The public comes into contact with numerous semi-volatile organic chemicals (SVOCs) on a daily basis, and there is a lack of knowledge about exposure and health effects associated with many SVOCs, particularly newer compounds. Our objective was to characterize occupational exposure to SVOCs in nail salon workers, analyze exposure to one class of SVOCs in pregnant women and their young children, and examine associations between prenatal exposure and birth outcomes.
From 10 female nail salon workers in the Boston area (2016–2017), we compared phthalates, phthalate alternatives, and organophosphate esters (OPEs) or their metabolites measured in pre- and post-shift urine samples and silicone wrist bands (SWBs). From 134 mother infant pairs from the Newborn Epigenetics STudy (NEST), a North Carolina birth cohort (2009–2011), we used multivariable and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression models to estimate associations between individual and mixtures of prenatal serum per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) concentrations. In a subsample of 84 NEST offspring aged 3–6 years enrolled in the Toddlers Exposure to SVOCs in Indoor Environments (TESIE) study (2014–2016), we estimated associations of child serum PFAS concentrations with environmental, behavioral, and demographic predictors.
Among nail salon workers, post-shift urine concentrations were generally higher than pre-shift for SVOC metabolites. Correlations between metabolites in urine and SWBs suggested occupation as a source of exposure. The PFAS mixture index was negatively associated with gestational age at birth among all and male offspring with less evidence of an association among females or for other birth outcomes. Diet, drinking water, maternal serum PFAS concentrations during pregnancy, and air concentrations inside the home were predictors of certain child serum PFAS concentrations.
Nail technicians are occupationally exposed to SVOCs, with evidence of SWBs as a useful exposure assessment tool for future studies. We observed negative associations between prenatal PFAS concentrations and gestational length; male offspring may be more susceptible than females. Eating habits, drinking water source, prenatal serum concentrations, and air concentrations inside the home were predictive of child serum PFAS concentrations. Our results suggest that exposure to SVOCs is multi-faceted and of potential public health concern.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/41453 |
| Date | 26 September 2020 |
| Creators | Craig, Jessica Ann |
| Contributors | Webster, Thomas F. |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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