• Energy Research

Abstract Background. Exposure to PM2.5 is associated with adverse birth outcomes and early development. Pregnancy is typically characterized by the production of several important hormones that impact aspects of maternal and fetal physiology, including progesterone, estriol, and corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH). No previous studies have examined PM associations in pregnant persons for CRH and estriol. Methods. We used linear mixed effects models to investigate associations between PM2.5 and pregnancy hormones in 1,041 pregnant persons ages 18–41 living in Puerto Rico between 2011 and 2020. Individual 3–, 7–, and 30-day moving average exposures were assigned from EPA data sources. Hormone levels were analyzed in blood collected at study visits at 16–20 and 20–24 weeks of gestation. Models were adjusted for demographics, socioeconomic status, and health behaviors.Results. Mean participant exposures for 3−, 7−, and 30-day PM2.5 were 8.0 ± 5.9, 8.2 ± 5.3, and 8.1 ± 4.4 μg m−3. In base models, increased PM2.5 exposure was associated with lower levels of progesterone, CRH, and estriol. In adjusted models, 10 μg m−3 increase in PM2.5 was associated with 11.2% (95% CI: 17.6, 4.3; p = 0.003) and 14.9% (95% CI: 23.4, 5.4; p = 0.004) lower CRH for 7-day and 30-day exposures. In cross-sectional models, the inverse CRH association was driven by the 20–24 week gestation period with a 12.4% reduction (95% CI: 21.8, 1.9; p = 0.022) for 7-day and 17.5% reduction (95% CI: 29.7, 3.0; p = 0.020) for 30-day exposure. Other investigated associations were null.Conclusions. In pregnant persons in Puerto Rico, we observed that elevated PM2.5 exposures were significantly associated with decrements in CRH, but not in other pregnancy-associated hormones. CRH may be an important pathway through which prenatal PM2.5 impacts normal pregnancy.

Abstract Background. Exposure to PM2.5 is associated with adverse birth outcomes and early development. Pregnancy is typically characterized by the production of several important hormones that impact aspects of maternal and fetal physiology, including progesterone, estriol, and corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH). No previous studies have examined PM associations in pregnant persons for CRH and estriol. Methods. We used linear mixed effects models to investigate associations between PM2.5 and pregnancy hormones in 1,041 pregnant persons ages 18–41 living in Puerto Rico between 2011 and 2020. Individual 3–, 7–, and 30-day moving average exposures were assigned from EPA data sources. Hormone levels were analyzed in blood collected at study visits at 16–20 and 20–24 weeks of gestation. Models were adjusted for demographics, socioeconomic status, and health behaviors.Results. Mean participant exposures for 3−, 7−, and 30-day PM2.5 were 8.0 ± 5.9, 8.2 ± 5.3, and 8.1 ± 4.4 μg m−3. In base models, increased PM2.5 exposure was associated with lower levels of progesterone, CRH, and estriol. In adjusted models, 10 μg m−3 increase in PM2.5 was associated with 11.2% (95% CI: 17.6, 4.3; p = 0.003) and 14.9% (95% CI: 23.4, 5.4; p = 0.004) lower CRH for 7-day and 30-day exposures. In cross-sectional models, the inverse CRH association was driven by the 20–24 week gestation period with a 12.4% reduction (95% CI: 21.8, 1.9; p = 0.022) for 7-day and 17.5% reduction (95% CI: 29.7, 3.0; p = 0.020) for 30-day exposure. Other investigated associations were null.Conclusions. In pregnant persons in Puerto Rico, we observed that elevated PM2.5 exposures were significantly associated with decrements in CRH, but not in other pregnancy-associated hormones. CRH may be an important pathway through which prenatal PM2.5 impacts normal pregnancy.

Personal care products (PCPs) refer to a wide variety of items commonly characterized as health or beauty products. PCPs contain a number of ingredients, often including a wide range of endocrine disrupting chemicals such as phthalates and parabens. The present study examines the association between self-reported PCP use and prenatal sex-steroids and thyroid hormones levels in women from Puerto Rico. We recruited pregnant women (n = 1070) through the Puerto Rico PROTECT Cohort and collected blood, demographic and pregnancy-related data at recruitment and subsequent visits. PCP use in the 48-h preceding the blood sample was collected through self-reported questionnaires. Nine hormones (corticotropin-releasing hormone [CRH], sex-hormone binding globulin [SHBG], estriol [E3], progesterone, testosterone, thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH], total triiodothyronine [T3], total thyroxine [T4], and free thyroxine [fT4]) were measured in maternal serum samples at two points during pregnancy. Linear mixed models with random intercepts were used to examine associations between PCP use and serum hormone levels. Use of cosmetics significantly increased with age, household income and education level (p < 0.01). Use of hair products, such as hair dyes and bleach, relaxers, and mousse, was associated with lower levels of all sex steroid hormones compared to non-use: SHBG (%Δ = -7.1, 95%CI: -12.4,-1.8), E3 (%Δ = -23.2, 95%CI: -32.2,-13.0), progesterone (%Δ = -21.5, 95%CI: -29.4,-12.9) and testosterone (%Δ = -21.5, 95%CI: -33.1,-7.8) adjusted for maternal age, education and pre-pregnancy body mass index. Our findings suggest that household income and education level influence PCP use among pregnant women in this study. Use of certain hair products was associated with lower concentrations of sex steroid hormones. Although there are limitations to questionnaire data, characterizing PCP use is inexpensive and may represent exposure from multiple classes of chemicals, including chemicals that may not specifically appear on product labels and/or have not been tested for endocrine disrupting potential, making it a useful complement to chemical biomarker data.

Personal care products (PCPs) refer to a wide variety of items commonly characterized as health or beauty products. PCPs contain a number of ingredients, often including a wide range of endocrine disrupting chemicals such as phthalates and parabens. The present study examines the association between self-reported PCP use and prenatal sex-steroids and thyroid hormones levels in women from Puerto Rico. We recruited pregnant women (n = 1070) through the Puerto Rico PROTECT Cohort and collected blood, demographic and pregnancy-related data at recruitment and subsequent visits. PCP use in the 48-h preceding the blood sample was collected through self-reported questionnaires. Nine hormones (corticotropin-releasing hormone [CRH], sex-hormone binding globulin [SHBG], estriol [E3], progesterone, testosterone, thyroid-stimulating hormone [TSH], total triiodothyronine [T3], total thyroxine [T4], and free thyroxine [fT4]) were measured in maternal serum samples at two points during pregnancy. Linear mixed models with random intercepts were used to examine associations between PCP use and serum hormone levels. Use of cosmetics significantly increased with age, household income and education level (p < 0.01). Use of hair products, such as hair dyes and bleach, relaxers, and mousse, was associated with lower levels of all sex steroid hormones compared to non-use: SHBG (%Δ = -7.1, 95%CI: -12.4,-1.8), E3 (%Δ = -23.2, 95%CI: -32.2,-13.0), progesterone (%Δ = -21.5, 95%CI: -29.4,-12.9) and testosterone (%Δ = -21.5, 95%CI: -33.1,-7.8) adjusted for maternal age, education and pre-pregnancy body mass index. Our findings suggest that household income and education level influence PCP use among pregnant women in this study. Use of certain hair products was associated with lower concentrations of sex steroid hormones. Although there are limitations to questionnaire data, characterizing PCP use is inexpensive and may represent exposure from multiple classes of chemicals, including chemicals that may not specifically appear on product labels and/or have not been tested for endocrine disrupting potential, making it a useful complement to chemical biomarker data.

Experiencing a hurricane during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of adverse birth outcomes and poor mental health. Pregnant people from marginalized communities are more susceptible to adverse effects, as they have fewer resources to overcome hardships at a time when shelter and nutrition are essential. When Hurricane Maria (HM) devastated Puerto Rico in September 2017, the archipelago was already burdened with high poverty, health disparities, environmental contamination, and fragile utility infrastructure. We aimed to compare biomarkers of environmental exposures among pregnant participants in the PROTECT cohort before and after HM and to identify hurricane-related sources of exposure. Metals, PAHs, phthalate metabolites, and phenols were measured in urine samples collected from participants at three prenatal visits (2011-2019). Samples were categorized as before, 6 months after HM. Using linear mixed effects models, we found that in the 6 months after HM, participants had higher Co, Ni, and DEHPTP concentrations, indicating increased exposure, and lower concentrations of PAHs, several metals, and phthalates, suggesting decreased exposure, compared to pre-HM levels. Biomarkers were not associated with potential exposure sources assessed through questionnaire or previously measured tap water contaminants. This study provides insight into how extreme weather events may alter environmental exposures among pregnant people in Puerto Rico. As climate change has increased the frequency and magnitude of such events, additional research is needed to clarify the implications for maternal and child health and to identify sources of related environmental exposures within this vulnerable population.

Experiencing a hurricane during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of adverse birth outcomes and poor mental health. Pregnant people from marginalized communities are more susceptible to adverse effects, as they have fewer resources to overcome hardships at a time when shelter and nutrition are essential. When Hurricane Maria (HM) devastated Puerto Rico in September 2017, the archipelago was already burdened with high poverty, health disparities, environmental contamination, and fragile utility infrastructure. We aimed to compare biomarkers of environmental exposures among pregnant participants in the PROTECT cohort before and after HM and to identify hurricane-related sources of exposure. Metals, PAHs, phthalate metabolites, and phenols were measured in urine samples collected from participants at three prenatal visits (2011-2019). Samples were categorized as before, 6 months after HM. Using linear mixed effects models, we found that in the 6 months after HM, participants had higher Co, Ni, and DEHPTP concentrations, indicating increased exposure, and lower concentrations of PAHs, several metals, and phthalates, suggesting decreased exposure, compared to pre-HM levels. Biomarkers were not associated with potential exposure sources assessed through questionnaire or previously measured tap water contaminants. This study provides insight into how extreme weather events may alter environmental exposures among pregnant people in Puerto Rico. As climate change has increased the frequency and magnitude of such events, additional research is needed to clarify the implications for maternal and child health and to identify sources of related environmental exposures within this vulnerable population.

Background The PROTECT Center is a multi-project initiative that studies the relationship between exposure to environmental contaminants and preterm births during the prenatal and postnatal period among women living in Puerto Rico. PROTECT’s Community Engagement Core and Research Translation Coordinator (CEC/RTC) play a key role in building trust and capacity by approaching the cohort as an engaged community that provides feedback about processes, including how personalized results of their exposure to chemicals should be reported back. The goal of the Mi PROTECT platform was to create a mobile-based application of DERBI (Digital Exposure Report-Back Interface) for our cohort that provides tailored, culturally appropriate information about individual contaminant exposures as well as education on chemical substances and approaches to exposure reduction. Methods Participants (N = 61) were presented with commonly used terms in environmental health research related to collected samples and biomarkers, followed by a guided training on accessing and exploring the Mi PROTECT platform. Participants evaluated the guided training and Mi PROTECT platform answering a Likert scale in separated surveys that included 13 and 8 questions, respectively. Results Participants provided overwhelmingly positive feedback on the clarity and fluency of presenters in the report-back training. Most participants reported that the mobile phone platform was both accessible and easy to navigate (83% and 80%, respectively) and that images included in the platform facilitated comprehension of the information. Overall, most participants (83%) reported that language, images, and examples in Mi PROTECT strongly represented them as Puerto Ricans. Conclusions Findings from the Mi PROTECT pilot test informed investigators, community partners and stakeholders by demonstrating a new way to promote stakeholder participation and foster the “research right-to-know.”