PCE contaminated drinking water & disorders of reproduction & development

四氯乙烯（也称为全氯乙烯或PCE）是一种溶剂，通常用于金属清洗，纺织品加工和干洗。对与接触四氯乙烯有关的生殖和发育毒性风险的研究表明，四氯乙烯对动物和人类都有不利影响。拟议的流行病学研究将检验以下假设：在马萨诸塞州科德角地区公共饮用水供应分配系统中发现的PCE与以下生殖和发育结局相关：精子和月经异常、生育力受损、继发性不孕、自然流产、低出生体重、宫内发育迟缓、先天性畸形，以及学习和注意力的发展障碍。这将通过进行一项基于人群的回顾性队列研究来实现，该研究包括约2，200名接触受PCE污染的饮用水的科德角儿童及其家庭，以及2，200名未接触的儿童及其家庭。将使用1968年至1983年的马萨诸塞州出生记录来确定家庭。在此期间，成千上万的科德角居民接触到PCE时，它从石棉水泥饮用水管道的乙烯基衬里浸出。暴露组中的家庭将包括至少一个孩子在产前和产后暴露于不同数量的PCE，以及在生育年龄暴露的母亲和父亲。将追踪队列家庭成员，并对母亲进行访谈，以获得有关生殖和发育异常、混杂变量和居住史的信息。异常报告将通过记录审查进行验证。将从母亲那里采集口腔拭子，用于随后通过分子方法检测敏感性生物标志物。暴露于四氯乙烯污染的饮用水将估计使用暴露模型和地理信息系统（GIS）数据库开发我们目前的超级基金基础研究中心。在控制混杂变量的同时，将计算与PCE暴露相关的每种不良结局的相对风险。将考虑到用水和母乳喂养做法的影响。

Tetrachloroethylene (also called perchlorethylene or PCE) is a solvent commonly used for metal degreasing, textile processing, and dry cleaning. Studies on the risk of reproductive and developmental toxicity associated with PCE exposure have shown adverse effects among animals and humans. The proposed epidemiologic study will test the hypothesis that PCE found in the distributions systems of public drinking water supplies in the Cape Cod region of Massachusetts is associated with the following reproductive and developmental outcomes: sperm and menstrual abnormalities, impaired fecundity, secondary infertility, spontaneous abortion, low birth weight, intrauterine growth retardation, congenital malformations, and developmental disorders of learning and attention. This will be accomplished by conducting a population-based retrospective cohort study including approximately 2,200 Cape Cod children and their families who were exposed to PCE-contaminated drinking water and a comparable group of 2,200 unexposed children and their families. Families will be identified using Massachusetts birth records from 1968 through 1983. During this period, tens of thousands of Cape Cod residents were exposed to PCE when it leached from the vinyl lining of asbestos cement drinking water pipes. Families in the exposed group will include at least one child with prenatal and varying amounts of postnatal PCE exposure, and mothers and fathers with exposures during their reproductive years. Cohort family members will be traced, and mothers will be interviewed to obtain information on reproductive and developmental abnormalities, confounding variables, and residential histories. Reports of abnormalities will be verified by record review. Buccal swabs will be sought from mothers for later testing for susceptibility biomarkers by molecular methods. Exposure to PCE- contaminated drinking water will be estimated using an exposure model and geographic information system (GIS) database developed for our current Superfund Basic Research Center. The relative risk of each adverse outcome will be calculated in relation to PCE exposure while controlling for confounding variables. The impact of water use and breast feeding practices will be taken into account.