Project 1 – Prenatal Exposures to PAHs and Metals: Assessing Neurodevelopment Impacts and Tracing Metal Sources
Project Leaders
Trainees
Goals and Importance of Research
While exposure to lead among children and the entire population has decreased over the past several decades, it is still a problem worth studying, as is interactions between lead and the various other chemicals that children are exposed to before and after birth. This study will look at a cohort of pregnant participants in Durham, NC, to try and understand the types of chemicals exposures that occur during pregnancy, especially co-exposures to lead, cadmium, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The team will also assess associations between exposures in pregnant participants and early neurodevelopmental milestones in their children. Lastly, the team will try and determine the importance of different sources of lead in the home using isotopic analyses.
Novel Aspects of Research
- Assess neurodevelopmental impacts from co-exposures to lead, cadmium and PAHs.
- Test a novel personal sampler (modified silicone wristband with polyurethane foam) that aims to detect metals as well as organic compounds, and accurately predict blood lead levels.
- Use High-precision Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS) to distinguish different sources of lead and track exposure pathways around the home.
- Deploy the wireless Owlet Smart Sock to monitor infant sleep quantity, quality, and timing.
Project Aims
- Assess prenatal exposure to Pb, Cd, and PAHs and evaluate whether exposure patterns are clustered in areas of Durham.
- Assess associations between prenatal exposure to Pb, Cd and PAHs and early neurodevelopment.
- Estimate the relative source contributions of Pb from indoor dust, outdoor contaminated soils and drinking water (Pb pipes) using isotopic tracers.
Project 1 News
Heather Stapleton featured in Arizona Republic article on PFAS
