While the common volatile organic compound mixture benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene (BTEX) is associated with preterm birth (PTB), most evidence derives from estimated rather than direct measures of exposure. Metabolites of BTEX were measured in urine samples from pregnant participants (N=40) to conduct a preliminary association study of BTEX metabolites and length of gestation. Metabolites of ethylbenzene (phenylglyoxylic acid (PGA)) and xylene (methylhippuric acid (MHA)) were negatively correlated with gestational length; the Spearman correlation coefficient (ρ) for PGA and gestational length was ρ=-0.37 (p=0.018) and for MHA and gestational length was ρ=-0.35 (p=0.026). Preliminary findings suggest prenatal ethylbenzene and xylene exposure may be associated with shorter gestational length. Ongoing work in a larger sample is underway to examine associations between BTEX metabolites, measured longitudinally across pregnancy, and PTB.
Homègnon A. Ferréol Bah, Qiong Zhang, Yi-Chu Wang et al.· BMJ Paediatrics Open· 0 citations
The February 2023 train derailment and subsequent vent and burn of 129,000 gallons of vinyl chloride in East Palestine, Ohio, raised a high level of concern about exposure to hazardous chemicals such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) among residents. In this study, we measured urine metabolite levels of eight (8) VOCs collected five (5) months after the incident from 19 (19) nonsmoking East Palestine residents living within approximately one mile from the derailment site and compared them with levels from a comparison community and 2015-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. The samples were analyzed with a Thermo Altis LC-MS-MS system. Nearly 75% of East Palestine participants had detectable levels of a vinyl chloride metabolite, 2-hydroxyethylmercapturate (HEMA), whereas none of the comparison community participants had detectable levels and only 5% of NHANES participants had levels above the 3.0 ng/mL limit of detection (LOD). One East Palestine participant had a quantifiable level of the butyl acrylate metabolite, whereas none of the Marietta residents was above the LOD. The metabolite was not measured in the NHANES. The detection of metabolites of derailment-related chemicals supports the need for long-term follow-up of residents of this community and its surrounding area.
Erin N. Haynes, Timothy J. Hilbert, Bela G. Nelson et al.· Environmental Science and Te...· 0 citations
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