Project 1: Prenatal Exposures to PAHs and Metals in an Impacted Community: Assessing Neurodevelopment Impacts and Tracing Metal Sources

摘要 围产期铅暴露仍然是一个高度相关的儿科环境健康问题，尽管 提高认识和补救工作。即使在低水平下，铅暴露也会对神经发育产生不利影响； 然而，儿童并不是单独接触铅的。大多数儿童长期接触数百种 化学制品。最近的研究发现，居住在北卡罗来纳州达勒姆某些地区的孕妇和儿童 对铅和镉的暴露都增加了。我们的初步数据显示，铅和镉 在达勒姆一些地区的表层土壤中，多环芳烃的水平也有所上升 (多环芳烃)。金属和多环芳烃也通常在受污染的场地中共存(例如，超级基金场地和 棕地)。因此，居住在这些地点附近的人们暴露在金属和多环芳烃的混合物中。 同时。虽然铅是一种研究得很好的神经毒物，但很少有人进行研究来了解 接触这些化合物及其潜在的发育影响。杜克大学超级基金 研究中心(DUSRC)寻求更好地解决这一数据差距，并提供新的信息和资源 以更好地应对潜在的健康风险。在这里，我们在DUSRC内提出了一个生物医学项目(项目1)，以 在已知共同暴露的社区中解决产前暴露于多环芳烃和金属混合物的问题。我们 假设产前暴露于金属和多环芳烃与神经发育变化有关， 比铅本身的影响更大。我们将首先描述400名孕妇的暴露情况。 妇女，利用正在进行的纵向研究提供的资源。金属将以母体为单位计量 在产前检查期间采集血液样本，而多环芳烃(和其他有机污染物)将 以怀孕三个月佩戴一周的硅胶腕带测量。认知和行为 将使用一种新型的个人监视器在儿童出生后的头三年进行评估 和标准的临床评估。此外，我们将使用一种新的地球化学同位素示踪方法来 在暴露水平最高的队列中确定主要的铅来源。这 该项目直接涉及超级基金任务1、2和3。它将使用先进的技术来调查 有害物质对人类健康的影响，同时也开发了评估铅暴露的新方法 风险和确定主要暴露途径，以支持有针对性的暴露缓解战略。

Abstract Perinatal exposure to lead remains a highly relevant pediatric environmental health problem, despite tremendous awareness and remediation efforts. Even at low levels, exposure to lead adversely impacts neurodevelopment; however, children are not exposed to lead in isolation. Most children are chronically exposed to hundreds of chemicals. Recent studies have found that pregnant women and children living in some areas of Durham, NC have elevated exposures to both lead and cadmium. Our preliminary data demonstrate that lead and cadmium are also elevated in surface soils in some areas of Durham, as are the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Metals and PAHs also commonly co-occur in contaminated sites (e.g., Superfund Sites and Brownfields). Therefore, people living near these sites are exposed to mixtures of metals and PAHs simultaneously. While lead is a well-studied neurotoxicant, little research has been conducted to understand co- exposure to these compounds and their potential developmental impacts. The Duke University Superfund Research Center (DUSRC) seeks to better address this data gap and contribute new information and resources to better address potential health risks. Here we propose a biomedical project (Project 1) within the DUSRC to address prenatal exposure to mixtures of PAHs and metals in a community with known co-exposure. We hypothesize that prenatal exposure to metals and PAHs is associated with neurodevelopmental changes that are greater than the impacts of lead alone. We will first characterize exposures in a cohort of 400 pregnant women, leveraging resources available from an ongoing longitudinal study. Metals will be measured in maternal blood samples collected during prenatal care visits, while PAHs (and other organic contaminants) will be measured in silicone wristbands worn for a week in each trimester of pregnancy. Cognitive and behavioral assessments will be carried out with children during the first three years of life using a novel personal monitor and standard clinical assessments. Furthermore, we will use a novel geochemical isotopic tracing approach to identify the primary sources of lead in a subgroup of the cohort that has the highest levels of exposures. This project directly addresses Superfund Mandates 1, 2 and 3. It will use advanced techniques to investigate the effects of hazardous substances on human health, while also developing new methods to evaluate lead exposure risks and identifying the primary exposure pathway to support targeted exposure mitigation strategies.