Prenatal and early childhood exposure to tetrachloroethylene (PCE)-contaminated drinking water and sleep quality in adulthood: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Background Communities in Cape Cod, Massachusetts were exposed to tetrachloroethylene (PCE) through contaminated drinking water from 1969 to 1983. PCE exposure during adulthood has well-established neurotoxic effects; however, long-term impacts stemming from early life exposure, especially adverse effects on sleep quality, are not well understood. Methods The present analysis was based on data from the Cape Cod Health Study, a retrospective cohort study of the long-term neurotoxic impacts of early-life exposure to PCE-contaminated drinking water. Exposure to PCE-contaminated water was estimated using a validated leaching and transport model. Measures of sleep quality were obtained from self-administered questionnaires. Generalized estimating equations were used to generate risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals to estimate the association between early-life PCE exposure and sleep quality among 604 participants. Results Compared to unexposed participants, any PCE exposure during early life was associated with 1.57 times the risk of reporting breathing pauses during sleep (95% CI 0.92–2.68). Low-level exposure to PCE was associated with 1.50 times the risk of reporting sleep apnea or other sleep disorders (95% CI 0.78–2.89), while high levels of exposure had comparable risk compared to no exposure (RR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.50–1.79). Weak or no associations were observed for other sleep quality outcomes. In stratified analyses participants with mental illness and/or substance use disorder had increased risk ratios for short sleep duration associated with PCE exposure. Conclusion These findings suggest that early-life exposure to PCE may be associated with a moderate increase in the risk of reporting breathing pauses during sleep in adulthood and that a history of mental illness and/or substance use disorder may exacerbate the risk of short sleep duration.

Transparent and flexible high-surface area nanoporous crystalline PPO films

“…Guest diffusivities in PPO films of the four kinds listed in 18 pollutant (perchloroethylene, PCE), [56][57][58][59] at 35°C at a low relative pressure (p/p 0 =0.01), are shown in Figure 6a. The amorphous PPO films, although well known for their high free-volume and high molecular uptake, [60][61][62][63][64] exhibit guest uptake much smaller and slower than for the NC film with c ⊥ orientation 44 and enormously smaller and slower than for the known opaque high SA NC film.…”

“…Guest sorption kinetics from high-surface area NC PPO films Guest diffusivities in PPO films of the four kinds listed in Table 3 were studied by guest sorption kinetics at low vapor pressures. As an example, the sorption kinetics of a relevant chlorinated pollutant (perchloroethylene, PCE) [56][57][58][59] at 35 1C at a low relative pressure (p/p 0 = 0.01) are shown in Fig. 6a.…”

The associations of blood volatile organic compounds with sleep health in the American adults: Data from NHANES 2007-2012

“…With the increasing attention of people to environmental problems, environmental pollution has become a new orientation on factors affecting sleep status [6]. Some prior studies have suggested that environmental damage factors may interfere with sleep quality, including exposure to endocrine-disrupting, metabolism-disrupting, and neurotoxic chemicals [7][8][9]. For example, the research of Lu et al found that urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites were associated with short sleep duration [10].…”