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Robert B Jackson
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Woods Institute for the Environment and Precourt Institute for Energy, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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17
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Schildroth S, Wise LA, Wesselink AK, De La Cruz P, Bethea TN, Weuve J, Fruh V, Botelho JC, Sjodin A, Calafat AM, Baird DD, Henn BC. Correlates of Persistent Endocrine-Disrupting Chemical Mixtures among Reproductive-Aged Black Women. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:14000-14014. [PMID: 34591461 PMCID: PMC9215200 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c02549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Black women are exposed to multiple endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), but few studies have examined their profiles of exposure to EDC mixtures. We identified biomarker profiles and correlates of exposure to EDC mixtures in a cross-sectional analysis of data from a prospective cohort study of 749 Black women aged 23-35 years. We quantified plasma concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in nonfasting samples collected at baseline. Demographic, behavioral, dietary, and reproductive covariates were also collected at baseline. We used k-means clustering and principal component analysis (PCA) to describe concentration profiles of EDC mixtures (17 PCBs, 6 PBDEs, 4 OCPs, 6 PFAS), followed by multinomial logistic and multivariable linear regression to estimate mean differences in PCA scores (β) and odds ratios (ORs) of cluster membership with their respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Older age (per 1 year increase: β = 0.47, CI = 0.39, 0.54; OR = 1.27, CI = 1.20, 1.35), lower body mass index (per 1 kg/m2 increase: β = -0.14, CI = -0.17, -0.12; OR = 0.91, CI = 0.89, 0.94), and current smoking (≥10 cigarettes/day vs never smokers: β = 1.37, CI = 0.20, 2.55; OR = 2.63, CI = 1.07, 6.50) were associated with profiles characterized by higher concentrations of all EDCs. Other behaviors and traits, including dietary factors and years since last birth, were also associated with EDC mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Schildroth
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, USA
- Corresponding Author: Samantha Schildroth.
| | - Lauren A. Wise
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Amelia K. Wesselink
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Payton De La Cruz
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, Providence, USA
| | - Traci N. Bethea
- Office of Minority Health & Health Disparities Research, Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington DC, USA
| | - Jennifer Weuve
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Victoria Fruh
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Julianne C. Botelho
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA
| | - Andreas Sjodin
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA
| | - Antonia M. Calafat
- Division of Laboratory Sciences, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA
| | - Donna D. Baird
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, USA
| | - Birgit Claus Henn
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, USA
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18
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Gottesfeld P. Finding the Next Flint: The Need to Update the Blood Lead Reference Value. Am J Public Health 2021; 111:1746-1749. [PMID: 34499533 PMCID: PMC8561177 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2021.306429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Perry Gottesfeld
- Perry Gottesfeld is the Executive Director of Occupational Knowledge International, San Francisco, CA
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19
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Nigra AE, Navas-Acien A. Racial Inequalities in Drinking Water Lead Exposure: A Wake-Up Call to Protect Patients with End Stage Kidney Disease. J Am Soc Nephrol 2021; 32:2419-2421. [PMID: 34544822 PMCID: PMC8722796 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2021060793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anne E. Nigra
- Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York
| | - Ana Navas-Acien
- Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York
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20
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Njoku A, Joseph M, Felix R. Changing the Narrative: Structural Barriers and Racial and Ethnic Inequities in COVID-19 Vaccination. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:9904. [PMID: 34574827 PMCID: PMC8470519 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18189904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States. Although a promising solution of the COVID-19 vaccination offers hope, disparities in access again threaten the health of these communities. Various explanations have arisen for the cause of disparate vaccination rates among racial and ethnic minorities, including discussion of vaccine hesitancy. Conversely, the role of vaccine accessibility rooted in structural racism as a driver in these disparities should be further explored. This paper discusses the impact of structural barriers on racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 vaccine uptake. We also recommend public health, health system, and community-engaged approaches to reduce racial disparities in COVID-19 disease and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuli Njoku
- Department of Public Health, College of Health and Human Services, Southern Connecticut State University, 144 Farnham Avenue, New Haven, CT 06515, USA; (M.J.); (R.F.)
| | - Marcelin Joseph
- Department of Public Health, College of Health and Human Services, Southern Connecticut State University, 144 Farnham Avenue, New Haven, CT 06515, USA; (M.J.); (R.F.)
- Greater Bridgeport Area Prevention Program, 1470 Barnum Avenue, Suite 301, Bridgeport, CT 06610, USA
| | - Rochelle Felix
- Department of Public Health, College of Health and Human Services, Southern Connecticut State University, 144 Farnham Avenue, New Haven, CT 06515, USA; (M.J.); (R.F.)
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21
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Comess S, Donovan G, Gatziolis D, Deziel NC. Exposure to atmospheric metals using moss bioindicators and neonatal health outcomes in Portland, Oregon. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 284:117343. [PMID: 34030082 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 03/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Studying the impacts of prenatal atmospheric heavy-metal exposure is challenging, because biological exposure monitoring does not distinguish between specific sources, and high-resolution air monitoring data is lacking for heavy metals. Bioindicators - animal or plant species that can capture environmental quality - are a low-cost tool for evaluating exposure to atmospheric heavy-metal pollution that have received little attention in the public-health literature. We obtained birth records for Portland, Oregon live births (2008-2014) and modeled metal concentrations derived from 346 samples of moss bioindicators collected in 2013. Exposure estimates were assigned using mother's residential address at birth for six metals with known toxic and estrogenic effects (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, nickel, lead). Associations were evaluated for continuous (cts) and quartile-based (Q) metal estimates and three birth outcomes (preterm birth (PTB; <37 weeks)), very PTB (vPTB; <32 weeks), small for gestational age (SGA; 10th percentile of weight by age and sex)) using logistic regression models with adjustment for demographic characteristics, and stratified by maternal race. Chromium and cobalt were associated with increased odds of vPTB (chromium - odds ratio (OR)cts = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.17; cobalt - ORQ4vsQ1 = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.71). Cobalt, chromium and cadmium were significantly associated with odds of SGA, although the direction of association differed by metal (cobalt - ORcts = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.07; chromium - ORQ3vsQ1 = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.83, 0.99; cadmium - ORcts = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.93, 1.00). In stratified analyses, odds of SGA were significantly different among non-white mothers compared to white mothers with exposure to chromium, cobalt, lead and nickel. This novel application of a moss-based exposure metric found that exposure to some atmospheric metals is associated with adverse birth outcomes. These findings are consistent with previous literature and suggest that moss bioindicators are a useful complement to traditional exposure-assessment methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskia Comess
- Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Geoffrey Donovan
- USDA Forest Service, PNW Research Station, 620 SW Main, Suite 502, Portland, OR, 97205, USA.
| | - Demetrios Gatziolis
- USDA Forest Service, PNW Research Station, 620 SW Main, Suite 502, Portland, OR, 97205, USA
| | - Nicole C Deziel
- Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
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22
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Boyle J, Yeter D, Aschner M, Wheeler DC. Estimated IQ points and lifetime earnings lost to early childhood blood lead levels in the United States. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 778:146307. [PMID: 34030355 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
There is no safe detectable level of lead (Pb) in the blood of children. Blood lead levels (BLLs) at ages 6-24 months ≥2 μg/dL result in lost grade school intelligence quotient (IQ) points at ages 5-10 years. Black children continue to have the highest BLLs in the United States. Therefore, we examined currently undetermined racial/ethnic disparities in anticipated IQ points and associated lifetime earnings lost to early childhood blood lead. We conducted secondary analysis of infants with blood lead (in μg/dL) measured at ages 12-24 months by the cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) during 1999 to 2010. Nationally-representative estimates were produced using weighted simulation model. A total of 1241 infants were included from the NHANES sample (52% male; mean [SD] age, 18.5 [3.5] months; 25% Black [non-Hispanic], 42% Hispanic [any race], 5% Other/Multiracial, and 29% White [non-Hispanic]) after excluding 811 without BLL determinations. For national outcomes, Black infants experienced approximately 46-55% greater average estimated loss of grade school IQ points from blood lead than Hispanic or White infants (-1.78 IQ points vs. -1.15 and -1.21 respectively) with similar disparities in costs to expected lifetime earnings (-$47,116 USD vs. -$30,393 and -$32,356 respectively). Our estimated nationwide costs of IQ points lost to BLLs during this 12-year period totaled $554 billion ($46.2 billion/year), in which blood lead <5 μg/dL accounted for 74% of this total burden. We report two aspects of the substantial national costs attributable to lead exposure in just the second year of life alone, which disproportionately impact predominately African-American Black infants from continuing legacies of environmental racism in lead exposure. Our findings underscore the remarkably high costs from recognized hazards of blood lead even at the lowest levels and the importance of primary prevention regarding childhood lead exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Boyle
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA
| | - Deniz Yeter
- School of Nursing, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - David C Wheeler
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA.
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23
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The impact of childhood lead exposure on adult personality: Evidence from the United States, Europe, and a large-scale natural experiment. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2020104118. [PMID: 34253605 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2020104118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood lead exposure has devastating lifelong consequences, as even low-level exposure stunts intelligence and leads to delinquent behavior. However, these consequences may be more extensive than previously thought because childhood lead exposure may adversely affect normal-range personality traits. Personality influences nearly every aspect of human functioning, from well-being to career earnings to longevity, so effects of lead exposure on personality would have far-reaching societal consequences. In a preregistered investigation, we tested this hypothesis by linking historic atmospheric lead data from 269 US counties and 37 European nations to personality questionnaire data from over 1.5 million people who grew up in these areas. Adjusting for age and socioeconomic status, US adults who grew up in counties with higher atmospheric lead levels had less adaptive personality profiles: they were less agreeable and conscientious and, among younger participants, more neurotic. Next, we utilized a natural experiment, the removal of leaded gasoline because of the 1970 Clean Air Act, to test whether lead exposure caused these personality differences. Participants born after atmospheric lead levels began to decline in their county had more mature, psychologically healthy adult personalities (higher agreeableness and conscientiousness and lower neuroticism), but these findings were not discriminable from pure cohort effects. Finally, we replicated associations in Europeans. European participants who spent their childhood in areas with more atmospheric lead were less agreeable and more neurotic in adulthood. Our findings suggest that further reduction of lead exposure is a critical public health issue.
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24
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Lum JTS, Chan YN, Leung KSY. Current applications and future perspectives on elemental analysis of non-invasive samples for human biomonitoring. Talanta 2021; 234:122683. [PMID: 34364482 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2021.122683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Humans are continuously exposed to numerous environmental pollutants including potentially toxic elements. Essential elements play an important role in human health. Abnormal elemental levels in the body, in different forms that existed, have been reported to be correlated with different diseases and environmental exposure. Blood is the conventional biological sample used in human biomonitoring. However, blood samples can only reflect short-term exposure and require invasive sampling, which poses infection risk to individuals. In recent years, the number of research evaluating the effectiveness of non-invasive samples (hair, nails, urine, meconium, breast milk, placenta, cord blood, saliva and teeth) for human biomonitoring is increasing. These samples can be collected easily and provide extra information in addition to blood analysis. Yet, the correlation between the elemental concentration in non-invasive samples and in blood is not well established, which hinders the application of those samples in routine human biomonitoring. This review aims at providing a fundamental overview of analytical methods of non-invasive samples in human biomonitoring. The content covers the sample collection and pretreatment, sample preparation and instrumental analysis. The technical discussions are separated into solution analysis and solid analysis. In the last section, the authors highlight some of the perspectives on the future of elemental analysis in human biomonitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judy Tsz-Shan Lum
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Yun-Nam Chan
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Kelvin Sze-Yin Leung
- Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; HKBU Institute of Research and Continuing Education, Shenzhen Virtual University Park, Shenzhen, China.
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Gosztyla ML, Kwong L, Murray NA, Williams CE, Behnke N, Curry P, Corbett KD, DSouza KN, Gala de Pablo J, Gicobi J, Javidnia M, Lotay N, Prescott SM, Quinn JP, Rivera ZMG, Smith MA, Tang KTY, Venkat A, Yamoah MA. Responses to 10 common criticisms of anti-racism action in STEMM. PLoS Comput Biol 2021; 17:e1009141. [PMID: 34264941 PMCID: PMC8282043 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Maya L. Gosztyla
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Lydia Kwong
- Bioethics and Science Policy Program, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Naomi A. Murray
- Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity Program, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Claire E. Williams
- Department of Biology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Nicholas Behnke
- Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Porsia Curry
- Porsia Curry, Black Resource Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Kevin D. Corbett
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Karen N. DSouza
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America
| | | | - Joanina Gicobi
- Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Monica Javidnia
- Department of Neurology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, United States of America
| | - Navina Lotay
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Sidney Madison Prescott
- Executive Women’s MBA Cohort, Women’s College, Brenau University, Gainesville, Georgia, United States of America
- Department of Graduate Studies, Master of Science in Legal Studies Program, Cornell Law School, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - James P. Quinn
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Zeena M. G. Rivera
- Neurosciences Interdepartmental Program, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Markia A. Smith
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Karen T. Y. Tang
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - Aarya Venkat
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Megan A. Yamoah
- Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Habibian A, Abyadeh M, Abyareh M, Rahimi Kakavandi N, Habibian A, Khakpash M, Ghazi-Khansari M. Association of maternal lead exposure with the risk of preterm: a meta-analysis. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2021; 35:7222-7230. [PMID: 34210236 DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2021.1946780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The relationship between maternal lead level and risk of preterm birth (PTB) remained controversial. Therefore, herein we performed this meta-analysis to investigate the association of maternal blood, urine and cord blood lead level with the risk of PTB using observational studies. METHODS A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE and Ovid Medline databases from inception to August 2019, and sixteen studies with 65600 participants investigating the association between maternal lead level and PTB were included in our meta-analysis. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated for the highest versus lowest lead level by random-effects model. RESULTS Overall, the pooled OR of all included articles for the highest versus lowest PTB score was 1.29 (95% CI = 1.14-1.46; I2 = 80.4%, p < .001), and the results revealed a direct and significant relationship between second and third trimester blood lead level (BLL) and PTB (OR 2nd trimester= 1.61, 95% CI = 1.08-2.40, OR 3rd trimester= 1.57, 95% CI = 1.11-2.23). CONCLUSION Results of this meta-analysis showed that maternal BLL is directly associated with the risk of PTB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Habibian
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Morteza Abyadeh
- Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mostafa Abyareh
- Department of Environment, Faculty of Natural Resources, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran
| | - Nader Rahimi Kakavandi
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Atefeh Habibian
- Department of Midwifery, School of Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Zahedan Branch, Zahedan, Iran
| | - Maliheh Khakpash
- Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
| | - Mahmoud Ghazi-Khansari
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Reja D, Makar M, Visaria A, Karanfilian B, Rustgi V. Blood lead level is associated with advanced liver fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A nationwide survey (NHANES 2011-2016). Ann Hepatol 2021; 19:404-410. [PMID: 32376236 DOI: 10.1016/j.aohep.2020.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome, but increasing evidence also implicates environmental toxins. In this study, we aim to show that in elevated blood Lead levels in NAFLD patients result in worsening liver fibrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS 30,172 patients from NHANES 2011-2016 met inclusion criteria. 2499 patients ages 20-74 were identified with NAFLD as determined by the Fatty Liver Index score, and 425 with advanced liver fibrosis were identified using the NAFLD Fibrosis Score. Simple linear regression, Student's T-test, and Rao-Scott Chi-Square test was used for continuous and categorical variables. Multivariate regression analysis was used to adjust for confounders to determine odds of Advanced Fibrosis. RESULTS Increased serum Lead level was independently associated with increased risk of Advanced Fibrosis (OR 5.93, 95% CI 2.88-12.24) in the highest Lead quartile (Q4). In subgroup analysis stratified by BMI, a significant association between advanced liver fibrosis and blood Lead levels was consistently present, Q4 (OR 5.78, 95% CI 0.97-33.63) and Q4 (OR 6.04, 95% CI 2.92-12.48) in BMI <30 and >30, respectively. Increased Lead exposure was also evident in patients who were older, less educated, male, and drank alcohol and smoked tobacco. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show that advanced liver fibrosis is up to six times more likely in NAFLD patients with increased Lead exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debashis Reja
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Department of Internal Medicine, 1 Robert Wood Johnson Place, New Brunswick, NJ, United States.
| | - Michael Makar
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Department of Internal Medicine, 1 Robert Wood Johnson Place, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Aayush Visaria
- Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Avenue, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Briette Karanfilian
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Department of Internal Medicine, 1 Robert Wood Johnson Place, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Vinod Rustgi
- Center for Liver Diseases and Masses, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine, 1 Robert Wood Johnson Place, New Brunswick, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
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Yalçın SS, Emiralioğlu N, Yalçın S. Evaluation of blood and tooth element status in asthma cases: a preliminary case-control study. BMC Pulm Med 2021; 21:201. [PMID: 34130672 PMCID: PMC8204585 DOI: 10.1186/s12890-021-01565-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Asthma is a common respiratory disorder; some data were present on the correlation between increased levels of trace elements and the risk of asthma development. It was aimed to evaluate the levels of 13 selected blood and tooth elements (magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, chromium, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, strontium, molybdenum, cadmium, lead, mercury) in a well-controlled asthma group and the control group. Methods During the study period, 17 asthma patients and 26 age and gender-matched healthy children donated shed deciduous teeth having neither decay nor filling and enrolled for the study. The element levels in blood and teeth matrixes were analyzed with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Differences in blood and tooth elements in groups were evaluated with generalized linear models after adjusting confounding factors. Results After adjusting the child’s “z scores of body mass index for age”, history of iron deficiency anemia, and status of parental smoking, the generalized linear model revealed significantly lower tooth magnesium levels, lower blood zinc levels, and lower blood zinc/copper ratio in the asthma group than the control group (p = 0.042, p = 0.034, p = 0.002, respectively). Other studied elements for tooth and blood matrixes were similar in groups. Conclusion Our study revealed some differences in tooth and blood element levels in the asthma group. Further studies on zinc and magnesium levels of severe asthma cases are necessary for the interpretation of the results. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12890-021-01565-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Songül Yalçın
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Nagehan Emiralioğlu
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Suzan Yalçın
- Department of Food Hygiene and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Selçuk University, Konya, Turkey
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Dickinson-Copeland CM, Immergluck LC, Britez M, Yan F, Geng R, Edelson M, Kendrick-Allwood SR, Kordas K. Increased Risk of Sub-Clinical Blood Lead Levels in the 20-County Metro Atlanta, Georgia Area-A Laboratory Surveillance-Based Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18105163. [PMID: 34068063 PMCID: PMC8152486 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18105163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Lead (Pb) is a naturally occurring, highly toxic metal that has adverse effects on children across a range of exposure levels. Limited screening programs leave many children at risk for chronic low-level lead exposure and there is little understanding of what factors may be used to identify children at risk. We characterize the distribution of blood lead levels (BLLs) in children aged 0–72 months and their associations with sociodemographic and area-level variables. Data from the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Healthy Homes for Lead Prevention Program surveillance database was used to describe the distribution of BLLs in children living in the metro Atlanta area from 2010 to 2018. Residential addresses were geocoded, and “Hotspot” analyses were performed to determine if BLLs were spatially clustered. Multilevel regression models were used to identify factors associated with clinical BBLs (≥5 µg/dL) and sub-clinical BLLs (2 to <5 µg/dL). From 2010 to 2018, geographically defined hotspots for both clinical and sub-clinical BLLs diffused from the city-central area of Atlanta into suburban areas. Multilevel regression analysis revealed non-Medicaid insurance, the proportion of renters in a given geographical area, and proportion of individuals with a GED/high school diploma as predictors that distinguish children with BLLs 2 to <5 µg/dL from those with lower (<2 µg/dL) or higher (≥5 µg/dL) BLLs. Over half of the study children had BLLs between 2 and 5 µg/dL, a range that does not currently trigger public health measures but that could result in adverse developmental outcomes if ignored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen M. Dickinson-Copeland
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA; (L.C.I.); (M.B.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Lilly Cheng Immergluck
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA; (L.C.I.); (M.B.)
- Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA;
| | - Maria Britez
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA; (L.C.I.); (M.B.)
| | - Fengxia Yan
- Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA;
| | - Ruijin Geng
- Pediatric Clinical and Translational Research Unit, Clinical Research Center, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA;
| | - Mike Edelson
- Geographic Information Systems, InterDev, Roswell, GA 30076, USA;
| | - Salathiel R. Kendrick-Allwood
- Department of Pediatrics, Divisions of General Pediatrics & Neonatology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA;
| | - Katarzyna Kordas
- Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA;
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Wu H, Wang M, Raman JD, McDonald AC. Association between urinary arsenic, blood cadmium, blood lead, and blood mercury levels and serum prostate-specific antigen in a population-based cohort of men in the United States. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0250744. [PMID: 33891655 PMCID: PMC8064543 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposures to heavy metals have been linked to prostate cancer risk. The relationship of these exposures with serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a marker used for prostate cancer screening, is unknown. We examined whether total urinary arsenic, urinary dimethylarsonic acid, blood cadmium, blood lead, and total blood mercury levels are associated with elevated PSA among presumably healthy U.S. men. Prostate cancer-free men, aged ≥40 years, were identified from the 2003-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Logistic regression analyses with survey sample weights were used to examine the association between heavy metal levels and elevated PSA for the total population and stratified by black and white race, after adjusting for confounders. There were 5,477 men included. Approximately 7% had elevated PSA. Men with an elevated PSA had statistically significantly higher levels of blood cadmium and blood lead compared to men with a normal PSA (p-values ≤ 0.02), with black men having higher levels. After adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, body mass index, smoking, and education, there was no association found between any of the heavy metal levels and elevated PSA for the total population. In addition, there was no association found when stratified by black and white race. Further investigation is warranted in a larger cohort of men who persistently are exposed to these heavy metals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongke Wu
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Ming Wang
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Penn State Cancer Institute, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Jay D. Raman
- Penn State Cancer Institute, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Surgery, Pennsylvania State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Alicia C. McDonald
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Penn State Cancer Institute, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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31
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Goin DE, Casey JA, Kioumourtzoglou MA, Cushing LJ, Morello-Frosch R. Environmental hazards, social inequality, and fetal loss: Implications of live-birth bias for estimation of disparities in birth outcomes. Environ Epidemiol 2021; 5:e131. [PMID: 33870007 PMCID: PMC8043739 DOI: 10.1097/ee9.0000000000000131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Restricting to live births can induce bias in studies of pregnancy and developmental outcomes, but whether this live-birth bias results in underestimating disparities is unknown. Bias may arise from collider stratification due to an unmeasured common cause of fetal loss and the outcome of interest, or depletion of susceptibles, where exposure differentially causes fetal loss among those with underlying susceptibility. METHODS We conducted a simulation study to examine the magnitude of live-birth bias in a population parameterized to resemble one year of conceptions in California (N = 625,000). We simulated exposure to a non-time-varying environmental hazard, risk of spontaneous abortion, and time to live birth using 1000 Monte Carlo simulations. Our outcome of interest was preterm birth. We included a social vulnerability factor to represent social disadvantage, and estimated overall risk differences for exposure and preterm birth using linear probability models and stratified by the social vulnerability factor. We calculated how often confidence intervals included the true point estimate (CI coverage probabilities) to illustrate whether effect estimates differed qualitatively from the truth. RESULTS Depletion of susceptibles resulted in a larger magnitude of bias compared with collider stratification, with larger bias among the socially vulnerable group. Coverage probabilities were not adversely affected by bias due to collider stratification. Depletion of susceptibles reduced coverage, especially among the socially vulnerable (coverage among socially vulnerable = 46%, coverage among nonsocially vulnerable = 91% in the most extreme scenario). CONCLUSIONS In simulations, hazardous environmental exposures induced live-birth bias and the bias was larger for socially vulnerable women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana E. Goin
- Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Joan A. Casey
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York
| | | | - Lara J. Cushing
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California
| | - Rachel Morello-Frosch
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management and School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
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Obeng-Gyasi E, Roostaei J, Gibson JM. Lead Distribution in Urban Soil in a Medium-Sized City: Household-Scale Analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:3696-3705. [PMID: 33625850 PMCID: PMC9234951 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c07317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
This study characterizes potential soil lead (Pb) exposure risk at the household scale in Greensboro, North Carolina, using an innovative combination of field sampling, statistical analysis, and machine-learning techniques. Soil samples were collected at the dripline, yard, and street side at 462 households (total sample size = 2310). Samples were analyzed for Pb and then combined with publicly available data on potential historic Pb sources, soil properties, and household and neighborhood demographic characteristics. This curated data set was then analyzed with statistical and machine-learning techniques to identify the drivers of potential soil Pb exposure risks and to build predictive models. Among all samples, 43% exceeded current guidelines for Pb in residential gardens. There were significant racial disparities in potential soil Pb exposure risk; soil Pb at the dripline increased by 19% for every 25% increase in the neighborhood population identifying as Black. A machine-learned Bayesian network model was able to classify residential parcels by risk of exceeding residential gardening standards with excellent reproducibility in cross validation. These findings underscore the need for targeted outreach programs to prevent Pb exposure in residential areas and demonstrate an approach for prioritizing outreach locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Obeng-Gyasi
- Department of Built Environment, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, North Carolina 27411, United States
- Environmental Health and Disease Laboratory, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, North Carolina 27411, United States
| | - Javad Roostaei
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
| | - Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States
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Smith TM, Cook L, Dirks W, Green DR, Austin C. Teeth reveal juvenile diet, health and neurotoxicant exposure retrospectively: What biological rhythms and chemical records tell us. Bioessays 2021; 43:e2000298. [PMID: 33721363 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Integrated developmental and elemental information in teeth provide a unique framework for documenting breastfeeding histories, physiological disruptions, and neurotoxicant exposure in humans and our primate relatives, including ancient hominins. Here we detail our method for detecting the consumption of mothers' milk and exploring health history through the use of laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) mapping of sectioned nonhuman primate teeth. Calcium-normalized barium and lead concentrations in tooth enamel and dentine may reflect milk and formula consumption with minimal modification during subsequent tooth mineralization, particularly in dentine. However, skeletal resorption during severe illness, and bioavailable metals in nonmilk foods, can complicate interpretations of nursing behavior. We show that explorations of the patterning of multiple elements may aid in the distinction of these important etiologies. Targeted studies of skeletal chemistry, gastrointestinal maturation, and the dietary bioavailability of metals are needed to optimize these unique records of human health and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya M Smith
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia.,Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Luisa Cook
- School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Wendy Dirks
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, Durham, UK
| | - Daniel R Green
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Christine Austin
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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Levin R, Zilli Vieira CL, Rosenbaum MH, Bischoff K, Mordarski DC, Brown MJ. The urban lead (Pb) burden in humans, animals and the natural environment. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 193:110377. [PMID: 33129862 PMCID: PMC8812512 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Centuries of human activities, particularly housing and transportation practices from the late 19th century through the 1980's, dispersed hundreds of millions of tons of lead into our urban areas. The urban lead burden is evident among humans, wild and domesticated animals, and plants. Animal lead exposures closely mirror and often exceed the lead exposure patterns of their human partners. Some examples: Pigeons in New York City neighborhoods mimicked the lead exposures of neighborhood children, with more contaminated areas associated with higher exposures in both species. Also, immediately following the lead in drinking water crisis in Flint MI in 2015, blood lead levels in pet dogs in Flint were 4 times higher than in surrounding towns. And combining lead's neurotoxicity with urban stress results in well-characterized aggressive behaviors across multiple species. Lead pollution is not distributed evenly across urban areas. Although average US pediatric lead exposures have declined by 90% since the 1970s, there remain well defined neighborhoods where children continue to have toxic lead exposures; animals are poisoned there, too. Those neighborhoods tend to have disproportionate commercial and industrial lead activity; a history of dense traffic; older and deteriorating housing; past and operating landfills, dumps and hazardous waste sites; and often lead contaminated drinking water. The population there tends to be low income and minority. Urban wild and domesticated animals bear that same lead burden. Soil, buildings, dust and even trees constitute huge lead repositories throughout urban areas. Until and unless we begin to address the lead repositories in our cities, the urban lead burden will continue to impose enormous costs distributed disproportionately across the domains of the natural environment. Evidence-based research has shown the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of some US public policies to prevent or reduce these exposures. We end with a series of recommendations to manage lead-safe urban environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronnie Levin
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Carolina L Zilli Vieira
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Marieke H Rosenbaum
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, 01536, USA.
| | - Karyn Bischoff
- New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
| | | | - Mary Jean Brown
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
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35
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Matoba N, Mestan KK, Collins JW. Understanding Racial Disparities of Preterm Birth Through the Placenta. Clin Ther 2021; 43:287-296. [PMID: 33483135 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2020.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The racial disparity associated with preterm birth is a public health concern in the United States. The placenta is the principal metabolic, respiratory, and endocrine organ of the fetus and a key route by which environmental exposures are transmitted from mother to offspring. Available at every delivery, it may serve as a marker of differences in prenatal exposures that manifest differently by race. Recently, we described differences in placental pathology between African-American and White preterm births: the prevalence of chronic inflammation was higher among African-American women's placentas compared with those of White women. Similarly, racial differences have been shown in placental malperfusion and placental weight. Social determinants such as poverty and stress from discrimination have been implicated in racial disparities in preterm birth. To date, however, the underlying biological mechanisms, whether through inflammatory, oxidative stress, or other pathways involving epigenetic programming, remain largely unknown. The placenta, complemented by maternal and umbilical cord blood biomarkers, may provide important information on the perinatal environment that explains the origins of racial disparities in preterm birth rates and subsequent health outcomes. This article reviews existing literature and current research gaps. Opportunities are discussed for future placental research that may reveal novel mechanisms leading to the development of new approaches in the prevention and management of preterm birth and its outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nana Matoba
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Karen K Mestan
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - James W Collins
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Chicago, IL, USA
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Padula AM, Rivera-Núñez Z, Barrett ES. Combined Impacts of Prenatal Environmental Exposures and Psychosocial Stress on Offspring Health: Air Pollution and Metals. Curr Environ Health Rep 2021; 7:89-100. [PMID: 32347455 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-020-00273-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Pregnant women and their offspring are vulnerable to the adverse effects of environmental and psychosocial stressors, individually and in combination. Here, we review the literature on how air pollution and metal exposures may interact with structural and individual-level stressors (including poverty and stressful life events) to impact perinatal and child outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS The adverse associations between air pollution and metal exposures and adverse infant and child health outcomes are often exacerbated by co-exposure to psychosocial stressors. Although studies vary by geography, study population, pollutants, stressors, and outcomes considered, the effects of environmental exposures and psychosocial stressors on early health outcomes are sometimes stronger when considered in combination than individually. Environmental and psychosocial stressors are often examined separately, even though their co-occurrence is widespread. The evidence that combined associations are often stronger raises critical issues around environmental justice and protection of vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Padula
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Zorimar Rivera-Núñez
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Emily S Barrett
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, USA
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Exploring persistent racial/ethnic disparities in lead exposure among American children aged 1-5 years: results from NHANES 1999-2016. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2021; 94:723-730. [PMID: 33394180 DOI: 10.1007/s00420-020-01616-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine whether long-standing racial disparities in lead exposure still exists for children age 1-5 years old. We examined if blood lead levels were higher among non-Hispanic Black children and others compared to non-Hispanic White children. METHODS Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999-2016 were used. Geometric mean blood lead levels (BLLs) were compared by race/ethnicity using log-transformed simple linear regression. Associations between race and elevated BLL were assessed using weighted Chi-square tests. Log-transformed multiple weighted linear regression was used to assess what factors affected BLLs. RESULTS A total of 6772 children were included in this study. In 1999-2000, the geometric mean BLL for non-Hispanic Black children was 3.08 μg/dL, compared to 2.03 μg/dL for non-Hispanic White children (p = 0.01). The difference in geometric mean BLL between non-Hispanic Black children and non-Hispanic White children continued to be statistically significant in later years (all p < 0.05) until 2015-2016 (0.89 μg/dL vs 0.74 μg/dL, p = 0.17). Log-transformed linear regression showed that being non-Hispanic Black and having low family income were independently associated with higher BLL. CONCLUSION Although lead exposure in the general population continued to decline for all racial/ethnic groups, non-Hispanic Black children still had higher BLL than non-Hispanic White children. In more recent years, the racial/ethnic gap was lesser but persisted. Racial/ethnic disparity in childhood BLL could be partially explained by socio-economic factors.
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Albores-Garcia D, McGlothan JL, Bursac Z, Guilarte TR. Chronic developmental lead exposure increases μ-opiate receptor levels in the adolescent rat brain. Neurotoxicology 2021; 82:119-129. [PMID: 33248188 PMCID: PMC7855666 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2020.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Childhood lead (Pb2+) intoxication is a global public health problem best known for producing deficits in learning and poor school performance. Human and preclinical studies have suggested an association between childhood Pb2+ intoxication and proclivity to substance abuse and delinquent behavior. While environmental factors have been implicated in opioid addiction, less is known about the role of exposure to environmental pollutants on the brain opioid system. Opioid receptors are involved in the biological effects of opioids and other drugs of abuse. In this study, we examine the effect of chronic developmental Pb2+ exposure (1500 ppm in the diet) on μ-opioid receptor (MOR) levels in the rat brain using [3H]-d-Ala2-MePhe4-Gly-ol5 enkephalin ([3H]-DAMGO) quantitative receptor autoradiography at different developmental stages (juvenile, early-adolescent, late adolescent and adult) in male and female rats. Our results indicate that chronic developmental Pb2+ exposure increases the levels of [3H]-DAMGO specific binding to MOR in juvenile and early adolescent Pb2+-exposed male and female rat brain with no changes in late-adolescent (PN50) and minor changes in Pb2+-exposed adult male rats (PN120). Specifically, at PN14, Pb2+-exposed males had an increase in MOR binding in the lateral posthalamic nuclei (LPTN), and Pb2+-exposed females had increased MOR binding in LPTN, medial thalamus, and hypothalamus. At PN28, Pb2+-exposed males had increased MOR levels in the striatum, stria medullaris of the thalamus, LPTN, medial thalamus, and basolateral amygdala, while Pb2+-exposed females showed an increase in nucleus accumbens core, LPTN, and medial thalamus. No changes were detected in any brain region of male and female rats at PN50, and at PN120 there was a decrease in MOR binding of Pb2+-exposed males in the medial thalamus. Our findings demonstrate age and gender specific effects of MOR levels in the rat brain as a result of chronic developmental Pb2+ exposure. These results indicate that the major changes in brain MOR levels were during pre-adolescence and early adolescence, a developmental period in which there is higher engagement in reward and drug-seeking behaviors in humans. In summary, we show that chronic exposure to Pb2+, an ubiquitous and well-known environmental contaminant and neurotoxicant, alters MOR levels in brain regions associated with addiction circuits in the adolescent period, these findings have important implications for opioid drug use and abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damaris Albores-Garcia
- Brain, Behavior & the Environment Program, Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, United States; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, United States
| | - Jennifer L McGlothan
- Brain, Behavior & the Environment Program, Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, United States; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, United States
| | - Zoran Bursac
- Department of Biostatistics, Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, United States
| | - Tomás R Guilarte
- Brain, Behavior & the Environment Program, Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, United States; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, United States.
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Ho WC, Lin YS, Caffrey JL, Faramawi MF. Evaluation of lead body burden in US adolescents. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 2020; 77:219-226. [PMID: 33357119 DOI: 10.1080/19338244.2020.1864257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The objective was to examine key determinants in the body burden of lead in adolescents as lead poisoning remains a major public health challenge. Data from 2,925 teenagers aged 12-18 older in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 1999-2012 were analyzed. Lead in both blood and urine was significantly correlated among individuals. Despite higher blood lead in males, urinary lead measures corrected for dilution were similar between male and female adolescents. Thus, the urine-to-blood ratio was approximately 30% lower in male than female adolescents, suggesting that differences in renal disposal contributed to the greater body burden for young males. Differences in urinary lead disposal appear to be a key determinant in lead accumulation and thus, the degree of lead poisoning. Direct renal studies should be conducted to determine mechanisms and potential solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Chao Ho
- Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Nursing and Graduate Institute of Nursing, Asia University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Sheng Lin
- University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - James L Caffrey
- University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
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Sitarik AR, Arora M, Austin C, Bielak LF, Eggers S, Johnson CC, Lynch SV, Kyun Park S, Hank Wu KH, Yong GJM, Cassidy-Bushrow AE. Fetal and early postnatal lead exposure measured in teeth associates with infant gut microbiota. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 144:106062. [PMID: 32871381 PMCID: PMC7572588 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lead (Pb) is an environmentally ubiquitous heavy metal associated with a wide range of adverse health effects in children. Both lead exposure and the early life microbiome- which plays a critical role in human development-have been linked to similar health outcomes, but it is unclear if the adverse effects of lead are partially driven by early life gut microbiota dysbiosis. The objective of this study was to examine the association between in utero and postnatal lead levels (measured in deciduous baby teeth) and early life bacterial and fungal gut microbiota in the first year of life. METHODS Data from the Wayne County Health, Environment, Allergy and Asthma Longitudinal Study (WHEALS) birth cohort were analyzed. Tooth lead levels during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters and postnatally (<1 year of age) were quantified using high-resolution microspatial mapping of dentin growth rings. Early life microbiota were measured in stool samples collected at approximately 1 and 6 months of age, using both 16S rRNA (bacterial) and ITS2 (fungal) sequencing. Of the 1,258 maternal-child pairs in WHEALS, 146 had data on both tooth metals and early life microbiome. RESULTS In utero tooth lead levels were significantly associated with gut fungal community composition at 1-month of age, where higher levels of 2nd trimester tooth lead was associated with lower abundances of Candida and Aspergillus and higher abundances of Malassezia and Saccharomyces; 3rd trimester lead was also associated with lower abundances of Candida. Though lead did not significantly associate with the overall structure of the infant gut bacterial community, it associated with the abundance of some specific bacterial taxa, including the increased abundance of Collinsella and Bilophila and a decreased abundance of Bacteroides taxa. CONCLUSIONS The observed associations between lead exposure and infant gut microbiota could play a role in the impact of lead on childhood development. Given the paucity of research examining these associations in humans-particularly for fungal microbiota-further investigation is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra R Sitarik
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, USA.
| | - Manish Arora
- Senator Frank R Lautenberg Environmental Health Sciences Laboratory, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, USA.
| | - Christine Austin
- Senator Frank R Lautenberg Environmental Health Sciences Laboratory, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, USA.
| | | | - Shoshannah Eggers
- Senator Frank R Lautenberg Environmental Health Sciences Laboratory, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, USA.
| | - Christine C Johnson
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, USA.
| | - Susan V Lynch
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
| | - Sung Kyun Park
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
| | - Kuan-Han Hank Wu
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, USA.
| | - Germaine J M Yong
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
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LeWinn KZ, Bush NR, Batra A, Tylavsky F, Rehkopf D. Identification of Modifiable Social and Behavioral Factors Associated With Childhood Cognitive Performance. JAMA Pediatr 2020; 174:1063-1072. [PMID: 32955555 PMCID: PMC7506587 DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.2904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Inequities in social environments are likely associated with a large portion of racial disparities in childhood cognitive performance. Identification of the specific exposures associated with cognitive development is needed to inform prevention efforts. OBJECTIVE To identify modifiable factors associated with childhood cognitive performance. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This longitudinal pregnancy cohort study included 1503 mother-child dyads who were enrolled in the University of Tennessee Health Science Center-Conditions Affecting Neurodevelopment and Learning in Early Life study between December 1, 2006, and July 31, 2011, and assessed annually until the children were aged 4 to 6 years. The analytic sample comprised 1055 mother-child dyads. A total of 155 prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal exposures were included to evaluate environment-wide associations. Participants comprised a community-based sample of pregnant women who were recruited between 16 weeks and 28 weeks of gestation from 4 hospitals in Shelby County, Tennessee. Women with high-risk pregnancies were excluded. Data were analyzed from June 1, 2018, to April 15, 2019. EXPOSURES Individual and neighborhood socioeconomic position, family structure, maternal mental health, nutrition, delivery complications, birth outcomes, and parenting behaviors. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Child's full-scale IQ measured by the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition, at age 4 to 6 years. RESULTS Of 1055 children included in the analytic sample, 532 (50.4%) were female. Among mothers, the mean (SD) age was 26.0 (5.6) years; 676 mothers (64.1%) were Black, and 623 mothers (59.0%) had an educational level of high school or less. Twenty-four factors were retained in the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis and full models adjusted for potential confounding. Associations were noted between child cognitive performance and parental education and breastfeeding; for each increase of 1.0 SD in exposure, positive associations were found with cognitive growth fostering from observed parent-child interactions (β = 1.12; 95% CI, 0.24-2.00) and maternal reading ability (β = 1.42; 95% CI, 0.16-2.68), and negative associations were found with parenting stress (β = -1.04; 95% CI, -1.86 to -0.21). A moderate increase in these beneficial exposures was associated with a notable improvement in estimated cognitive test scores using marginal means (0.5% of an SD). Black children experienced fewer beneficial cognitive performance exposures; in a model including all 24 exposures and covariates, no racial disparity was observed in cognitive performance (95% CIs for race included the null). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The prospective analysis identified multiple beneficial and modifiable cognitive performance exposures that were associated with mean differences in cognitive performance by race. The findings from this observational study may help guide experimental studies focused on reducing racial disparities in childhood cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaja Z. LeWinn
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Nicole R. Bush
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco,Department of Pediatrics, Division of Developmental Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Akansha Batra
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco
| | - Frances Tylavsky
- Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis
| | - David Rehkopf
- Division of Primary Care and Population Health, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
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Environmental Health Equity: A Concept Analysis. ANNUAL REVIEW OF NURSING RESEARCH 2020; 38:183-202. [PMID: 32102962 DOI: 10.1891/0739-6686.38.183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Public health practice and ethics address both individual and environmental health, in order to optimize the well-being of an entire population. Consideration of environmental health equity (EHE) is an evolving component of environmental ethics and public health, with evidence of disparities in exposure to vulnerable communities. Related terms for studying EHE include elements of justice, social determinants of health (SDOH), disparities, and environmental racism. The unequal protection from environmental exposures, specifically considering vulnerable and marginalized populations is significant to science, society, and health. Analyzing the environmental impact includes examining equity principles to assist policy and decision-making in the public arena, in order to address unfair burdens placed on vulnerable populations. However, the lack of a common and precise term for the idea makes it to instruct and evaluate the experiences of inequities in diverse populations. The purpose of this research is to use a concept analysis to examine the idea, utility, and conditions surrounding "EHE" for use in public health, nursing, environmental ethics, policy development, and interprofessional collaboration. A concept analysis will be conducted following the eight-step method developed by Walker and Avant (2011) Data sources will include empirical and descriptive literature; and the results will identify defining attributes of the concept. A set of operationalized standards for EHE is established through this concept analysis. This study proposes an examination of the concept in order to assess and evaluate the ethics and experiences in EHE, and determine how this impacts population health outcomes.
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Chesley N, Meier H, Luo J, Apchemengich I, Davies WH. Social factors shaping the adoption of lead-filtering point-of-use systems: an observational study of an MTurk sample. JOURNAL OF WATER AND HEALTH 2020; 18:505-521. [PMID: 32833677 DOI: 10.2166/wh.2020.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Some municipalities are promoting lead-filtering point-of-use (POU) systems to minimize the risk of lead exposure through drinking water, often targeting use at racial minorities and low-income households. However, links among social inequality markers and adoption of these systems are not well understood. Survey data on adoption and use of POU systems were collected from a U.S. Mechanical Turk (MTurk) sample (N = 2,867) in March 2018. We use logistic regression to assess the association of race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and lead-filtering POU adoption. We also examined key health behaviors related to POU systems. We found that race and SES are indirectly predictive of lead-filtering POU adoption through the propensity of some respondents to report a residence with a lead service line and levels of concern and knowledge about lead exposure. In addition, individuals with similar levels of concern about lead in water have lower odds of adopting a POU system if they have lower, rather than higher, incomes. Among POU adopters, while confidence in correct use of these devices was relatively high, the frequency of filtered water use for cooking was lower than drinking frequency. Overall, these findings inform health policies aimed at mitigating risk of lead exposure through water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelle Chesley
- University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, 3210 N. Maryland Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA E-mail:
| | - Helen Meier
- Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Jake Luo
- Health Informatics & Administration, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | | | - W Hobart Davies
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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Environmental racism and the need for private well protections. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:17476-17478. [PMID: 32641505 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2011547117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Hoke MK, Schell LM. Doing biocultural anthropology: Continuity and change. Am J Hum Biol 2020; 32:e23471. [PMID: 32681558 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Biocultural anthropology has long represented an important approach in the study of human biology. However, despite demonstrated utility, its somewhat amorphous identity leaves some scholars questioning just what it means to be biocultural. In this article, rather than providing proscriptive doctrine, we contribute to these conversations about the nature of biocultural anthropology by considering what biocultural research does. We begin with a consideration of some of the foundational themes of biocultural work including recognition of the dialectical nature of sociocultural and biological forces, interest in inequality, and incorporation of both evolutionary and political economic perspectives. To emphasize the consistency of biocultural work over time, we also trace these themes from originating work to their appearance in current research. We then identify some of the key actions of the biocultural approach, noting that biocultural work can execute any number though rarely all of these actions simultaneously. We then offer brief introductions to the articles that make up this special issue, highlighting the ways in which each piece undertakes key biocultural actions. Following these introductions, we provide a discussion of some of the types of biocultural work that are not present in this special issue, recognizing the breadth of biocultural research across multiple subfields of anthropology. Finally, we point to some potentially fruitful directions for future biocultural research. In the end, we conclude that while biocultural anthropology may not have a cohesive or set agenda, it does have a clear and recognizable form of content and methodology illuminated by its actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan K Hoke
- Department of Anthropology & Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lawrence M Schell
- Department of Anthropology, Department of Epidemiology and Statistics, & the Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities, University at Albany, Albany, New York, USA
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Fernández-Escudero AC, Legaz I, Prieto-Bonete G, López-Nicolás M, Maurandi-López A, Pérez-Cárceles MD. Aging and trace elements in human coronal tooth dentine. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9964. [PMID: 32561784 PMCID: PMC7305194 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66472-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Teeth are a fundamental tool in forensic odontology for identification in a legal context of those individuals who cannot be identified visually or by other means. Dentine presents physiological exchanges of in trace elements after a period of mineralization and several factors can affect its concentration. The aim of this study was to investigate the concentration of 25 trace elements in the coronal dentine according to sex and type of tooth to determine their relationship with age. A total of 25 trace elements were analyzed in 150 human coronal dentine. Teeth were classified into three age groups, sex and tooth type. The trace elements were grouped as potentially toxic or essential. Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry and Atomic Emission Spectroscopy were used. The toxic and essential elements were detected in the following order of concentration: Al > Pb > Sn > Li > As > Cd and Ca > P > Mg > Na > S > K > Sr > Zn > Ba > Fe > B > Ti > Mn > Cr > Ni > Cu > Co > Se > V. Our findings show an increase in the concentration of toxic (Pb, Li and Sn) and essential (B, Ba, K, Sr, S and Mg) elements in coronal dentin related to the age of the teeth, regardless of sex. The concentrations of Pb and K in dentin of molars and premolars are the elements that best relate their variations with age. In view of our results, the analysis of these trace elements in dentin in combination with other types of techniques could be established as an element to consider in age dating studies in different forensic situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C Fernández-Escudero
- Department of Legal and Forensic Medicine, Biomedical Research Institute (IMIB), Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Isabel Legaz
- Department of Legal and Forensic Medicine, Biomedical Research Institute (IMIB), Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
| | - Gemma Prieto-Bonete
- Department of Legal and Forensic Medicine, Biomedical Research Institute (IMIB), Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Manuel López-Nicolás
- Department of Dermatology, Stomatology, Radiology and Physical Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Antonio Maurandi-López
- Department of Didactics of Mathematical and Social Sciences, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - María D Pérez-Cárceles
- Department of Legal and Forensic Medicine, Biomedical Research Institute (IMIB), Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", Faculty of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
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Yeter D, Banks EC, Aschner M. Disparity in Risk Factor Severity for Early Childhood Blood Lead among Predominantly African-American Black Children: The 1999 to 2010 US NHANES. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17051552. [PMID: 32121216 PMCID: PMC7084658 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17051552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2019] [Revised: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
There is no safe detectable level of lead (Pb) in the blood of young children. In the United States, predominantly African-American Black children are exposed to more Pb and present with the highest mean blood lead levels (BLLs). However, racial disparity has not been fully examined within risk factors for early childhood Pb exposure. Therefore, we conducted secondary analysis of blood Pb determinations for 2841 US children at ages 1–5 years with citizenship examined by the cross-sectional 1999 to 2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The primary measures were racial disparities for continuous BLLs or an elevated BLL (EBLL) ≥5 µg/dL in selected risk factors between non-Hispanic Black children (n = 608) and both non-Hispanic White (n = 1208) or Hispanic (n = 1025) children. Selected risk factors included indoor household smoking, low income or poverty, older housing built before 1978 or 1950, low primary guardian education <12th grade/general education diploma (GED), or younger age between 1 and 3 years. Data were analyzed using a regression model corrected for risk factors and other confounding variables. Overall, Black children had an adjusted +0.83 µg/dL blood Pb (95% CI 0.65 to 1.00, p < 0.001) and a 2.8 times higher odds of having an EBLL ≥5 µg/dL (95% CI 1.9 to 3.9, p < 0.001). When stratified by risk factor group, Black children had an adjusted 0.73 to 1.41 µg/dL more blood Pb (p < 0.001 respectively) and a 1.8 to 5.6 times higher odds of having an EBLL ≥5 µg/dL (p ≤ 0.05 respectively) for every selected risk factor that was tested. For Black children nationwide, one in four residing in pre-1950 housing and one in six living in poverty presented with an EBLL ≥5 µg/dL. In conclusion, significant nationwide racial disparity in blood Pb outcomes persist for predominantly African-American Black children even after correcting for risk factors and other variables. This racial disparity further persists within housing, socio-economic, and age-related risk factors of blood Pb outcomes that are much more severe for Black children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deniz Yeter
- Independent Researcher, Kansas City, KS 66104, USA
- Correspondence:
| | | | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA;
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Eggers S, Safdar N, Sethi AK, Suen G, Peppard PE, Kates AE, Skarlupka JH, Kanarek M, Malecki KMC. Urinary lead concentration and composition of the adult gut microbiota in a cross-sectional population-based sample. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2019; 133:105122. [PMID: 31518933 PMCID: PMC7230144 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lead (Pb) is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant with an array of detrimental health effects in children and adults, including neurological and immune dysfunction. Emerging evidence suggests that Pb exposure may alter the composition of the gut microbiota, however few studies have examined this association in human populations. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between urinary Pb concentration and the composition of the adult gut microbiota in a population-based sample of adults. METHODS Data used in this study were collected as part of the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin (SHOW) and its ancillary microbiome study. The SHOW is a household-based health examination survey of Wisconsin residents, collecting a variety of survey data on health determinants and outcomes, as well as objective measurements of body habitus, and biological specimens including urine. The ancillary microbiome study added additional questions and biological specimen collection, including stool, from participants age 18+. Pb concentration was analyzed in urine samples, and gut microbiota composition was assessed using DNA sequencing of the 16S rRNA V4 region, extracted from stool samples. Data processing and statistical analyses were performed in mothur, Python, R, and SAS. RESULTS Of 696 participants, urinary Pb concentration was highest in those age 70+, females, those with a high school diploma or lower, current and former smokers, and those without indoor pets. In adjusted models, increasing urinary Pb levels were associated with increases in microbial α-diversity (p = 0.071) and richness (p = 0.005). Differences in microbial β-diversity were significantly associated (p = 0.003) with differences in urinary Pb level. Presence of Proteobacteria, including members of the Burkholderiales, was significantly associated with increased urinary Pb. CONCLUSION These results suggest that Pb exposure is associated with differences in the composition of the adult gut microbiota in a population-based human sample. Further investigation of this association is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoshannah Eggers
- Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 610 Walnut St, WARF 707, Madison, WI 53726, USA; Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1057, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Nasia Safdar
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin - Madison, UW Med Fndtn Centennial Bldg, 1685 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53705, USA; William S. Middleton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 2500 Overlook Terrace, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
| | - Ajay K Sethi
- Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 610 Walnut St, WARF 707, Madison, WI 53726, USA.
| | - Garret Suen
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1550 Linden Dr, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
| | - Paul E Peppard
- Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 610 Walnut St, WARF 707, Madison, WI 53726, USA.
| | - Ashley E Kates
- Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin - Madison, UW Med Fndtn Centennial Bldg, 1685 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53705, USA; William S. Middleton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 2500 Overlook Terrace, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
| | - Joseph H Skarlupka
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1550 Linden Dr, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
| | - Marty Kanarek
- Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 610 Walnut St, WARF 707, Madison, WI 53726, USA; Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 122 Science Hall, 550 North Park St, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
| | - Kristen M C Malecki
- Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 610 Walnut St, WARF 707, Madison, WI 53726, USA.
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49
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Wang G, DiBari J, Bind E, Steffens AM, Mukherjee J, Azuine RE, Singh GK, Hong X, Ji Y, Ji H, Pearson C, Zuckerman BS, Cheng TL, Wang X. Association Between Maternal Exposure to Lead, Maternal Folate Status, and Intergenerational Risk of Childhood Overweight and Obesity. JAMA Netw Open 2019; 2:e1912343. [PMID: 31577354 PMCID: PMC6777254 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.12343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The first pediatric lead screening typically occurs at 1-year well-child care visits. However, data on the extent of maternal lead exposure and its long-term consequences for child health are lacking. OBJECTIVE To investigate the associations between maternal red blood cell (RBC) lead levels and intergenerational risk of overweight or obesity (OWO) and whether adequate maternal folate status is associated with a reduction in OWO risk. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Prospective birth cohort study. The analysis was conducted from July 14, 2018, to August 2, 2019, at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. This study included 1442 mother-child pairs recruited at birth from October 27, 2002, to October 10, 2013, and followed up prospectively at Boston Medical Center. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Child body mass index (BMI) z score, calculated according to US national reference data, and OWO, defined as BMI at or exceeding the 85th percentile for age and sex. Maternal RBC lead levels and plasma folate levels were measured in samples obtained 24 to 72 hours after delivery; child whole-blood lead level was obtained from the first pediatric lead screening. RESULTS The mean (SD) age of mothers and children was 28.6 (6.5) years and 8.1 (3.1) years, respectively; 50.1% of children were boys. The median maternal RBC lead level and plasma folate level were 2.5 (interquartile range [IQR], 1.7-3.8) μg/dL and 32.2 (IQR, 22.1-44.4) nmol/L, respectively. The median child whole-blood lead level and child BMI z score were 1.4 (IQR, 1.4-2.0) μg/dL and 0.78 (IQR, -0.08 to 1.71), respectively. Maternal RBC lead level was associated with child OWO risk in a dose-response fashion, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.65 (95% CI, 1.18-2.32) for high maternal RBC lead level (≥5.0 μg/dL) compared with low maternal RBC lead level (<2.0 μg/dL). Child OWO was highest among children of OWO mothers with high RBC lead levels (adjusted OR, 4.24; 95% CI, 2.64-6.82) compared with children of non-OWO mothers with low RBC lead levels. Children of OWO mothers with high RBC lead levels had 41% lower OWO risk (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.36-0.95; P = .03) if their mothers had adequate plasma folate levels (≥20.4 nmol/L) compared with their counterparts. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this sample of a US urban population, findings suggest that maternal elevated lead exposure was associated with increased risk of intergenerational OWO independent of postnatal blood lead levels. Adequate maternal folate status appeared to be associated with lower OWO risk. If confirmed by additional studies, these findings have implications for prenatal lead screening and management to minimize adverse health consequences on children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoying Wang
- Center on the Early Life Origins of Disease, Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jessica DiBari
- Division of Research, Office of Epidemiology and Research, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Eric Bind
- Metals Laboratory, Environmental and Chemical Laboratory Services, State of New Jersey Department of Health, Trenton
| | - Andrew M. Steffens
- Metals Laboratory, Environmental and Chemical Laboratory Services, State of New Jersey Department of Health, Trenton
| | - Jhindan Mukherjee
- Metals Laboratory, Environmental and Chemical Laboratory Services, State of New Jersey Department of Health, Trenton
| | - Romuladus E. Azuine
- Division of Research, Office of Epidemiology and Research, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Gopal K. Singh
- Office of Health Equity, Health Resources and Services Administration, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Xiumei Hong
- Center on the Early Life Origins of Disease, Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Yuelong Ji
- Center on the Early Life Origins of Disease, Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Hongkai Ji
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Colleen Pearson
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Barry S. Zuckerman
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Tina L. Cheng
- Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Xiaobin Wang
- Center on the Early Life Origins of Disease, Department of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
- Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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50
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Johnston JE, Franklin M, Roh H, Austin C, Arora M. Lead and Arsenic in Shed Deciduous Teeth of Children Living Near a Lead-Acid Battery Smelter. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:6000-6006. [PMID: 31056909 PMCID: PMC6996839 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b00429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Lead (Pb) is a potent neurotoxicant with no safe level of exposure. Elevated levels of Pb and arsenic (As) are found in the air and soil near facilities that recycle lead-acid batteries in the United States. In urban Los Angeles County, California, a facility processed ∼11 million batteries per year and operated for decades without proper environmental review. Measuring Pb and As in shed deciduous teeth is a promising technique to assess prenatal and early life exposure. In this pilot study coined the "Truth Fairy" Project, 50 shed deciduous teeth from 43 children living their entire lives within 2 miles of the smelter were analyzed to understand retrospective exposure to toxic metals using a community-driven research approach. Concentrations of Pb and As in teeth were assessed using laser-ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Soil Pb concentrations were determined using spatial kriging of surface soil measurements. The mean prenatal calcium normalized Pb levels in teeth samples (reported as a ratio 208Pb:43Ca) was 4.104 × 10-4 (SD 4.123 × 10-4), and the mean postnatal 208Pb:43Ca level was 4.109 × 10-4 (SD 3.369 × 10-4). Adjusted for maternal education and batch, we observe positive significant relationship between prenatal teeth Pb per 100 ppm increase in soil Pb (β = 3.48, 95% CI 1.11, 5.86). The Truth Fairy study suggests prenatal and early life exposure to toxic metals is associated with legacy soil contamination in an urban community near a smelter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill E Johnston
- Department of Preventive Medicine , University of Southern California , Los Angeles California 90032 , United States
| | - Meredith Franklin
- Department of Preventive Medicine , University of Southern California , Los Angeles California 90032 , United States
| | - Hannah Roh
- Department of Preventive Medicine , University of Southern California , Los Angeles California 90032 , United States
| | - Christine Austin
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , New York 10029 , United States
| | - Manish Arora
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , New York 10029 , United States
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