Environmental Contaminants and Reproductive Health of Akwesasne Mohawk Women

Schell和Carpenter博士领导的题为“环境污染物与生殖健康”的项目 Akwesasne Mohawk妇女”建立在Akwesasne Mohawk 国家和大学在奥尔巴尼达到约20年，同时也代表了扩大 该中心的重点是该地区以外的奥尔巴尼和阿姆斯特丹。这项研究的目的是确定 接触多氯联苯、其他持久性有机污染物和铅对月经周期特征的影响 在20至35岁的莫霍克妇女中， 毗邻一个联邦和两个州的超级基金网站。这项研究将招募180名妇女， 通过一个月经周期，收集血液、尿液和每日唾液样本， 多氯联苯同系物和其他毒物与性腺功能、垂体功能等的关系 通过日记和问卷调查测量月经周期的特征。这项研究有几个 创新的方法特点：同时考虑多种毒物和内分泌 破坏特性，对多氯联苯进行同源物特定分析，以测试结构功能关系， 在生殖影响方面，在其他共同的生殖影响范围内考虑这些影响， 对生殖参数的影响以及统计技术和生长曲线的应用 充分利用整个周期中获得的数据密度的分析。该项目同样 以其对社区的意义和重要性而闻名。表达和重申莫霍克人身份的活动 而养殖可能会增加暴露于当地污染物，如多氯联苯，特别是通过饮食。的 这项研究的结果不仅对促进良好的生殖健康具有重要意义， （对国家作为一种文化和人民的生存至关重要），但也有助于理解可能存在的风险。 与莫霍克族传统生活方式相关的活动有关。

The project led by Drs. Schell and Carpenter, entitled "Environmental contaminants and reproductive health of Akwesasne Mohawk women" builds on a collaborative relationship between the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation and the University at Albany reaching back some 20 years, while also representing an expansion of the Center's focus to the region beyond Albany and Amsterdam. The study's objective is to determine the effect of exposure to PCBs, other persistent organic pollutants and lead on characteristics of the menstrual cycle among Mohawk women who are between 20 and 35 years of age and living in Akwesasne, which is adjacent to a federal and two state Superfund sites. The study will enroll 180 women who will be followed through one menstrual cycle with collection of blood, urine and daily saliva samples to investigate the relationship of PCB congeners and other toxicants to gonadal function, pituitary function and other characteristics of the menstrual cycle measured through diaries and questionnaires. This study has several innovative methodological features: the simultaneous consideration of multiple toxicants with endocrine disrupting properties, the congener specific analysis of PCBs for testing structure-function relationships with regard to reproductive effects, the consideration of these effects within the context of other common influences on reproductive parameters, and the application of statistical techniques and growth curve analyses that take full advantage of the density of data obtained throughout the cycle. The project is equally notable for its meaning and salience to the community. Activities that express and reaffirm Mohawk identity and culture may increase exposure to local contaminants such as PCBs, particularly through diet. The findings of this study will have great significance not only for the promotion of good reproductive health (critical to the survival of the nation as a culture and a people) but also for understanding the risk possibly related to activities that have been traditionally associated with Mohawk ways of life.