A team of PRHE scientists will share their latest research on how plastic-related chemicals, pesticides, and chemicals in antimicrobials and clothing are affecting pregnancy and child development.
What lesser-known chemicals are affecting pregnancy? Which toxic chemicals are linked to miscarriage and gestational diabetes? What combinations of toxic chemicals and social stressors are harming children’s neurodevelopment? PRHE’s team will present the latest findings at poster sessions during the annual conference of the International Society of Environmental Epidemiology, taking place August 17-20 in Atlanta, GA.
Check them out below. If you plan to attend the conference, we hope you will join us for these sessions.
Monday, August 18th
Anti-microbial chemicals and reproductive toxicity: A systematic review
Abena BakenRa, MPH
Science Associate
Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are a chemical class comprised of hundreds of chemicals and mixtures that primarily function as antimicrobials. Two QACs, benzyl alkyl dimethyl ammonium chlorides (BACs) and didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (DDAC), are often researched together due to their combined use in antimicrobial products and similar hazard profiles. Their use is widespread and has been linked to several reproductive toxicity effects. This systematic review evaluates the reproductive toxicity of BACs and DDAC and will be a proof of concept for a framework to integrate new approach methodologies (NAMs) into hazard assessment.
- Time: 3:30-4:15pm
- Session: Poster Viewing II | P13 | Environmental Chemical Exposures and Health
- Poster Number: P13-08
How social stressors and toxic chemicals affect children’s neurodevelopment
Jessica Trowbridge, PhD, MPH
Associate Research Scientist
Risk assessments traditionally evaluate one chemical at a time and fail to account for social vulnerability factors, resulting in the underestimation of risk, in particular for susceptible communities. This systematic review will explore the impact of social non-chemical stressors on exposure to environmental chemicals and child neurodevelopment. This poster presents our protocol, methods, and results to date.
- Time: 3:30 – 4:15pm
- Session: Poster Viewing II | P20 | From Policy to Practice: Global Efforts to Eradicate Lead Exposure – PART I
- Poster Number: P20-11
Tuesday, August 19th
Chemicals in clothing and gestational diabetes
Emily Lasher, MSPH
Science Associate
This poster will share the results of an analysis of data from the Chemicals in our Bodies cohort, a pregnancy cohort in San Francisco, California. The study found that exposure to o-anisidine, a chemical used in the production of azo dyes, increases the risk of gestational diabetes, especially among pregnant women carrying male fetuses. This was also one of the first studies to show that discrimination increases the risk of gestational diabetes.
- Time: 3:30-4:15pm
- Session: Poster Viewing IV | P35 | Environmental Exposures During Pregnancy and Maternal/Infant Health Outcomes – PART I
- Poster Number: P35-17
Wednesday, August 20th
Toxic chemicals and miscarriage
Dimitri Abrahamsson, PhD, MS
Assistant Professor
Early pregnancy loss (EPL) is a common but poorly understood reproductive complication influenced by genetic, metabolic, and environmental factors. We identified multiple chemical exposures that were associated with EPL. One of the most significant ones was tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP), which is a flame retardant commonly used in fabrics and upholstery, including polyurethane foam in furniture. TDCPP has been previously linked to increased cancer risk, endocrine disruption, reproductive harm, neurodevelopmental toxicity, and liver damage.
- Time: 9:00 – 9:45am
- Session: Poster Viewing V | P47 | Advancing Exposomics: Comprehensive Assessment of Environmental and Lifestyle Exposures – PART II
- Poster Number: P47-05
Plastic-related chemicals and pregnancy outcomes
Junjie Yang, PhD
Postdoctoral Scholar
We identified nine plastic-related chemicals at level 1 and 441 compounds at level 2, including 231 underreported tentative identifications. Acetyl tributyl citrate, progesterone, diisobutyl phthalate, 8-hydroxyquinoline, and PFOS was associated with higher odds of preterm birth. We found exposure disparities in 67 features by educational attainment, 13 by nativity, and 2 each by hypertension and GDM.
- Time: 3:30 – 4:15pm
- Session: Poster Viewing VI | P51 | Environmental Exposures and Birth Outcomes – PART II
- Poster Number: P51-06
Pesticide exposure in pregnant women
Erin DeMicco, MPH, CCRC
Associate Director of Research
We evaluated the effectiveness of silicone wristbands as a measure of pesticide exposure in a pregnancy cohort in two California locations, the Central Valley (CV) and the San Francisco Bay Area (SFBA). Out of 200 pesticides measured by the USGS, 79 were detected across 93 wristbands. We observed variations in pesticide levels based on geographic location, with higher concentrations generally observed in the CV vs. SFBA. Notably, concentrations of banned and highly toxic DDT, DDE, and DDD were higher in the SFBA population. Overall, silicone wristbands are effective tools for assessing pesticide exposure in pregnant and postpartum women.
- Time: 3:30 – 4:15pm
- Session: Poster Viewing VI | P53 | Environmental Exposures During Pregnancy and Maternal/Infant Health Outcomes – PART II
- Poster Number: P53-21
You must be logged in to post a comment.