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Schrenk D, Bignami M, Bodin L, Chipman JK, del Mazo J, Grasl‐Kraupp B, Hogstrand C, Hoogenboom L(R, Leblanc J, Nebbia CS, Nielsen E, Ntzani E, Petersen A, Sand S, Vleminckx C, Wallace H, Barregård L, Benford D, Broberg K, Dogliotti E, Fletcher T, Rylander L, Abrahantes JC, Gómez Ruiz JÁ, Steinkellner H, Tauriainen T, Schwerdtle T. Update of the risk assessment of inorganic arsenic in food. EFSA J 2024; 22:e8488. [PMID: 38239496 PMCID: PMC10794945 DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2024.8488] [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] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The European Commission asked EFSA to update its 2009 risk assessment on arsenic in food carrying out a hazard assessment of inorganic arsenic (iAs) and using the revised exposure assessment issued by EFSA in 2021. Epidemiological studies show that the chronic intake of iAs via diet and/or drinking water is associated with increased risk of several adverse outcomes including cancers of the skin, bladder and lung. The CONTAM Panel used the benchmark dose lower confidence limit based on a benchmark response (BMR) of 5% (relative increase of the background incidence after adjustment for confounders, BMDL05) of 0.06 μg iAs/kg bw per day obtained from a study on skin cancer as a Reference Point (RP). Inorganic As is a genotoxic carcinogen with additional epigenetic effects and the CONTAM Panel applied a margin of exposure (MOE) approach for the risk characterisation. In adults, the MOEs are low (range between 2 and 0.4 for mean consumers and between 0.9 and 0.2 at the 95th percentile exposure, respectively) and as such raise a health concern despite the uncertainties.
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Vázquez Cervantes GI, González Esquivel DF, Ramírez Ortega D, Blanco Ayala T, Ramos Chávez LA, López-López HE, Salazar A, Flores I, Pineda B, Gómez-Manzo S, Pérez de la Cruz V. Mechanisms Associated with Cognitive and Behavioral Impairment Induced by Arsenic Exposure. Cells 2023; 12:2537. [PMID: 37947615 PMCID: PMC10649068 DOI: 10.3390/cells12212537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Arsenic (As) is a metalloid naturally present in the environment, in food, water, soil, and air; however, its chronic exposure, even with low doses, represents a public health concern. For a long time, As was used as a pigment, pesticide, wood preservative, and for medical applications; its industrial use has recently decreased or has been discontinued due to its toxicity. Due to its versatile applications and distribution, there is a wide spectrum of human As exposure sources, mainly contaminated drinking water. The fact that As is present in drinking water implies chronic human exposure to this metalloid; it has become a worldwide health problem, since over 200 million people live where As levels exceed safe ranges. Many health problems have been associated with As chronic exposure including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal disturbances, and brain dysfunctions. Because As can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the brain represents a target organ where this metalloid can exert its long-term toxic effects. Many mechanisms of As neurotoxicity have been described: oxidative stress, inflammation, DNA damage, and mitochondrial dysfunction; all of them can converge, thus leading to impaired cellular functions, cell death, and in consequence, long-term detrimental effects. Here, we provide a current overview of As toxicity and integrated the global mechanisms involved in cognitive and behavioral impairment induced by As exposure show experimental strategies against its neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Ignacio Vázquez Cervantes
- Neurobiochemistry and Behavior Laboratory, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suárez”, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; (G.I.V.C.); (D.F.G.E.); (T.B.A.); (H.E.L.-L.)
| | - Dinora Fabiola González Esquivel
- Neurobiochemistry and Behavior Laboratory, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suárez”, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; (G.I.V.C.); (D.F.G.E.); (T.B.A.); (H.E.L.-L.)
| | - Daniela Ramírez Ortega
- Neuroimmunology Department, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suárez”, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; (D.R.O.); (A.S.); (I.F.); (B.P.)
| | - Tonali Blanco Ayala
- Neurobiochemistry and Behavior Laboratory, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suárez”, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; (G.I.V.C.); (D.F.G.E.); (T.B.A.); (H.E.L.-L.)
| | - Lucio Antonio Ramos Chávez
- Departamento de Neuromorfología Funcional, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City 14370, Mexico;
| | - Humberto Emanuel López-López
- Neurobiochemistry and Behavior Laboratory, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suárez”, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; (G.I.V.C.); (D.F.G.E.); (T.B.A.); (H.E.L.-L.)
| | - Alelí Salazar
- Neuroimmunology Department, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suárez”, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; (D.R.O.); (A.S.); (I.F.); (B.P.)
| | - Itamar Flores
- Neuroimmunology Department, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suárez”, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; (D.R.O.); (A.S.); (I.F.); (B.P.)
| | - Benjamín Pineda
- Neuroimmunology Department, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suárez”, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; (D.R.O.); (A.S.); (I.F.); (B.P.)
| | - Saúl Gómez-Manzo
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica Genética, Instituto Nacional de Pediatría, Secretaría de Salud, México City 04530, Mexico;
| | - Verónica Pérez de la Cruz
- Neurobiochemistry and Behavior Laboratory, National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery “Manuel Velasco Suárez”, Mexico City 14269, Mexico; (G.I.V.C.); (D.F.G.E.); (T.B.A.); (H.E.L.-L.)
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Clemmensen PJ, Schullehner J, Brix N, Sigsgaard T, Stayner LT, Kolstad HA, Ramlau-Hansen CH. Prenatal Exposure to Nitrate in Drinking Water and Adverse Health Outcomes in the Offspring: a Review of Current Epidemiological Research. Curr Environ Health Rep 2023; 10:250-263. [PMID: 37453984 PMCID: PMC10504112 DOI: 10.1007/s40572-023-00404-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Recently, several epidemiological studies have investigated whether prenatal exposure to nitrate from drinking water may be harmful to the fetus, even at nitrate levels below the current World Health Organization drinking water standard. The purpose of this review was to give an overview of the newest knowledge on potential health effects of prenatal exposure to nitrate. RECENT FINDINGS We included 13 epidemiological studies conducted since 2017. Nine studies investigated outcomes appearing around birth, and four studies investigated health outcomes appearing in childhood and young adulthood. The reviewed studies showed some indications of higher risk of preterm delivery, lower birth weight, birth defects, and childhood cancer related to prenatal exposure to nitrate. However, the numbers of studies for each outcome were sparse, and some of the results were conflicting. We suggest that there is a need for additional studies and particularly for studies that include information on water consumption patterns, intake of nitrate from diet, and intake of nitrosatable drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jörg Schullehner
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Danish Big Data Centre for Environment and Health (BERTHA), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Nis Brix
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Torben Sigsgaard
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Danish Big Data Centre for Environment and Health (BERTHA), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Cirrau - Centre for Integrated Register-based Research at Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Leslie Thomas Stayner
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Henrik Albert Kolstad
- Department of Occupational Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Lin L, St Clair S, Gamble GD, Crowther CA, Dixon L, Bloomfield FH, Harding JE. Nitrate contamination in drinking water and adverse reproductive and birth outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:563. [PMID: 36631499 PMCID: PMC9834225 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-27345-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to low levels of nitrate in drinking water may have adverse reproductive effects. We reviewed evidence about the association between nitrate in drinking water and adverse reproductive outcomes published to November 2022. Randomized trials, cohort or case-control studies published in English that reported the relationship between nitrate intake from drinking water and the risk of perinatal outcomes were included. Random-effect models were used to pool data. Three cohort studies showed nitrate in drinking water is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth (odds ratio for 1 mg/L NO3-N increased (OR1) = 1.01, 95% CI 1.00, 1.01, I2 = 23.9%, 5,014,487 participants; comparing the highest versus the lowest nitrate exposure groups pooled OR (ORp) = 1.05, 95% CI 1.01, 1.10, I2 = 0%, 4,152,348 participants). Case-control studies showed nitrate in drinking water may be associated with the increased risk of neural tube defects OR1 = 1.06, 95% CI 1.02, 1.10; 2 studies, 2196 participants; I2 = 0%; and ORp = 1.51, 95% CI 1.12, 2.05; 3 studies, 1501 participants; I2 = 0%). The evidence for an association between nitrate in drinking water and risk of small for gestational age infants, any birth defects, or any congenital heart defects was inconsistent. Increased nitrate in drinking water may be associated with an increased risk of preterm birth and some specific congenital anomalies. These findings warrant regular review as new evidence becomes available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luling Lin
- grid.9654.e0000 0004 0372 3343Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Sophie St Clair
- grid.9654.e0000 0004 0372 3343Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Greg D. Gamble
- grid.9654.e0000 0004 0372 3343Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Caroline A. Crowther
- grid.9654.e0000 0004 0372 3343Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Lesley Dixon
- New Zealand College of Midwives, 376 Manchester Street, Richmond, Christchurch, 8014 New Zealand
| | - Frank H. Bloomfield
- grid.9654.e0000 0004 0372 3343Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jane E. Harding
- grid.9654.e0000 0004 0372 3343Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Ebdrup NH, Schullehner J, Knudsen UB, Liew Z, Thomsen AML, Lyngsø J, Bay B, Arendt LH, Clemmensen PJ, Sigsgaard T, Hansen B, Ramlau-Hansen CH. Drinking water nitrate and risk of pregnancy loss: a nationwide cohort study. Environ Health 2022; 21:87. [PMID: 36114546 PMCID: PMC9479399 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-022-00897-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nitrate contamination is seen in drinking water worldwide. Nitrate may pass the placental barrier. Despite suggestive evidence of fetal harm, the potential association between nitrate exposure from drinking water and pregnancy loss remains to be studied. We aimed to investigate if nitrate in drinking water was associated with the risk of pregnancy loss. METHODS We conducted a nationwide cohort study of 100,410 pregnancies (enrolled around gestational week 11) in the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC) during 1996-2002. Spontaneous pregnancy losses before gestational week 22 were ascertained from the Danish National Patient Registry and DNBC pregnancy interviews. Using the national drinking water quality-monitoring database Jupiter, we estimated the individual and time-specific nitrate exposure by linking geocoded maternal residential addresses with water supply areas. The nitrate exposure was analyzed in spline models using a log-transformed continuous level or classified into five categories. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate associations between nitrate and pregnancy loss and used gestational age (days) as the time scale, adjusting for demographic, health, and lifestyle variables. RESULTS No consistent associations were found when investigating the exposure as a categorical variable and null findings were also found in trimester specific analyses. In the spline model using the continuous exposure variable, a modestly increased hazard of pregnancy loss was observed for the first trimester at nitrate exposures between 1 and 10 mg/L, with the highest. adjusted hazard ratio at 5 mg/L of nitrate of 1.16 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.34). This trend was attenuated in the higher exposure ranges. CONCLUSION No association was seen between drinking water nitrate and the risk of pregnancy loss when investigating the exposure as a categorical variable. When we modelled the exposure as a continuous variable, a dose-dependent association was found between drinking water nitrate exposure in the first trimester and the risk of pregnancy loss. Very early pregnancy losses were not considered in this study, and whether survival bias influenced the results should be further explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ninna Hinchely Ebdrup
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Horsens Fertility Clinic, Horsens, Denmark.
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Jörg Schullehner
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ulla Breth Knudsen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Horsens Fertility Clinic, Horsens, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Zeyan Liew
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center for Perinatal, Pediatric, and Environmental Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Anne Marie Ladehoff Thomsen
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- DEFACTUM - Public Health & Health Services Research, Central Denmark Region, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Julie Lyngsø
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Bjørn Bay
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Horsens Fertility Clinic, Horsens, Denmark
- Maigaard Fertility Clinic, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Linn Håkonsen Arendt
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Torben Sigsgaard
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Centre for Integrated Register-Based Research Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Danish Big Data Centre for Environment and Health (BERTHA), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Dutta S, Gorain B, Choudhury H, Roychoudhury S, Sengupta P. Environmental and occupational exposure of metals and female reproductive health. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:62067-62092. [PMID: 34558053 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-16581-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Untainted environment promotes health, but the last few decades experienced steep upsurge in environmental contaminants posing detrimental physiological impact. The responsible factors mainly include the exponential growth of human population, havoc rise in industrialization, poorly planned urbanization, and slapdash environment management. Environmental degradation can increase the likelihood of human exposure to heavy metals, resulting in health consequences such as reproductive problems. As a result, research into metal-induced causes of reproductive impairment at the genetic, epigenetic, and biochemical levels must be strengthened further. These metals impact upon the female reproduction at all strata of its regulation and functions, be it development, maturation, or endocrine functions, and are linked to an increase in the causes of infertility in women. Chronic exposures to the heavy metals may lead to breast cancer, endometriosis, endometrial cancer, menstrual disorders, and spontaneous abortions, as well as pre-term deliveries, stillbirths. For example, endometriosis, endometrial cancer, and spontaneous abortions are all caused by the metalloestrogen cadmium (Cd); lead (Pb) levels over a certain threshold can cause spontaneous abortion and have a teratogenic impact; toxic amounts of mercury (Hg) have an influence on the menstrual cycle, which can lead to infertility. Impact of environmental exposure to heavy metals on female fertility is therefore a well-known fact. Thus, the underlying mechanisms must be explained and periodically updated, given the growing evidence on the influence of increasing environmental heavy metal load on female fertility. The purpose of this review is to give a concise overview of how heavy metal affects female reproductive health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sulagna Dutta
- Department of Oral Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, MAHSA University, Jenjarom, Malaysia
| | - Bapi Gorain
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, Subang Jaya, Malaysia
| | - Hira Choudhury
- School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | | | - Pallav Sengupta
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Bioscience and Nursing, MAHSA University, Jenjarom, Malaysia.
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Ebdrup NH, Knudsen UB, Schullehner J, Arendt LH, Liew Z, Lyngsø J, Bay B, Clemmensen PJ, Sigsgaard T, Hansen B, Ramlau-Hansen CH. Nitrate in Drinking Water and Time to Pregnancy or Medically Assisted Reproduction in Women and Men: A Nationwide Cohort Study in the Danish National Birth Cohort. Clin Epidemiol 2022; 14:475-487. [PMID: 35444467 PMCID: PMC9014114 DOI: 10.2147/clep.s354926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose No studies have investigated if drinking water nitrate affects human fecundity. Experimental studies point at detrimental effects on fetal development and on female and male reproduction. This cohort study aimed to explore if female and male preconception and long-term exposure to nitrate in drinking water was associated with fecundability measured as time to pregnancy (TTP) or use of medically assisted reproduction (MAR) treatment. Methods The study population consisted of pregnant women recruited in their first trimester in 1996–2002 to the Danish National Birth Cohort. Preconception drinking-water nitrate exposure was estimated for the pregnant women (89,109 pregnancies), and long-term drinking water nitrate exposure was estimated from adolescence to conception for the pregnant women (77,474 pregnancies) and their male partners (62,000 pregnancies) by linkage to the national drinking water quality-monitoring database Jupiter. Difference in risk of TTP >12 months or use of MAR treatment between five exposure categories and log-transformed continuous models of preconception and long-term nitrate in drinking water were estimated. Binominal regression models for risk ratios (RR) were adjusted for age, occupation, education, population density, and lifestyle factors. Results Nitrate in drinking water (median preconception exposure: 1.9 mg/L; median long-term exposure: 3.3 mg/L) was not associated with TTP >12 months or use of MAR treatment, neither in the categorical nor in the continuous models. Conclusion We found no association between preconception or long-term exposure to drinking water nitrate and fecundability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ninna Hinchely Ebdrup
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Horsens Regional Hospital, Horsens, Denmark
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Correspondence: Ninna Hinchely Ebdrup, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Horsens Regional Hospital, Regionshospitalet Horsens, Sundvej 30, Horsens, 8700, Denmark, Tel +4528472111, Email
| | - Ulla Breth Knudsen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Horsens Regional Hospital, Horsens, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jörg Schullehner
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Linn Håkonsen Arendt
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Zeyan Liew
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center for Perinatal, Pediatric, and Environmental Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Julie Lyngsø
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Bjørn Bay
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Horsens Regional Hospital, Horsens, Denmark
- Maigaard Fertility Clinic, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Torben Sigsgaard
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Centre for Integrated Register-based Research at Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Danish Big Data Centre for Environment and Health (BERTHA), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Wu S, Hu S, Fan W, Zhang X, Wang H, Li C, Deng J. Nitrite exposure may induce infertility in mice. J Toxicol Pathol 2022; 35:75-82. [PMID: 35221497 PMCID: PMC8828601 DOI: 10.1293/tox.2021-0002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Wu
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Prevention, Henan Key Laboratory of Population Defects Prevention, Henan Institute of Reproduction Health Science and Technology, 26 Jingwu Road, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Sang Hu
- Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
| | - Wenjuan Fan
- Luohe Medical College, Luohe City, Henan Province, China
| | - Xiaojing Zhang
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Prevention, Henan Key Laboratory of Population Defects Prevention, Henan Institute of Reproduction Health Science and Technology, 26 Jingwu Road, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Haili Wang
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Prevention, Henan Key Laboratory of Population Defects Prevention, Henan Institute of Reproduction Health Science and Technology, 26 Jingwu Road, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Chaojie Li
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Prevention, Henan Key Laboratory of Population Defects Prevention, Henan Institute of Reproduction Health Science and Technology, 26 Jingwu Road, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Jinbo Deng
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Prevention, Henan Key Laboratory of Population Defects Prevention, Henan Institute of Reproduction Health Science and Technology, 26 Jingwu Road, Zhengzhou 450002, China
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Odetola L, Sills S, Morrison S. A pilot study on the feasibility of testing residential tap water in North Carolina: implications for environmental justice and health. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2021; 31:972-978. [PMID: 34183761 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-021-00352-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2015 alone, community water systems serving about 21 million Americans violated the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (US-EPA) water quality standards. While water at community treatment and distribution centers is regularly monitored and tested, little is known about pollutants in the water systems at the household level. AIMS This pilot study assessed the feasibility of (1) testing for the presence and concentration of 14 contaminants and physicochemical parameters in household tap water in a low-income neighborhood and (2) using community engagement for recruitment and citizen science approaches to data collection. METHODS We used a multistage approach that included geo-mapping to delineate testing sites, community engagement for recruitment and citizen science approaches to increase the response rate. We used a 14-in-one dipstick test designed to measure trace amounts of heavy metals, non-metallic elements, and physicochemical water properties in drinking water in a sample of 70 homes. RESULTS In 50%, 25%, and 7% of water samples tested, the concentration of mercury, lead, and chromium, respectively, were higher than US-EPA drinking water standards. Citizen science approaches were effective for increasing response rates and low-income household participation in water quality testing. SIGNIFICANCE The overlap between poverty, older homes, and high concentrations of potentially toxic metals in drinking water presents concerns for community health. Our pilot community engagement and citizen science approaches are likely scalable and would be of benefit to both the scientific community and to municipalities with constrained budgets. Future studies may examine the role of the principles of environmental justice in the distribution and prevalence of toxic elements in drinking water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Love Odetola
- Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina - Greensboro, Greensboro, USA.
| | - Stephen Sills
- Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina - Greensboro, Greensboro, USA
- Center for Housing & Community Studies, University of North Carolina - Greensboro, Greensboro, USA
| | - Sharon Morrison
- Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina - Greensboro, Greensboro, USA
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Garnier R, Mathieu-Huart A, Ronga-Pezeret S, Nouyrigat E, Benoit P, Goullé JP, Granon C, Manel J, Manouchehri N, Nisse P, Normand JC, Roulet A, Simon F, Gabach P, Tournoud C. Exposition de la population française à l’arsenic inorganique. Identification de valeurs toxicologiques de référence. TOXICOLOGIE ANALYTIQUE ET CLINIQUE 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.toxac.2020.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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11
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Association between Drinking Water Nitrate and Adverse Reproductive Outcomes: A Systematic PRISMA Review. WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12082287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
One in six couples experience fertility problems. Environmental factors may affect reproductive health; however, evidence is lacking regarding drinking water nitrates and outcomes of male and female fertility. The aim of this study was to investigate if exposure to nitrates in drinking water is associated with adverse reproductive outcomes in humans, and animals of fertile age. We conducted a systematic literature search and included case-control studies, cohort studies, and randomized control trials reporting on the association between drinking water nitrate exposure of men, women, or animals and adverse reproductive outcomes, specified as: Semen quality parameters, time to pregnancy (TTP), pregnancy rates, assisted reproductive technologies (ART), and spontaneous abortion. Findings were reported in a narrative synthesis. A total of 12 studies were included. The only human study included reported a decrease in spontaneous abortion at any detectable nitrate level. Overall, the 11 included animal studies support a potential negative effect on semen quality parameters but report equivocal results on TTP and number of offspring produced, and higher risk of spontaneous abortion. In conclusion, animal studies indicate possible effects on semen quality parameters and spontaneous abortion. However, with a few studies, including some with methodological limitations and small sample sizes, caution must be applied when interpreting these results.
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Hadavifar M, Rastakhiz M, Souvizi B, Heidarian Miri H, Akrami R. Biomonitoring of maternal and fetal exposure to mercury in Sabzevar and its affecting risk factors. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2020; 388:121781. [PMID: 31813691 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121781] [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] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Fetuses and young children are sensitive to even low levels of exposure to Hg, which can damage their brain and adversely affect their central nervous system and cognitive development. This study was conducted to determine the maternal and fetal mercury burden levels in mothers presenting to Shahidan Mobini Hospital for delivery. Eighty-nine mothers were included in this study and 360 samples were taken from their placental tissue and blood (maternal blood) as well as their umbilical cord tissue blood (infant blood). Findings revealed a significant strong correlation (r = 0.890, p < 0.001) in blood mercury between mothers and their infants. According to multiple linear regression analysis, there was a significant positive association between living in rural areas and the level of mercury in the placental tissue (β = 11.09, p < 0.001). This positive association was also found in other samples. In addition, there was a significant association between maternal age and mercury level in the placental tissue (β = 5.56, p = 0.049), placental blood (β = 11.67, p = 0.003), umbilical cord tissue (β = 8.33, p = 0.004) and umbilical cord blood (β = 9.51, p < 0.001).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojtaba Hadavifar
- Environmental Sciences Department, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran
| | | | - Behnaz Souvizi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran
| | - Hamid Heidarian Miri
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Rahim Akrami
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran.
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Ahmed RG, El-Gareib AW. Gestational Arsenic Trioxide Exposure Acts as a Developing Neuroendocrine-Disruptor by Downregulating Nrf2/PPARγ and Upregulating Caspase-3/NF-ĸB/Cox2/BAX/iNOS/ROS. Dose Response 2019; 17:1559325819858266. [PMID: 31258454 PMCID: PMC6589982 DOI: 10.1177/1559325819858266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The goal of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of gestational administrations of arsenic trioxide (ATO; As2O3) on fetal neuroendocrine development (the thyroid-cerebrum axis). Pregnant Wistar rats were orally administered ATO (5 or 10 mg/kg) from gestation day (GD) 1 to 20. Both doses of ATO diminished free thyroxine and free triiodothyronine levels and augmented thyrotropin level in both dams and fetuses at GD 20. Also, the maternofetal hypothyroidism in both groups caused a dose-dependent reduction in the fetal serum growth hormone, insulin growth factor-I (IGF-I), and IGF-II levels at embryonic day (ED) 20. These disorders perturbed the maternofetal body weight, fetal brain weight, and survival of pregnant and their fetuses. In addition, destructive degeneration, vacuolation, hyperplasia, and edema were observed in the fetal thyroid and cerebrum of both ATO groups at ED 20. These disruptions appear to depend on intensification in the values of lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide, and H2O2, suppression of messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, and activation of mRNA expression of caspase-3, nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells, cyclooxygenase-2, Bcl-2–associated X protein, and inducible nitric oxide synthase in the fetal cerebrum. These data suggest that gestational ATO may disturb thyroid-cerebrum axis generating fetal neurodevelopmental toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- R G Ahmed
- Division of Anatomy and Embryology, Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - A W El-Gareib
- Division of Anatomy and Embryology, Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Egypt
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R G A, El-Gareib AW. WITHDRAWN: Toxic effects of gestational arsenic trioxide on the neuroendocrine axis of developing rats. Food Chem Toxicol 2018:S0278-6915(18)30663-X. [PMID: 30218683 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2018.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
This article has been withdrawn at the request of the author(s) and/or editor. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. The full Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed R G
- Division of Anatomy and Embryology, Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - A W El-Gareib
- Division of Anatomy and Embryology, Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Egypt
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15
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Ward MH, Jones RR, Brender JD, de Kok TM, Weyer PJ, Nolan BT, Villanueva CM, van Breda SG. Drinking Water Nitrate and Human Health: An Updated Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:E1557. [PMID: 30041450 PMCID: PMC6068531 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15071557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 382] [Impact Index Per Article: 63.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Revised: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Nitrate levels in our water resources have increased in many areas of the world largely due to applications of inorganic fertilizer and animal manure in agricultural areas. The regulatory limit for nitrate in public drinking water supplies was set to protect against infant methemoglobinemia, but other health effects were not considered. Risk of specific cancers and birth defects may be increased when nitrate is ingested under conditions that increase formation of N-nitroso compounds. We previously reviewed epidemiologic studies before 2005 of nitrate intake from drinking water and cancer, adverse reproductive outcomes and other health effects. Since that review, more than 30 epidemiologic studies have evaluated drinking water nitrate and these outcomes. The most common endpoints studied were colorectal cancer, bladder, and breast cancer (three studies each), and thyroid disease (four studies). Considering all studies, the strongest evidence for a relationship between drinking water nitrate ingestion and adverse health outcomes (besides methemoglobinemia) is for colorectal cancer, thyroid disease, and neural tube defects. Many studies observed increased risk with ingestion of water nitrate levels that were below regulatory limits. Future studies of these and other health outcomes should include improved exposure assessment and accurate characterization of individual factors that affect endogenous nitrosation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary H Ward
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Dr. Room 6E138, Rockville, MD 20850, USA.
| | - Rena R Jones
- Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Dr. Room 6E138, Rockville, MD 20850, USA.
| | - Jean D Brender
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Texas A&M University, School of Public Health, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
| | - Theo M de Kok
- Department of Toxicogenomics, GROW-school for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, P.O Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Peter J Weyer
- The Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination, The University of Iowa, 455 Van Allen Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
| | - Bernard T Nolan
- U.S. Geological Survey, Water Mission Area, National Water Quality Program, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20192, USA.
| | - Cristina M Villanueva
- ISGlobal, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
- IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
- Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Simone G van Breda
- Department of Toxicogenomics, GROW-school for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, P.O Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
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17
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Yorifuji T, Kashima S, Suryadhi MAH, Abudureyimu K. Temporal trends of infant and birth outcomes in Minamata after severe methylmercury exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 231:1586-1592. [PMID: 28967567 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.09.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Severe methylmercury poisoning occurred in Minamata and neighboring communities in Japan during the 1950s and 1960s, causing what is known as Minamata disease. Although an increase in stillbirths and a reduced male proportion at birth (i.e., reduced sex ratio) have been reported, no studies have evaluated the impact of exposure on an entire set of infant and birth outcomes. We therefore evaluated the temporal trends of these outcomes in the Minamata area from 1950 to 1974. We focused on the spontaneous/artificial stillbirth rate, crude fertility rate, male proportion at birth, male proportion among stillbirths, and infant mortality. We obtained the number of stillbirths, live births, and infant deaths in Minamata City and Kumamoto Prefecture (as a reference) from 1950 to 1974. After plotting annual figures for each outcome, we divided the study period into five intervals and compared them between Minamata City and Kumamoto Prefecture using the chi-squared test. We observed a slightly increased spontaneous stillbirth rate and decreased artificial stillbirth rate in Minamata City, followed by a reduced crude fertility rate. The crude fertility rates in Minamata City during the period 1955-1965 were significantly lower compared with those in Kumamoto Prefecture (p < 0.001). An increase in the male proportion among stillbirths was observed, corresponding to a reduction in the proportion of males at birth in the late 1950s. The impact on infant mortality was equivocal. These descriptive analyses demonstrate a severe regional impact of methylmercury exposure on a series of birth outcomes in the Minamata area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Yorifuji
- Department of Human Ecology, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
| | - Saori Kashima
- Department of Public Health and Health Policy, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734- 0037, Japan
| | - Made Ayu Hitapretiwi Suryadhi
- Department of Human Ecology, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
| | - Kawuli Abudureyimu
- Department of Human Ecology, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8558, Japan
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18
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Shih YH, Islam T, Hore SK, Sarwar G, Shahriar MH, Yunus M, Graziano JH, Harjes J, Baron JA, Parvez F, Ahsan H, Argos M. Associations between prenatal arsenic exposure with adverse pregnancy outcome and child mortality. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 158:456-461. [PMID: 28692928 PMCID: PMC5554459 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2017.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Revised: 07/01/2017] [Accepted: 07/03/2017] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic arsenic exposure is a public health concern in many parts of the world, with elevated concentrations in groundwater posing a threat to millions of people. Arsenic is associated with various cancers and an array of chronic diseases; however, the relationship with adverse pregnancy outcomes and child mortality is less established. OBJECTIVES We evaluated associations between individual-level prenatal arsenic exposure with adverse pregnancy outcomes and child mortality in a pregnancy study among 498 women nested in a larger population-based cohort in rural Bangladesh. METHODS Creatinine-adjusted urinary total arsenic concentration, a comprehensive measure of exposure from water, food, and air sources, reflective of the prenatal period was available for participants. Self-reported pregnancy outcomes (livebirth, stillbirth, spontaneous/elective abortion) were ascertained. Generalized estimating equations, accounting for multiple pregnancies of participants, were used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals in relation to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Vital status of livebirths was subsequently ascertained through November 2015. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals in relation to child mortality. RESULTS We observed a significant association between prenatal arsenic exposure and the risk of stillbirth (greater than median; adjusted OR = 2.50; 95% CI = 1.04, 6.01). We also observed elevated risk of child mortality (greater than median; adjusted HR = 1.92; 95% CI = 0.78, 4.68) in relation to prenatal arsenic exposure. CONCLUSIONS Prospective studies should continue to evaluate prenatal and early life health effects of arsenic exposure and arsenic remediation strategies for women of child-bearing age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Hsuan Shih
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | | | - Samar Kumar Hore
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | | | - Mohammad Yunus
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Joseph H Graziano
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, United States
| | - Judith Harjes
- BioInformatics Service Center, Section of Biostatistics & Epidemiology, Department of Community & Family Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, NH 03766, United States
| | - John A Baron
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States
| | - Faruque Parvez
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, United States
| | - Habibul Ahsan
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
| | - Maria Argos
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, United States.
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19
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Connell MT, Sjaarda LA, Radin RG, Kuhr D, Mumford SL, Plowden TC, Silver RM, Schisterman EF. The Effects of Aspirin in Gestation and Reproduction (EAGeR) Trial: A Story of Discovery. Semin Reprod Med 2017; 35:344-352. [PMID: 29036741 PMCID: PMC6234510 DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1606384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Human reproduction is an inefficient process. There are several drivers of complications along the path to and during pregnancy, one of which is inflammation. Treatments to mitigate the deleterious effects of aberrant inflammation with something inexpensive and widely available like aspirin could have dramatic global impact. The Effects of Aspirin in Gestation and Reproduction (EAGeR) trial enrolled women aged 18 to 40 years with one to two prior pregnancy losses and no diagnosis of infertility. Patients were randomized to either low-dose aspirin or placebo. Here, we review the collective findings of the EAGeR trial to date and discuss several important lessons learned from the unique data resulting from this groundbreaking trial. Findings reported from this trial provide significant advances in the understanding of aspirin’s potential mechanisms in modulating reproductive processes and the role of inflammation in these processes. This review describes the collective findings of the EAGeR trial in the context of the existing literature regarding aspirin and inflammation in reproduction to inform relevant next steps in fertility and obstetric research, as well as potential implications for clinical care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T. Connell
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Marylan
- Program of Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Lindsey A. Sjaarda
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Marylan
| | - Rose G. Radin
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Marylan
| | - Daniel Kuhr
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Marylan
| | - Sunni L. Mumford
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Marylan
| | - Torie C. Plowden
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Marylan
- Program of Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Robert M. Silver
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah and Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Enrique F. Schisterman
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Marylan
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A Review of the Effects of Chronic Arsenic Exposure on Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2017; 14:ijerph14060556. [PMID: 28545256 PMCID: PMC5486242 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14060556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to arsenic has a number of known detrimental health effects but impact on pregnancy outcomes is not as widely recognized. This narrative review examines existing epidemiological evidence investigating the association between arsenic exposure via drinking water and adverse pregnancy outcomes. We reviewed published epidemiological studies from around the world on impact of chronic arsenic exposure on spontaneous abortion, stillbirth, neonatal death, post neonatal death, low birth weight and preterm baby. Plausible mechanisms of arsenic toxicity causing adverse pregnancy outcomes were also determined through literature review. There is convincing evidence to support the association between high inorganic arsenic exposure (>50 ppb) and spontaneous abortion, stillbirth and low birth weight. Limitations of certain studies include study design, small sample size, recall constraints and exposure assessment. There needs to be further research investigating the dose metered impact of arsenic exposure on pregnancy outcomes. Further research on impact of low-moderate arsenic concentration exposure on pregnancy outcomes will allow for appropriate public health policy recommendations.
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Buck Louis GM, Smarr MM, Sundaram R, Steuerwald AJ, Sapra KJ, Lu Z, Parsons PJ. Low-level environmental metals and metalloids and incident pregnancy loss. Reprod Toxicol 2017; 69:68-74. [PMID: 28163209 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2017.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Revised: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Environmental exposure to metals and metalloids is associated with pregnancy loss in some but not all studies. We assessed arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead concentrations in 501 couples upon trying for pregnancy and followed them throughout pregnancy to estimate the risk of incident pregnancy loss. Using Cox proportional hazard models, we estimated hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for pregnancy loss after covariate adjustment for each partner modeled individually then we jointly modeled both partners' concentrations. Incidence of pregnancy loss was 28%. In individual partner models, the highest adjusted HRs were observed for female and male blood cadmium (HR=1.08; CI 0.81, 1.44; HR=1.09; 95% CI 0.84, 1.41, respectively). In couple based models, neither partner's blood cadmium concentrations were associated with loss (HR=1.01; 95% CI 0.75, 1.37; HR=0.92; CI 0.68, 1.25, respectively). We observed no evidence of a significant relation between metal(loids) at these environmentally relevant concentrations and pregnancy loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Germaine M Buck Louis
- Office of the Director, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Rockville, MD 20852, USA.
| | - Melissa M Smarr
- Office of the Director, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Rockville, MD 20852, USA.
| | - Rajeshwari Sundaram
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Branch, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Rockville, MD 20852, USA.
| | - Amy J Steuerwald
- Laboratory of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12201-0509 USA.
| | - Katherine J Sapra
- Office of the Director, Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Rockville, MD 20852, USA.
| | - Zhaohui Lu
- Glotech, Inc., Rockville, MD 20852, USA.
| | - Patrick J Parsons
- Laboratory of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12201-0509 USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, The University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12201-0509 USA.
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Stayner LT, Almberg K, Jones R, Graber J, Pedersen M, Turyk M. Atrazine and nitrate in drinking water and the risk of preterm delivery and low birth weight in four Midwestern states. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 152:294-303. [PMID: 27816866 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/23/2016] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Atrazine and nitrate are common contaminants in water, and there is limited evidence that they are associated with adverse birth outcomes. The objective of this study was to examine whether atrazine and nitrate in water are associated with an increased risk of preterm delivery (PTD) and term low birth weight (LBW). METHODS The study included a total of 134,258 singletons births born between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2008 from 46 counties in four Midwestern states with public water systems that were included in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s atrazine monitoring program (AMP). Counties with a population of >300,000 were eliminated from the analyses in order to avoid confounding by urbanicity. Monthly child's sex, race and Hispanic ethnicity specific data were obtained from the states for estimating rates of PTD (<37 weeks) and very preterm (VPTD, <32 weeks), term LBW (<2.5kg among infants born at term) and very low birth weight (VLBW, <1.5kg). The rates were linked with county specific monthly estimates of the concentration of atrazine and nitrate in finished water. Multivariable negative binomial models were fitted to examine the association between the exposures and the adverse birth outcomes. Models were fitted with varying restrictions on the percentage of private well usage in the counties in order to limit the degree of exposure misclassification. RESULTS Estimated water concentrations of atrazine (mean=0.42 ppb) and nitrate (mean=0.95ppm) were generally low. Neither contaminant was associated with an increased risk of term LBW. Atrazine exposure was associated with a significant increased rate of PTD when well use was restricted to 10% and the exposure was averaged over 4-6 months prior to birth (Rate Ratio for 1ppm increase [RR1ppm]=1.08, 95%CI=1.05,1.11) or over 9 months prior to birth (RR1ppm=1.10, 95%CI=1.01,1.20). Atrazine exposure was also associated with an increased rate of VPTD when when well use was restricted to 10% and the exposure was averaged over 7-9 months prior to birth (RR1ppm=1.19, 95%CI=1.04,1.36). Exposure to nitrate was significantly associated with an increased rate of VPTD (RR1ppm=1.08, 95%CI=1.02,1.15) and VLBW (RR1ppm=1.17, 95%CI=1.08,1.25) when well use was restricted to 20% and the exposure was averaged over 9 months prior to birth. CONCLUSION The positive and negative findings from our study need to be interpreted cautiously given its ecologic design, and limitations in the data for the exposures and other risk factors. Nonetheless, our findings do raise concerns about the potential adverse effects of these common water contaminants on human development and health, and the adequacy of current regulatory standards. Further studies of these issues are needed with individual level outcome data and more refined estimates of exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie Thomas Stayner
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, Chicago, Illinois, United States.
| | - Kirsten Almberg
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Rachael Jones
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, Chicago, Illinois, United States
| | - Judith Graber
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, Chicago, Illinois, United States; Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
| | - Marie Pedersen
- Centre of Epidemiology and Screening, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mary Turyk
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, Chicago, Illinois, United States
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Jacobson CF, Stump DG, Nemec MD, Holson JF, DeSesso JM. Appropriate Exposure Routes and Doses in Studies Designed to Assess Developmental Toxicity: A Case Study of Inorganic Arsenic. Int J Toxicol 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/109158199225279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Assessment of risks to human health from chemical agents is a complex process that requires the assembly, careful analysis, and integration of human and animal data collected from studies performed at different times, for disparate purposes, and under varying conditions. The application of risk assessment methods to data without consideration of the relevance of critical experimental parameters such as route of exposure or magnitude of dose can lead to specious determinations of the risk posed by exposure to environmental agents. A case study of the purported risk of developmental toxicity from inorganic arsenic is presented to illustrate (1) the nature of the problem, (2) how extant data from all studies are useful, (3) how appropriately designed modern studies can clarify the situation, and (4) how conflicted data should be evaluated in terms of appropriateness for use in risk assessment.
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24
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Flora SJS. Arsenic and dichlorvos: Possible interaction between two environmental contaminants. J Trace Elem Med Biol 2016; 35:43-60. [PMID: 27049126 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2016.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2015] [Revised: 01/04/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Metals are ubiquitously present in the environment and pesticides are widely used throughout the world. Environmental and occupational exposure to metal along with pesticide is an area of great concern to both the public and regulatory authorities. Our major concern is that combination of these toxicant present in environment may elicit toxicity either due to additive or synergistic interactions or 'joint toxic actions' among these toxicants. It poses a rising threat to human health. Water contamination particularly ground water contamination with arsenic is a serious problem in today's scenario since arsenic is associated with several kinds of health problems, such arsenic associated health anomalies are commonly called as 'Arsenism'. Uncontrolled use and spillage of pesticides into the environment has resulted in alarming situation. Moreover serious concerns are being addressed due to their persistence in the environmental matrices such as air, soil and surface water runoff resulting in continuous exposure of these harmful chemicals to human beings and animals. Bio-availability of these environmental toxicants has been enhanced much due to anthropological activities. Dreadfully very few studies are available on combined exposures to these toxicants on the animal or human system. Studies on the acute and chronic exposure to arsenic and DDVP are well reported and well defined. Arsenic is a common global ground water contaminant while dichlorvos is one of the most commonly and widely employed organophosphate based insecticide used in agriculture, horticulture etc. There is thus a real situation where a human may get exposed to these toxicants while working in a field. This review highlights the individual and combined exposure to arsenic and dichlorvos on health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swaran J S Flora
- Division of Regulatory Toxicology, Defence Research and Development Establishment, Jhansi Road, Gwalior 474002, India.
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Broka D, Ditzel E, Quach S, Camenisch TD. Methylation of inorganic arsenic by murine fetal tissue explants. Drug Chem Toxicol 2015; 39:279-83. [PMID: 26446802 DOI: 10.3109/01480545.2015.1092043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Although it is generally believed that the developing fetus is principally exposed to inorganic arsenic and the methylated metabolites from the maternal metabolism of arsenic, little is known about whether the developing embryo can autonomously metabolize arsenic. This study investigates inorganic arsenic methylation by murine embryonic organ cultures of the heart, lung, and liver. mRNA for AS3mt, the gene responsible for methylation of arsenic, was detected in all embryonic tissue types studied. In addition, methylated arsenic metabolites were generated by all three tissue types. The fetal liver explants yielded the most methylated arsenic metabolites (∼7% of total arsenic/48 h incubation) while the heart, and lung preparations produced slightly greater than 2% methylated metabolites. With all tissues the methylation proceeded mostly to the dimethylated arsenic species. This has profound implications for understanding arsenic-induced fetal toxicity, particularly if the methylated metabolites are produced autonomously by embryonic tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derrick Broka
- a Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Molecular and Cellular Biology, Bio5 Institute, and Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center, University of Arizona , Tucson , AZ , USA
| | - Eric Ditzel
- a Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Molecular and Cellular Biology, Bio5 Institute, and Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center, University of Arizona , Tucson , AZ , USA
| | - Stephanie Quach
- a Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Molecular and Cellular Biology, Bio5 Institute, and Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center, University of Arizona , Tucson , AZ , USA
| | - Todd D Camenisch
- a Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Molecular and Cellular Biology, Bio5 Institute, and Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center, University of Arizona , Tucson , AZ , USA
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Radin RG, Mumford SL, Silver RM, Lesher LL, Galai N, Faraggi D, Wactawski-Wende J, Townsend JM, Lynch AM, Simhan HN, Sjaarda LA, Perkins NJ, Zarek SM, Schliep KC, Schisterman EF. Sex ratio following preconception low-dose aspirin in women with prior pregnancy loss. J Clin Invest 2015; 125:3619-26. [PMID: 26280577 DOI: 10.1172/jci82357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2015] [Accepted: 07/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several lines of evidence suggest that male embryos may have greater vulnerability than female embryos to disordered inflammation; therefore, antiinflammatory drugs, such as low-dose aspirin (LDA), may alter the sex ratio. Here, we assessed the effect of LDA on male live birth and male offspring, incorporating pregnancy losses (n = 56) via genetic assessment, as part of a parallel-design, block-randomized, placebo-controlled trial of preconception LDA. METHODS Participants (615 treated with LDA, 613 treated with placebo) ranged in age from 18 to 40 years of age, with 1 to 2 prior pregnancy losses. We estimated the intention-to-treat (ITT) risk ratio (RR) and 95% CI and assessed interaction with baseline high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) serum concentration - a marker of systemic inflammation. RESULTS Among the 1,078 women who completed follow-up (535 treated with LDA, 543 treated with placebo), the male live birth ITT RR equaled 1.31 (95% CI: 1.07-1.59). With increasing tertile of hsCRP, the proportion of males at birth decreased in the placebo group, and the effect of LDA on male live birth increased (first tertile: 48% male in LDA vs. 52% in placebo, ITT RR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.70-1.35; second tertile: 57% male in LDA vs. 43% in placebo, ITT RR = 1.36, 95% CI: 0.98-1.90; third tertile: 53% male in LDA vs. 35% in placebo, ITT RR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.13-2.57; P interaction = 0.03). Analysis of pregnancy with male offspring yielded similar results. CONCLUSION Initiation of LDA prior to conception restored numbers of male live births and pregnancy with male offspring among women with 1 to 2 prior pregnancy losses. Moreover, our data suggest that LDA modulates inflammation that would otherwise reduce the conception or survival of male embryos. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00467363. FUNDING Intramural Research Program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health.
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Frisbie SH, Mitchell EJ, Sarkar B. Urgent need to reevaluate the latest World Health Organization guidelines for toxic inorganic substances in drinking water. Environ Health 2015; 14:63. [PMID: 26268322 PMCID: PMC4535738 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-015-0050-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Accepted: 07/20/2015] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The World Health Organization (WHO) has established guidelines for drinking-water quality that cover biological and chemical hazards from both natural and anthropogenic sources. In the most recent edition of Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality (2011), the WHO withdrew, suspended, did not establish, or raised guidelines for the inorganic toxic substances manganese, molybdenum, nitrite, aluminum, boron, nickel, uranium, mercury, and selenium. In this paper, we review these changes to the WHO drinking-water guidelines, examining in detail the material presented in the WHO background documents for each of these toxic substances. In some cases, these WHO background documents use literature reviews that do not take into account scientific research published within the last 10 or more years. In addition, there are instances in which standard WHO practices for deriving guidelines are not used; for example, rounding and other mathematical errors are made. According to published meeting reports from the WHO Chemical Aspects Working Group, the WHO has a timetable for revising some of its guidelines for drinking-water quality, but for many of these toxic substances the planned changes are minimal or will be delayed for as long as 5 years. Given the limited nature of the planned WHO revisions to the inorganic toxic substances and the extended timetable for these revisions, we suggest that governments, researchers, and other stakeholders might establish independent recommendations for inorganic toxic substances and possibly other chemicals to proactively protect public health, or at the very least, revert to previous editions of the Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, which were more protective of public health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth H Frisbie
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Norwich University, Northfield, VT, USA.
| | - Erika J Mitchell
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Norwich University, Northfield, VT, USA.
| | - Bibudhendra Sarkar
- Department of Molecular Structure and Function, The Research Institute of The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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Quansah R, Armah FA, Essumang DK, Luginaah I, Clarke E, Marfoh K, Cobbina SJ, Nketiah-Amponsah E, Namujju PB, Obiri S, Dzodzomenyo M. Association of arsenic with adverse pregnancy outcomes/infant mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2015; 123:412-21. [PMID: 25626053 PMCID: PMC4421764 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1307894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 194] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2013] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to arsenic is one of the major global health problems, affecting > 300 million people worldwide, but arsenic's effects on human reproduction are uncertain. OBJECTIVES We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the association between arsenic and adverse pregnancy outcomes/infant mortality. METHODS We searched PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE (from 1946 through July 2013) and EMBASE (from 1988 through July 2013) databases and the reference lists of reviews and relevant articles. Studies satisfying our a priori eligibility criteria were evaluated independently by two authors. RESULTS Our systematic search yielded 888 articles; of these, 23 were included in the systematic review. Sixteen provided sufficient data for our quantitative analysis. Arsenic in groundwater (≥ 50 μg/L) was associated with increased risk of spontaneous abortion (6 studies: OR = 1.98; 95% CI: 1.27, 3.10), stillbirth (9 studies: OR = 1.77; 95% CI: 1.32, 2.36), moderate risk of neonatal mortality (5 studies: OR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.28, 1.78), and infant mortality (7 studies: OR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.62). Exposure to environmental arsenic was associated with a significant reduction in birth weight (4 studies: β = -53.2 g; 95% CI: -94.9, -11.4). There was paucity of evidence for low-to-moderate arsenic dose. CONCLUSIONS Arsenic is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes and infant mortality. The interpretation of the causal association is hampered by methodological challenges and limited number of studies on dose response. Exposure to arsenic continues to be a major global health issue, and we therefore advocate for high-quality prospective studies that include individual-level data to quantify the impact of arsenic on adverse pregnancy outcomes/infant mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reginald Quansah
- Centre for Environmental and Respiratory Health Research, Faculty of Medicine, University Of Oulu, Finland
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Campbell OMR, Benova L, Gon G, Afsana K, Cumming O. Getting the basic rights - the role of water, sanitation and hygiene in maternal and reproductive health: a conceptual framework. Trop Med Int Health 2014; 20:252-67. [PMID: 25430609 PMCID: PMC4681319 DOI: 10.1111/tmi.12439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore linkages between water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and maternal and perinatal health via a conceptual approach and a scoping review. METHODS We developed a conceptual framework iteratively, amalgamating three literature-based lenses. We then searched literature and identified risk factors potentially linked to maternal and perinatal health. We conducted a systematic scoping review for all chemical and biological WASH risk factors identified using text and MeSH terms, limiting results to systematic reviews or meta-analyses. The remaining 10 complex behavioural associations were not reviewed systematically. RESULTS The main ways poor WASH could lead to adverse outcomes are via two non-exclusive categories: 1. 'In-water' associations: (a) Inorganic contaminants, and (b) 'water-system' related infections, (c) 'water-based' infections, and (d) 'water borne' infections. 2. 'Behaviour' associations: (e) Behaviours leading to water-washed infections, (f) Water-related insect-vector infections, and (g-i) Behaviours leading to non-infectious diseases/conditions. We added a gender inequality and a life course lens to the above framework to identify whether WASH affected health of mothers in particular, and acted beyond the immediate effects. This framework led us to identifying 77 risk mechanisms (67 chemical or biological factors and 10 complex behavioural factors) linking WASH to maternal and perinatal health outcomes. CONCLUSION WASH affects the risk of adverse maternal and perinatal health outcomes; these exposures are multiple and overlapping and may be distant from the immediate health outcome. Much of the evidence is weak, based on observational studies and anecdotal evidence, with relatively few systematic reviews. New systematic reviews are required to assess the quality of existing evidence more rigorously, and primary research is required to investigate the magnitude of effects of particular WASH exposures on specific maternal and perinatal outcomes. Whilst major gaps exist, the evidence strongly suggests that poor WASH influences maternal and reproductive health outcomes to the extent that it should be considered in global and national strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oona M R Campbell
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Sengupta P, Banerjee R, Nath S, Das S, Banerjee S. Metals and female reproductive toxicity. Hum Exp Toxicol 2014; 34:679-97. [PMID: 25425549 DOI: 10.1177/0960327114559611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Research into occupational exposure of metals and consequences of reproductive systems has made imperative scientific offerings in the preceding few decades. Early research works focused on possible effects on the reproductive functions rather than the complete reproductive health of the woman. Later, it was realized that metals, as reproductive toxins, may also induce hormonal changes affecting other facets of reproductive health such as the menstrual cycle, ovulation, and fertility. Concern is now shifting from considerations for the pregnant woman to the entire spectrum of occupational health threats and thus reproductive health among women.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Sengupta
- Department of Physiology, Vidyasagar College for Women, University of Calcutta
| | - R Banerjee
- Department of Physiology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - S Nath
- Department of Genetics, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - S Das
- Department of Physiology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - S Banerjee
- Department of Physiology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
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Bloom MS, Neamtiu IA, Surdu S, Pop C, Lupsa IR, Anastasiu D, Fitzgerald EF, Gurzau ES. Consumption of low-moderate level arsenic contaminated water does not increase spontaneous pregnancy loss: a case control study. Environ Health 2014; 13:81. [PMID: 25311704 PMCID: PMC4216381 DOI: 10.1186/1476-069x-13-81] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/06/2014] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous work suggests an increased risk for spontaneous pregnancy loss linked to high levels of inorganic arsenic (iAs) in drinking water sources (>10 μg/L). However, there has been little focus to date on the impact of low-moderate levels of iAs in drinking water (<10 μg/L). To address this data gap we conducted a hospital-based case-control study in Timis County, Romania. METHODS We recruited women with incident spontaneous pregnancy loss of 5-20 weeks completed gestation as cases (n = 150), and women with ongoing pregnancies matched by gestational age (±1 week) as controls (n = 150). Participants completed a physician-administered questionnaire and we collected water samples from residential drinking sources. We reconstructed residential drinking water exposure histories using questionnaire data weighted by iAs determined using hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrometry (HG-AAS). Logistic regression models were used to generate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for associations between iAs exposure and loss, conditioned on gestational age and adjusted for maternal age, cigarette smoking, education and prenatal vitamin use. We explored potential interactions in a second set of models. RESULTS Drinking water arsenic concentrations ranged from 0.0 to 175.1 μg/L, with median 0.4 μg/L and 90th%tile 9.4 μg/L. There were no statistically significant associations between loss and average or peak drinking water iAs concentrations (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.96-1.01), or for daily iAs intake (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.98-1.02). We detected modest evidence for an interaction between average iAs concentration and cigarette smoking during pregnancy (P = 0.057) and for daily iAs exposure and prenatal vitamin use (P = 0.085). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest no increased risk for spontaneous pregnancy loss in association with low to moderate level drinking water iAs exposure. Though imprecise, our data also raise the possibility for increased risk among cigarette smokers. Given the low exposures overall, these data should reassure pregnant women and policy makers with regard to the potential effect of drinking water iAs on early pregnancy, though a larger more definitive study to investigate the potential risk increase in conjunction with cigarette smoking is merited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Bloom
- />Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, School of Public Health, Rensselaer, NY USA
- />Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany, State University of New York, School of Public Health, Rensselaer, NY USA
| | | | - Simona Surdu
- />Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, School of Public Health, Rensselaer, NY USA
| | - Cristian Pop
- />Environmental Health Center, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | | | - Doru Anastasiu
- />University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, Timisoara, Romania
- />Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of the Emergency County Hospital, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Edward F Fitzgerald
- />Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University at Albany, State University of New York, School of Public Health, Rensselaer, NY USA
- />Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany, State University of New York, School of Public Health, Rensselaer, NY USA
| | - Eugen S Gurzau
- />Environmental Health Center, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- />University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Iuliu Haţieganu”, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Model for Predicting Disinfection By-product (DBP) Formation and Occurrence in Intermittent Water Supply Systems: Palestine as a Case Study. ARABIAN JOURNAL FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s13369-014-1200-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Rahman SM, Åkesson A, Kippler M, Grandér M, Hamadani JD, Streatfield PK, Persson LÅ, Arifeen SE, Vahter M. Elevated manganese concentrations in drinking water may be beneficial for fetal survival. PLoS One 2013; 8:e74119. [PMID: 24066101 PMCID: PMC3774618 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0074119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2013] [Accepted: 07/31/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Elevated exposure to the essential element manganese (Mn) can be toxic. Manganese concentrations in ground water vary considerably, and reported associations between Mn and early-life mortality and impaired development have raised concern. We assessed the effects of drinking water Mn exposure during pregnancy upon fetal and infant survival. METHODS In this population-based cohort study, we identified the outcomes of pregnancies registered between February 2002 and April 2003 in Matlab, Bangladesh. Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, we measured the concentrations of Mn and other elements in the pregnant women's drinking water. RESULTS A total of 1,875 women were included in the analysis of spontaneous abortions (n=158) and 1,887 women in the perinatal mortality analysis (n=70). Water Mn ranged from 3.0-6,550 µg/L (median=217 µg/L). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for spontaneous abortion was 0.65 (95% CI 0.43-0.99) in the highest water Mn tertile (median=1,292 µg/L) as compared to the lowest tertile (median=56 µg/L). The corresponding OR for perinatal mortality was 0.69 (95% CI 0.28-1.71), which increased to 0.78 (95% CI 0.29-2.08) after adjustment for BMI and place of delivery (home/health facility; n=1,648). CONCLUSIONS Elevated water Mn concentrations during pregnancy appear protective for the fetus, particularly in undernourished women. This effect may be due to the element's role in antioxidant defense.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Moshfiqur Rahman
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Agneta Åkesson
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Kippler
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Margaretha Grandér
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Peter Kim Streatfield
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Lars-Åke Persson
- International Maternal and Child Health, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Shams El Arifeen
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Marie Vahter
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- * E-mail:
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Parshukova O, Potolitsyna N, Shadrina V, Chernykh A, Bojko E. Features of selenium metabolism in humans living under the conditions of North European Russia. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2013; 87:607-14. [DOI: 10.1007/s00420-013-0895-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2013] [Accepted: 07/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Von Ehrenstein OS, Jenny AM, Basu A, Smith KR, Hira-Smith M, Smith AH. Capacity Building in Environmental Health Research in India and Nepal. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH 2013; 12:300-6. [PMID: 17168216 DOI: 10.1179/oeh.2006.12.4.300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
The Fogarty International Training and Research Program in Environmental and Occupational Health at UC Berkeley concentrates on two major environmental health issues in the Indian subcontinent: arsenic in drinking water in West Bengal, India, and indoor air pollution in India and Nepal. Local trainees and researchers have had the opportunity to work on related research. Concerning arsenic in drinking water, projects included studies of skin lesions, pulmonary effects, reproductive outcomes, and child development, as well as mitigation approaches to reduce exposures. Activities in the indoor air pollution project have emphasized quantifying exposures to smoke from cooking and heating as well as their associations with tuberculosis and eye disease. Training has focused on developing skills necessary to address these problems. The training emphasizes in-country mentoring of trainees related to their research projects, and intensive short courses at partner institutions. The focus of capacity building in environmental health research in countries in economic and environmental transition should be on country-based research projects with embedded training efforts.
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Dhuldhaj UP, Yadav IC, Singh S, Sharma NK. Microbial interactions in the arsenic cycle: adoptive strategies and applications in environmental management. REVIEWS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2013; 224:1-38. [PMID: 23232917 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-5882-1_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Arsenic (As) is a nonessential element that is often present in plants and in other organisms. However, it is one of the most hazardous of toxic elements globally. In many parts of the world, arsenic contamination in groundwater is a serious and continuing threat to human health. Microbes play an important role in regulating the environmental fate of arsenic. Different microbial processes influence the biogeochemical cycling of arsenic in ways that affect the accumulation of different arsenic species in various ecosystem compartments. For example, in soil, there are bacteria that methylate arsenite to trimethylarsine gas, thereby releasing arsenic to the atmosphere.In marine ecosystems, microbes exist that can convert inorganic arsenicals to organic arsenicals (e.g., di- and tri-methylated arsenic derivatives, arsenocholine,arsenobetaine, arsenosugars, arsenolipids). The organo arsenicals are further metabolized to complete the arsenic cycle.Microbes have developed various strategies that enable them to tolerate arsenic and to survive in arsenic-rich environments. Such strategies include As exclusion from cells by establishing permeability barrier, intra- and extracellular sequestration,active efflux pumps, enzymatic reduction, and reduction in the sensitivity of cellular targets. These strategies are used either singly or in combination. In bacteria,the genes for arsenic resistance/detoxification are encoded by the arsenic resistance operons (ars operon).In this review, we have addressed and emphasized the impact of different microbial processes (e.g., arsenite oxidation, cytoplasmic arsenate reduction, respiratory arsenate reduction, arsenite methylation) on the arsenic cycle. Microbes are the only life forms reported to exist in heavy arsenic-contaminated environments. Therefore,an understanding of the strategies adopted by microbes to cope with arsenic stress is important in managing such arsenic-contaminated sites. Further future insights into the different microbial genes/proteins that are involved in arsenic resistance may also be useful for developing arsenic resistant crop plants.
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Kim K, Kim KL, Shin KS. Selective detection of aqueous nitrite ions by surface-enhanced Raman scattering of 4-aminobenzenethiol on Au. Analyst 2012; 137:3836-40. [PMID: 22741157 DOI: 10.1039/c2an35066a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In this work, we have devised a selective nitrite-ion detection method based on the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of 4-aminobenzenethiol (4-ABT) on Au. This is possible because, firstly, SERS is a very surface-sensitive technique with monolayer detection capability, and secondly, the amine group of 4-ABT reacts readily with nitrites in acidic media, forming a diazonium group, which can subsequently form an azo bond by reacting with a variety of benzene derivatives. From the peak intensity of the diazonium group, the presence of nitrite ions above 20 μM can be identified readily. From the peak intensity of the azo moiety alone, it is even possible to detect nitrite ions at concentrations as low as 5 μM, without interference from other anions. This work clearly illustrates the usefulness of SERS in environmental science research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwan Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea.
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Mitchell E, Frisbie S, Sarkar B. Exposure to multiple metals from groundwater-a global crisis: geology, climate change, health effects, testing, and mitigation. Metallomics 2011; 3:874-908. [PMID: 21766119 DOI: 10.1039/c1mt00052g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
This paper presents an overview of the global extent of naturally occurring toxic metals in groundwater. Adverse health effects attributed to the toxic metals most commonly found in groundwater are reviewed, as well as chemical, biochemical, and physiological interactions between these metals. Synergistic and antagonistic effects that have been reported between the toxic metals found in groundwater and the dietary trace elements are highlighted, and common behavioural, cultural, and dietary practices that are likely to significantly modify health risks due to use of metal-contaminated groundwater are reviewed. Methods for analytical testing of samples containing multiple metals are discussed, with special attention to analytical interferences between metals and reagents. An overview is presented of approaches to providing safe water when groundwater contains multiple metallic toxins.
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Parvez S, Rivera-Núñez Z, Meyer A, Wright JM. Temporal variability in trihalomethane and haloacetic acid concentrations in Massachusetts public drinking water systems. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2011; 111:499-509. [PMID: 21316653 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2010.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2010] [Revised: 12/20/2010] [Accepted: 12/22/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Previous epidemiological studies in Massachusetts have reported a risk of adverse health outcomes in relation to disinfection by-product (DBP) exposures. Measurement error due to the use of indirect exposure surrogates can lead to misclassification bias in epidemiological studies; therefore, it is important to characterize exposure variability in these populations to assess the potential for exposure misclassification. We used 19,944 trihalomethane (THM) samples and 9291 haloacetic acid (HAA) samples collected in 201 public water systems (PWSs) in Massachusetts to examine temporal variability under different drinking water sources and disinfection types. Annual and seasonal variability was also examined in 46 PWSs with complete quarterly THM4 (i.e., the sum of 4 individual THMs) data from 1995 to 2004 and 19 PWSs with complete HAA5 (i.e., the sum of 5 individual HAAs) data from 2001 to 2004. The quarterly ratio of THM4 and HAA5 and correlations between THM4, HAA5 and individual DBP species were examined to determine the adequacy of using different exposure surrogates in epidemiological studies. Individual PWSs were used to examine monthly variability in relation to quarterly averages. Based on all available matched samples (n=9003) from 1995 to 2004 data, we found a correlation of 0.52 for THM4 and HAA5. The correlation was stronger among the 62 ground water systems (r(s)=0.62) compared to the 81 surface water (r(s)=0.45) and 40 mixed water (r(s)=0.39) systems. Mean THM4 levels were fairly stable over the 10-year study period for 46 PWSs including 39 PWSs that did not change disinfection. Large reductions (∼40 μg/L) in mean THM4 data were found among seven systems that switched from chlorination to alternative disinfectants. As expected, the highest mean THM4 values were detected for Quarter 3, while the lowest values were found in Quarter 1. The highest HAA5 values were detected in Quarters 2 and 3 and the lowest was found in Quarter 4. Data from four systems showed mean differences up to 66 μg/L (67% change) in successive months and by 46 μg/L compared to quarterly mean concentrations. Although longer-term disinfection by-product temporality may be minimal in this study population, the use of monthly average concentrations for exposure assessment may be needed for some PWSs to minimize misclassification of narrow critical periods of exposure in epidemiological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahid Parvez
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, 1299 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
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Bloom MS, Louis GMB, Sundaram R, Kostyniak PJ, Jain J. Associations between blood metals and fecundity among women residing in New York State. Reprod Toxicol 2011; 31:158-63. [PMID: 20933593 PMCID: PMC3039711 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2010.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2010] [Revised: 09/09/2010] [Accepted: 09/28/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Trace exposures to metals may affect female reproductive health. To assess the relation between trace concentrations of blood metals and female fecundity, 99 non-pregnant women discontinuing contraception for the purpose of becoming pregnant were prospectively followed. Participants completed a baseline interview and daily diaries until pregnant, or up to 12 menstrual cycles at risk for pregnancy; home pregnancy test kits were used. For 80 women, whole blood specimens were analyzed for arsenic, cadmium, lead, magnesium, nickel, selenium and zinc using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Time to pregnancy was estimated using Cox proportional hazards models for discrete time. Metal concentrations were generally within population reference intervals. Adjusted models suggest a 51.5% increase in the probability for pregnancy per 3.60 μg/L increase in Mg (P=0.062), and a 27.7% decrease per 0.54 μg/L increase in Zn (P=0.114). Findings indicate that Mg and Zn may impact female fecundity, but in varying directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Bloom
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University at Albany, State University of New York, One University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA.
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Bloom MS, Fitzgerald EF, Kim K, Neamtiu I, Gurzau ES. Spontaneous pregnancy loss in humans and exposure to arsenic in drinking water. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2010; 213:401-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2010.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2010] [Revised: 08/25/2010] [Accepted: 09/05/2010] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Manassaram DM, Backer LC, Messing R, Fleming LE, Luke B, Monteilh CP. Nitrates in drinking water and methemoglobin levels in pregnancy: a longitudinal study. Environ Health 2010; 9:60. [PMID: 20946657 PMCID: PMC2967503 DOI: 10.1186/1476-069x-9-60] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2009] [Accepted: 10/14/2010] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Private water systems are more likely to have nitrate levels above the maximum contaminant level (MCL). Pregnant women are considered vulnerable to the effects of exposure to high levels of nitrates in drinking water due to their altered physiological states. The level of methemoglobin in the blood is the biomarker often used in research for assessing exposure to nitrates. The objective of this study was to assess methemoglobin levels and examine how various factors affected methemoglobin levels during pregnancy. We also examined whether differences in water use practices existed among pregnant women based on household drinking water source of private vs. public supply. METHODS A longitudinal study of 357 pregnant women was conducted. Longitudinal regression models were used to examine changes and predictors of the change in methemoglobin levels over the period of gestation. RESULTS Pregnant women showed a decrease in methemoglobin levels with increasing gestation although <1% had levels above the physiologic normal of 2% methemoglobin, regardless of the source of their drinking water. The multivariable analyses did not show a statistically significant association between methemoglobin levels and the estimated nitrate intake from tap water among pregnant women around 36 weeks gestation (β = 0.046, p = 0.986). Four women had tap water nitrate levels above the MCL of 10 mg/L. At enrollment, a greater proportion of women who reported using water treatment devices were private wells users (66%) compared to public system users (46%) (p < 0.0001). Also, a greater proportion of private well users (27%) compared to public system users (13%) were using devices capable of removing nitrate from water (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION Pregnant women potentially exposed to nitrate levels primarily below the MCL for drinking water were unlikely to show methemoglobin levels above the physiologic normal. Water use practices such as the use of treatment devices to remove nitrates varied according to water source and should be considered in the assessment of exposure to nitrates in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deana M Manassaram
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health, Health Studies Branch. 4770 Buford Highway, MS F-57 Chamblee, GA 30341, USA
- University of Miami, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, 1120 NW 14th Street Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Lorraine C Backer
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health, Health Studies Branch. 4770 Buford Highway, MS F-57 Chamblee, GA 30341, USA
| | - Rita Messing
- Minnesota Department of Health, Division of Environmental Health, 625 N. Robert St. St. Paul, MN 55155, USA
| | - Lora E Fleming
- University of Miami, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, 1120 NW 14th Street Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Barbara Luke
- University of Miami, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, 1120 NW 14th Street Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Carolyn P Monteilh
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health, Health Studies Branch. 4770 Buford Highway, MS F-57 Chamblee, GA 30341, USA
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Abstract
Arsenic is a nonmutagenic human carcinogen that induces tumors through unknown mechanisms. A growing body of evidence suggests that its carcinogenicity results from epigenetic changes, particularly in DNA methylation. Changes in gene methylation status, mediated by arsenic, have been proposed to activate oncogene expression or silence tumor suppressor genes, leading to long-term changes in the activity of genes controlling cell transformation. Mostly descriptive, and often contradictory, studies have demonstrated that arsenic exposure is associated with both hypo- and hyper-methylation at various genetic loci in vivo or in vitro. This ambiguity has made it difficult to assess whether the changes induced by arsenic are causally involved in the transformation process or are simply a reflection of the altered physiology of rapidly dividing cancer cells. Here, we discuss the evidence supporting changes in DNA methylation as a cause of arsenic carcinogenesis and highlight the strengths and limitations of these studies, as well as areas where consistencies and inconsistencies exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- John F Reichard
- Department of Environmental Health & Center for Environmental Genetics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3223 Eden Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0056, USA.
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Singh S, Greene RM, Pisano MM. Arsenate-induced apoptosis in murine embryonic maxillary mesenchymal cells via mitochondrial-mediated oxidative injury. BIRTH DEFECTS RESEARCH. PART A, CLINICAL AND MOLECULAR TERATOLOGY 2010; 88:25-34. [PMID: 19739150 PMCID: PMC2806510 DOI: 10.1002/bdra.20623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Arsenic is a ubiquitous element that is a potential carcinogen and teratogen and can cause adverse developmental outcomes. Arsenic exerts its toxic effects through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that include hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)), superoxide-derived hydroxyl ion, and peroxyl radicals. However, the molecular mechanisms by which arsenic induces cytotoxicity in murine embryonic maxillary mesenchymal (MEMM) cells are undefined. METHODS MEMM cells in culture were treated with different concentrations of pentavalent sodium arsenate [As (V)] for 24 or 48 hr and various end points measured. RESULTS Treatment of MEMM cells with the pentavalent form of inorganic arsenic resulted in caspase-mediated apoptosis, accompanied by generation of ROS and disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential. Treatment with caspase inhibitors markedly blocked apoptosis. In addition, the free radical scavenger N-acetylcysteine dramatically attenuated arsenic-mediated ROS production and apoptosis, and exposure to arsenate increased Bax and decreased Bcl protein levels in MEMM cells. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these findings suggest that in MEMM cells arsenate-mediated oxidative injury acts as an early and upstream initiator of the cell death cascade, triggering cytotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, altered Bcl/Bax protein ratios, and activation of caspase-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurabh Singh
- University of Louisville Birth Defects Center, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Craniofacial Biology, ULSD, Louisville, KY 40292
| | - Robert M. Greene
- University of Louisville Birth Defects Center, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Craniofacial Biology, ULSD, Louisville, KY 40292
| | - M. Michele Pisano
- University of Louisville Birth Defects Center, Department of Molecular, Cellular and Craniofacial Biology, ULSD, Louisville, KY 40292
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Gulis G, Kollarová J, Dietzová Z, Labancová J, Behanová M, Ondrušová M. Natural and Man-made Health Hazards in Rural Slovakia. Cent Eur J Public Health 2009; 17:207-14. [DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, Grellier J, Smith R, Iszatt N, Bennett J, Best N, Toledano M. The epidemiology and possible mechanisms of disinfection by-products in drinking water. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2009; 367:4043-4076. [PMID: 19736233 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2009.0116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
This paper summarizes the epidemiological evidence for adverse health effects associated with disinfection by-products (DBPs) in drinking water and describes the potential mechanism of action. There appears to be good epidemiological evidence for a relationship between exposure to DBPs, as measured by trihalomethanes (THMs), in drinking water and bladder cancer, but the evidence for other cancers including colorectal cancer is inconclusive and inconsistent. There appears to be some evidence for an association between exposure to DBPs, specifically THMs, and little for gestational age/intrauterine growth retardation and, to a lesser extent, pre-term delivery, but evidence for relationships with other outcomes such as low birth weight, stillbirth, congenital anomalies and semen quality is inconclusive and inconsistent. Major limitations in exposure assessment, small sample sizes and potential biases may account for the inconclusive and inconsistent results in epidemiological studies. Moreover, most studies have focused on total THMs as the exposure metric, whereas other DBPs appear to be more toxic than the THMs, albeit generally occurring at lower levels in the water. The mechanisms through which DBPs may cause adverse health effects including cancer and adverse reproductive effects have not been well investigated. Several mechanisms have been suggested, including genotoxicity, oxidative stress, disruption of folate metabolism, disruption of the synthesis and/or secretion of placental syncytiotrophoblast-derived chorionic gonadotropin and lowering of testosterone levels, but further work is required in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Nieuwenhuijsen
- Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona-PRBB (Office 183.05), , C. Doctor Aiguader, 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
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Abstract
Arsenic, which is commonly found in drinking water, is a potent toxicant, but little is known about its effects on maternal health. Arsenic's modes of action include enzyme inhibition and oxidative stress as well as immune, endocrine, and epigenetic effects. A couple of studies reported increased blood pressure and anemia during pregnancy. Susceptibility to arsenic is dependent on the biomethylation, which occurs via one-carbon metabolism. Methylarsonic acid and dimethylarsinic acid are main metabolites in urine, and elevated methylarsonic acid is considered a general risk factor. Arsenic easily passes the placenta, and a few human studies indicate a moderately increased risk of impaired fetal growth and increased fetal and infant mortality. The fetus and infant are probably partly protected by the increased methylation of arsenic during pregnancy and lactation; the infant is also protected by low arsenic excretion in breast milk. Early-life exposure may induce changes that will become apparent much later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Vahter
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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