Adverse Birth Outcomes and Maternal Exposure to Trichloroethylene and Tetrachloroethylene through Soil Vapor Intrusion in New York State

Abstract

Background: Industrial spills of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Endicott, New York (USA), have led to contamination of groundwater, soil, and soil gas. Previous studies have reported an increase in adverse birth outcomes among women exposed to VOCs in drinking water.Objective: We investigated the prevalence of adverse birth outcomes among mothers exposed to trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene [or perchloroethylene (PCE)] in indoor air contaminated through soil vapor intrusion.Methods: We examined low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth, fetal growth restriction, and birth defects among births to women in Endicott who were exposed to VOCs, compared with births statewide. We used Poisson regression to analyze births and malformations to estimate the association between maternal exposure to VOCs adjusting for sex, mother’s age, race, education, parity, and prenatal care. Two exposure areas were identified based on environmental sampling data: one area was primarily contaminated with TCE, and the other with PCE.Results: In the TCE-contaminated area, adjusted rate ratios (RRs) were significantly elevated for LBW [RR = 1.36; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07, 1.73; n = 76], small for gestational age (RR = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.48; n = 117), term LBW (RR = 1.68; 95% CI: 1.20, 2.34; n = 37), cardiac defects (RR = 2.15; 95% CI: 1.27, 3.62; n = 15), and conotruncal defects (RR = 4.91; 95% CI: 1.58, 15.24; n = 3). In the PCE-contaminated area, RRs for cardiac defects (five births) were elevated but not significantly. Residual socioeconomic confounding may have contributed to elevations of LBW outcomes.Conclusions: Maternal residence in both areas was associated with cardiac defects. Residence in the TCE area, but not the PCE area, was associated with LBW and fetal growth restriction.

Spatiotemporal changes of CVOC concentrations in karst aquifers: Analysis of three decades of data from Puerto Rico

“…The occurrence of CVOCs in groundwater systems poses a serious environmental threat to both natural ecosystem integrity and human water uses (Lapworth et al, 2012; Anaya et al, 2013). Exposure to CVOCs is potentially harmful to human health and may contribute to adverse reproductive outcomes (Sonenfeld et al, 2001; Forand et al, 2012), as well as damage to the nervous system (Bale et al 2011), liver and kidney (Lash et al, 2000), immune system (Cooper et al, 2009) and lungs (Odum et al, 1992; Chiu et al, 2013). CVOCs typically have long residence times (hundreds to thousands of years) in groundwater due to their low solubility, persistence in the environment due to low degradation rates, and immobility (Heron et al, 2009; Liu et al, 2010).…”

Nationally Representative Levels of Selected Volatile Organic Compounds in Canadian Residential Indoor Air: Population-Based Survey

“…10 For example, it was recently reported that maternal exposure to trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene is associated with adverse birth outcomes. 11 Residential exposure to VOCs has been linked to respiratory symptoms 12,13 and to asthma in young children in particular. 14 Globally, there is a continued interest in studying the levels of VOCs in indoor environments due to their potential health effects.…”

Target Organ Metabolism, Toxicity, and Mechanisms of Trichloroethylene and Perchloroethylene: Key Similarities, Differences, and Data Gaps

“…pdf; Forand et al, 2012). A more recent analysis of the same region of New York State found that maternal residence in an area contaminated with TCE or PCE was associated with cardiac birth effects, but these effects were only significant for the TCE-exposed group (Forand et al, 2012). In contrast, a study in Texas found weak to no evidence of an association between TCE or PCE exposure and developmental cardiotoxicity (Brender et al, 2014).…”

“…gov/hac/pha//endicottareainvestigationfollowup/endicottareahc051508. pdf; Forand et al, 2012). A more recent analysis of the same region of New York State found that maternal residence in an area contaminated with TCE or PCE was associated with cardiac birth effects, but these effects were only significant for the TCE-exposed group (Forand et al, 2012).…”