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Wu H, Kalia V, Manz KE, Chillrud L, Dishon NH, Jackson GL, Dye CK, Orvieto R, Aizer A, Levine H, Kioumourtzoglou MA, Pennell KD, Baccarelli AA, Machtinger R. Exposome Profiling of Environmental Pollutants in Seminal Plasma and Novel Associations with Semen Parameters. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:13594-13604. [PMID: 39053901 PMCID: PMC11308511 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c10314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Indicators of male fertility are in decline globally, but the underlying causes, including the role of environmental exposures, are unclear. This study aimed to examine organic chemical pollutants in seminal plasma, including both known priority environmental chemicals and less studied chemicals, to identify uncharacterized male reproductive environmental toxicants. Semen samples were collected from 100 individuals and assessed for sperm concentration, percent motility, and total motile sperm. Targeted and nontargeted organic pollutant exposures were measured from seminal plasma using gas chromatography, which showed widespread detection of organic pollutants in seminal plasma across all exposure classes. We used principal component pursuit (PCP) on our targeted panel and derived one component (driven by etriadizole) associated with total motile sperm (p < 0.001) and concentration (p = 0.03). This was confirmed by the exposome-wide association models using individual chemicals, where etriadizole was negatively associated with total motile sperm (FDR q = 0.01) and concentration (q = 0.07). Using PCP on 814 nontargeted spectral peaks identified a component that was associated with total motile sperm (p = 0.001). Bayesian kernel machine regression identified one principal driver of this association, which was analytically confirmed to be N-nitrosodiethylamine. These findings are promising and consistent with experimental evidence showing that etridiazole and N-nitrosodiethylamine may be reproductive toxicants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haotian Wu
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Vrinda Kalia
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Katherine E. Manz
- School
of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States
| | - Lawrence Chillrud
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Nathalie Hoffmann Dishon
- Infertility
and IVF Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center (Tel Hashomer), Ramat Gan 5262000, Israel
| | - Gabriela L. Jackson
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Christian K. Dye
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Raoul Orvieto
- Infertility
and IVF Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center (Tel Hashomer), Ramat Gan 5262000, Israel
| | - Adva Aizer
- Infertility
and IVF Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center (Tel Hashomer), Ramat Gan 5262000, Israel
| | - Hagai Levine
- Braun
School of Public Health, Hadassah Medical Organization, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Kurt D. Pennell
- School
of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States
| | - Andrea A. Baccarelli
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Ronit Machtinger
- Infertility
and IVF Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center (Tel Hashomer), Ramat Gan 5262000, Israel
- School
of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
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Carlin DJ, Rider CV. Combined Exposures and Mixtures Research: An Enduring NIEHS Priority. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2024; 132:75001. [PMID: 38968090 PMCID: PMC11225971 DOI: 10.1289/ehp14340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) continues to prioritize research to better understand the health effects resulting from exposure to mixtures of chemical and nonchemical stressors. Mixtures research activities over the last decade were informed by expert input during the development and deliberations of the 2011 NIEHS Workshop "Advancing Research on Mixtures: New Perspectives and Approaches for Predicting Adverse Human Health Effects." NIEHS mixtures research efforts since then have focused on key themes including a) prioritizing mixtures for study, b) translating mixtures data from in vitro and in vivo studies, c) developing cross-disciplinary collaborations, d) informing component-based and whole-mixture assessment approaches, e) developing sufficient similarity methods to compare across complex mixtures, f) using systems-based approaches to evaluate mixtures, and g) focusing on management and integration of mixtures-related data. OBJECTIVES We aimed to describe NIEHS driven research on mixtures and combined exposures over the last decade and present areas for future attention. RESULTS Intramural and extramural mixtures research projects have incorporated a diverse array of chemicals (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, botanicals, personal care products, wildfire emissions) and nonchemical stressors (e.g., socioeconomic factors, social adversity) and have focused on many diseases (e.g., breast cancer, atherosclerosis, immune disruption). We have made significant progress in certain areas, such as developing statistical methods for evaluating multiple chemical associations in epidemiology and building translational mixtures projects that include both in vitro and in vivo models. DISCUSSION Moving forward, additional work is needed to improve mixtures data integration, elucidate interactions between chemical and nonchemical stressors, and resolve the geospatial and temporal nature of mixture exposures. Continued mixtures research will be critical to informing cumulative impact assessments and addressing complex challenges, such as environmental justice and climate change. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP14340.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle J. Carlin
- Division of Extramural Research and Training, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Cynthia V. Rider
- Division of Translational Toxicology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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Zhu G, Wen Y, Cao K, He S, Wang T. A review of common statistical methods for dealing with multiple pollutant mixtures and multiple exposures. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1377685. [PMID: 38784575 PMCID: PMC11113012 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1377685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Traditional environmental epidemiology has consistently focused on studying the impact of single exposures on specific health outcomes, considering concurrent exposures as variables to be controlled. However, with the continuous changes in environment, humans are increasingly facing more complex exposures to multi-pollutant mixtures. In this context, accurately assessing the impact of multi-pollutant mixtures on health has become a central concern in current environmental research. Simultaneously, the continuous development and optimization of statistical methods offer robust support for handling large datasets, strengthening the capability to conduct in-depth research on the effects of multiple exposures on health. In order to examine complicated exposure mixtures, we introduce commonly used statistical methods and their developments, such as weighted quantile sum, bayesian kernel machine regression, toxic equivalency analysis, and others. Delineating their applications, advantages, weaknesses, and interpretability of results. It also provides guidance for researchers involved in studying multi-pollutant mixtures, aiding them in selecting appropriate statistical methods and utilizing R software for more accurate and comprehensive assessments of the impact of multi-pollutant mixtures on human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guiming Zhu
- Department of Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and Prevention (Shanxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, Taiyuan, China
| | - Yanchao Wen
- Department of Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and Prevention (Shanxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, Taiyuan, China
| | - Kexin Cao
- Department of Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and Prevention (Shanxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, Taiyuan, China
| | - Simin He
- Department of Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and Prevention (Shanxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, Taiyuan, China
| | - Tong Wang
- Department of Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Coal Environmental Pathogenicity and Prevention (Shanxi Medical University), Ministry of Education, Taiyuan, China
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Benavides J, Usmani S, Kumar V, Kioumourtzoglou MA. Development of a community severance index for urban areas in the United States: A case study in New York City. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 185:108526. [PMID: 38428190 PMCID: PMC11069386 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Traffic-related exposures, such as air pollution and noise, have a detrimental impact on human health, especially in urban areas. However, there remains a critical research and knowledge gap in understanding the impact of community severance, a measure of the physical separation imposed by road infrastructure and motorized road traffic, limiting access to goods, services, or social connections, breaking down the social fabric and potentially also adversely impacting health. We aimed to robustly quantify a community severance metric in urban settings exemplified by its characterization in New York City (NYC). METHODS We used geospatial location data and dimensionality reduction techniques to capture NYC community severance variation. We employed principal component pursuit, a pattern recognition algorithm, combined with factor analysis as a novel method to estimate the Community Severance Index. We used public data for the year 2019 at census block group (CBG) level on road infrastructure, road traffic activity, and pedestrian infrastructure. As a demonstrative application of the Community Severance Index, we investigated the association between community severance and traffic collisions, as a proxy for road safety, in 2019 in NYC at CBG level. RESULTS Our data revealed one multidimensional factor related to community severance explaining 74% of the data variation. In adjusted analyses, traffic collisions in general, and specifically those involving pedestrians or cyclists, were nonlinearly associated with an increasing level of Community Severance Index in NYC. CONCLUSION We developed a high spatial-resolution Community Severance Index for NYC using data available nationwide, making it feasible for replication in other cities across the United States. Our findings suggest that increases in the Community Severance Index across CBG may be linked to increases in traffic collisions in NYC. The Community Severance Index, which provides a novel traffic-related exposure, may be used to inform equitable urban policies that mitigate health risks and enhance well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime Benavides
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Sabah Usmani
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Vijay Kumar
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
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Applying principal component pursuit to investigate the association between source-specific fine particulate matter and myocardial infarction hospitalizations in New York City. Environ Epidemiol 2023; 7:e243. [PMID: 37064426 PMCID: PMC10097537 DOI: 10.1097/ee9.0000000000000243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The association between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and cardiovascular outcomes is well established. To evaluate whether source-specific PM2.5 is differentially associated with cardiovascular disease in New York City (NYC), we identified PM2.5 sources and examined the association between source-specific PM2.5 exposure and risk of hospitalization for myocardial infarction (MI). Methods We adapted principal component pursuit (PCP), a dimensionality-reduction technique previously used in computer vision, as a novel pattern recognition method for environmental mixtures to apportion speciated PM2.5 to its sources. We used data from the NY Department of Health Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System of daily city-wide counts of MI admissions (2007-2015). We examined associations between same-day, lag 1, and lag 2 source-specific PM2.5 exposure and MI admissions in a time-series analysis, using a quasi-Poisson regression model adjusting for potential confounders. Results We identified four sources of PM2.5 pollution: crustal, salt, traffic, and regional and detected three single-species factors: cadmium, chromium, and barium. In adjusted models, we observed a 0.40% (95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.21, 1.01%) increase in MI admission rates per 1 μg/m3 increase in traffic PM2.5, a 0.44% (95% CI: -0.04, 0.93%) increase per 1 μg/m3 increase in crustal PM2.5, and a 1.34% (95% CI: -0.46, 3.17%) increase per 1 μg/m3 increase in chromium-related PM2.5, on average. Conclusions In our NYC study, we identified traffic, crustal dust, and chromium PM2.5 as potentially relevant sources for cardiovascular disease. We also demonstrated the potential utility of PCP as a pattern recognition method for environmental mixtures.
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Eick SM, Hüls A. Invited Perspective: Challenges and Opportunities for Missing Data in the Context of Environmental Mixture Methods. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2022; 130:111305. [PMID: 36416735 PMCID: PMC9683092 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M. Eick
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Anke Hüls
- Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Maitre L, Guimbaud JB, Warembourg C, Güil-Oumrait N, Petrone PM, Chadeau-Hyam M, Vrijheid M, Basagaña X, Gonzalez JR. State-of-the-art methods for exposure-health studies: Results from the exposome data challenge event. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 168:107422. [PMID: 36058017 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The exposome recognizes that individuals are exposed simultaneously to a multitude of different environmental factors and takes a holistic approach to the discovery of etiological factors for disease. However, challenges arise when trying to quantify the health effects of complex exposure mixtures. Analytical challenges include dealing with high dimensionality, studying the combined effects of these exposures and their interactions, integrating causal pathways, and integrating high-throughput omics layers. To tackle these challenges, the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) held a data challenge event open to researchers from all over the world and from all expertises. Analysts had a chance to compete and apply state-of-the-art methods on a common partially simulated exposome dataset (based on real case data from the HELIX project) with multiple correlated exposure variables (P > 100 exposure variables) arising from general and personal environments at different time points, biological molecular data (multi-omics: DNA methylation, gene expression, proteins, metabolomics) and multiple clinical phenotypes in 1301 mother-child pairs. Most of the methods presented included feature selection or feature reduction to deal with the high dimensionality of the exposome dataset. Several approaches explicitly searched for combined effects of exposures and/or their interactions using linear index models or response surface methods, including Bayesian methods. Other methods dealt with the multi-omics dataset in mediation analyses using multiple-step approaches. Here we discuss features of the statistical models used and provide the data and codes used, so that analysts have examples of implementation and can learn how to use these methods. Overall, the exposome data challenge presented a unique opportunity for researchers from different disciplines to create and share state-of-the-art analytical methods, setting a new standard for open science in the exposome and environmental health field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Maitre
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Jean-Baptiste Guimbaud
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; Laboratoire d'InfoRmatique en Image et Systèmes d'information (LIRIS), Lyon, France.
| | - Charline Warembourg
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France.
| | - Nuria Güil-Oumrait
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - Marc Chadeau-Hyam
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, St Mary's Hospital, Norfolk Place, London W21PG, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College, London, UK.
| | - Martine Vrijheid
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Xavier Basagaña
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Juan R Gonzalez
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
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