ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF HUMAN SPECIMENS FOR DIPHR - PROJECT TRACKING AND CONSULTATION

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The Division of Intramural Population Health Research (DIPHR) conducts research on a variety of topics pertaining to human reproduction and development, child and adolescent health and behaviors, and care of pregnant women among other topics. Both observational and interventional research is designed and implemented by Division scientists, and most research includes multi-faceted collection of data and biospecimens. This includes subgroups of the population such as infants and children, who are likely to have even lower concentrations than adults. All biospecimens are collected using approved protocols and are de-identified prior banking in NICHD-supported repositories. A wide range of biospecimen types are collected including whole blood, plasma, serum, peritoneal fluid, urine, saliva, tissue (e.g. omental fat), organs (e.g., placenta), hair, nails, follicular and seminal fluids, semen, and newborn blood spots. The Division conducts research focusing on the relationship between environmental exposures and human reproduction and development, as broadly defined. The Division defines environment as non-genetic, including environmental chemicals, diet, and lifestyle. Within the scope of environmental chemicals, both persistent (e.g., metals and trace elements, organochlorine pesticides, perfluorochemicals, polybrominated biphenyls, polychlorinated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers) and non-persistent (e.g. parabens, phenols, phthalates) chemicals are of interest. Of note is the Division’s research focusing on emerging classes of chemicals as well as biomarkers of lifestyle exposures and diet. Moreover, ophisticated aliquoting schemes are typically required for much of the Division’s research to enable additional biomedical laboratory analyses to compliment the environmental analyses. For example, a plasma sample may be used for the quantification of persistent chemicals and for metabolomic analyses, while a urine sample may be analyzed for both short-lived chemicals, such as phthalates, and for reproductive hormones.