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Feng Y, Manjourides J, Rich SL, Li G, Vega CV, Padilla IY, Rosario-Pabón Z, Alshawabkeh AN, Helbling DE, Gao G, Kaeli D, Meeker JD, Gu AZ. Association between organic micropollutants in tap water and human exposure and birth outcomes: Implications for environmental health in northern Puerto Rico. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2025; 491:137960. [PMID: 40147127 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.137960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2024] [Revised: 02/24/2025] [Accepted: 03/13/2025] [Indexed: 03/29/2025]
Abstract
The presence of micropollutants in Puerto Rico's tap water, potentially linked to nearby Superfund sites, was hypothesized to contribute to the region's higher preterm birth rate than the US mainland. This study analyzed the presence of 175 micropollutants in tap water samples collected from participant households and evaluated their association with human exposure using 14 oxidative stress and inflammation biomarkers in urine samples collected from pregnant participants, and further with the subsequent birth outcome information. Notably, three out of four oxidative stress biomarkers consistently showed negative correlations with five micropollutant categories, highlighting the oxidative stress induced by these contaminants. For the ten selected inflammation-related biomarkers, two showed positive yet not significant correlations with the five categories of micropollutants and, only one biomarker (MMP1), an inflammation biomarker whose down-regulation was associated with pre-mature birth implications, showed significant negative correlation with industrial chemicals and pesticides. Interestingly, the detected urinary phthalate metabolites in pregnant women could not be linked with the two parent phthalates found in the tap water, suggesting that the two phthalates in tap water may not be the primary source of phthalate exposure to human body. Furthermore, hormones in tap water showed significant moderate-to-strong negative correlations with birth outcomes, raising specific health concerns for pregnant women in northern Puerto Rico. This is the first study to investigate the association among a wider spectrum of tap water micropollutants with pregnancy exposure and birth outcome in Puerto Rico and provide insights into water quality and associated human health impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinmei Feng
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Justin Manjourides
- College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Stephanie L Rich
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Guangyu Li
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Carmen Velez Vega
- University of Puerto Rico - Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, PR, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ingrid Y Padilla
- Department of Civil Engineering and Surveying, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, PR, United States
| | - Zaira Rosario-Pabón
- University of Puerto Rico - Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, PR, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Akram N Alshawabkeh
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Damian E Helbling
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Griffith Gao
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - David Kaeli
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - John D Meeker
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - April Z Gu
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States.
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Li Y, Zhu Q, He R, Du J, Qin X, Li Y, Liang X, Wang J. The NFκB Signaling Pathway Is Involved in the Pathophysiological Process of Preeclampsia. Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd 2024; 84:334-345. [PMID: 38618576 PMCID: PMC11006561 DOI: 10.1055/a-2273-6318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The high prevalence of preeclampsia (PE) is a major cause of maternal and fetal mortality and affects the long-term prognosis of both mother and baby. Termination of pregnancy is currently the only effective treatment for PE, so there is an urgent need for research into its pathogenesis and the development of new therapeutic approaches. The NFκB family of transcription factors has an essential role in inflammation and innate immunity. In this review, we summarize the role of NFκB in normal and preeclampsia pregnancies, the role of NFκB in existing treatment strategies, and potential NFκB treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaxi Li
- The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Qinying Zhu
- The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ruifen He
- The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Junhong Du
- The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xue Qin
- The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yi Li
- The First Clinical Medical College of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaolei Liang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Key Laboratory for Gynecologic Oncology Gansu Province, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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