Research and Faculty

Environ Res Commun. 2025 Mar 1;7(3):031008. doi: 10.1088/2515-7620/adc0f1. Epub 2025 Mar 26.

ABSTRACT

Background. Exposure to PM_2.5 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 PM_2.5 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 PM_2.5 were 8.0 ± 5.9, 8.2 ± 5.3, and 8.1 ± 4.4 μg m^-3. In base models, increased PM_2.5 exposure was associated with lower levels of progesterone, CRH, and estriol. In adjusted models, 10 μg m^-3 increase in PM_2.5 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 PM_2.5 exposures were significantly associated with decrements in CRH, but not in other pregnancy-associated hormones. CRH may be an important pathway through which prenatal PM_2.5 impacts normal pregnancy.

PMID:40151202 | PMC:PMC11937643 | DOI:10.1088/2515-7620/adc0f1

J Hazard Mater. 2025 Mar 18;491:137960. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.137960. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The presence of micropollutants in Puerto Rico’s tap water, potentially linked to nearby Superfund sites, was hypothesized to contribute to the region’s higher preterm birth rate than the US mainland. This study analyzed the presence of 175 micropollutants in tap water samples collected from participant households and evaluated their association with human exposure using 14 oxidative stress and inflammation biomarkers in urine samples collected from pregnant participants, and further with the subsequent birth outcome information. Notably, three out of four oxidative stress biomarkers consistently showed negative correlations with five micropollutant categories, highlighting the oxidative stress induced by these contaminants. For the ten selected inflammation-related biomarkers, two showed positive yet not significant correlations with the five categories of micropollutants and, only one biomarker (MMP1), an inflammation biomarker whose down-regulation was associated with pre-mature birth implications, showed significant negative correlation with industrial chemicals and pesticides. Interestingly, the detected urinary phthalate metabolites in pregnant women could not be linked with the two parent phthalates found in the tap water, suggesting that the two phthalates in tap water may not be the primary source of phthalate exposure to human body. Furthermore, hormones in tap water showed significant moderate-to-strong negative correlations with birth outcomes, raising specific health concerns for pregnant women in northern Puerto Rico. This is the first study to investigate the association among a wider spectrum of tap water micropollutants with pregnancy exposure and birth outcome in Puerto Rico and provide insights into water quality and associated human health impacts.

PMID:40147127 | DOI:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.137960

Environ Int. 2025 Mar 20;198:109392. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2025.109392. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Phthalate exposure during pregnancy has been associated with preterm birth, but mechanisms of action may depend on the timing of exposure.

OBJECTIVE: Investigate critical periods of susceptibility during pregnancy for associations between urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations and preterm birth.

METHODS: Individual-level data were pooled from 16 US cohorts (N = 6045, n = 539 preterm births). We examined trimester-averaged urinary phthalate metabolite concentrations. Most phthalate metabolites had 2248, 3703, and 3172 observations in the first, second, and third trimesters, respectively. Our primary analysis used logistic regression models with generalized estimating equations (GEE) under a multiple informant approach to estimate trimester-specific odds ratios (ORs) of preterm birth and significant (p < 0.20) heterogeneity in effect estimates by trimester. Adjusted models included interactions between each covariate and trimester.

RESULTS: Differences in trimester-specific associations between phthalate metabolites and preterm birth were most evident for di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) metabolites. For example, an interquartile range increase in mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) during the first and second trimesters was associated with ORs of 1.15 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.99, 1.33) and 1.11 (95 % CI: 0.97, 1.28) for preterm birth, respectively, but this association was null in the third trimester (OR = 0.91 [95 % CI: 0.76, 1.09]) (p-heterogeneity = 0.03).

CONCLUSION: The association of preterm birth with gestational biomarkers of DEHP exposure, but not other phthalate metabolites, differed by the timing of exposure. First and second trimester exposures demonstrated the greatest associations. Our study also highlights methodological considerations for critical periods of susceptibility analyses in pooled studies.

PMID:40132438 | DOI:10.1016/j.envint.2025.109392

Appl Ergon. 2025 Mar 20;126:104506. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104506. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Healthcare professionals (HCPs) are often required to complete their work under suboptimal ergonomic conditions in critical situations, inducing fatigue and musculoskeletal injury risk. These risks may vary depending on equipment and technique choices, which could require differing postures. Neonatal positive pressure ventilation (PPV) is administered to newborns who require resuscitation by holding a face mask over the nose and mouth and forcing air into the lungs with a device, such as a T-piece or a self-inflating bag (SIB). This study assessed if varying PPV device type and mask hold strategies impacted fatigue and musculoskeletal injury risk. Results show that using a SIB caused more frequent forearm extensor muscle fatigue (47.61% of trials) compared to the T-piece (14.29% of trials) and increased shoulder musculoskeletal injury risk (mean shoulder elevation angles: 45.58°(SIB) vs. 27.29°(T-piece)). When these devices are clinically comparable, the T-piece should be implemented for improved ergonomic outcomes.

PMID:40117783 | DOI:10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104506

Sci Total Environ. 2025 Mar 19;973:179130. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179130. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals linked with adverse pregnancy outcomes, yet they remain understudied in Puerto Rico. Moreover, underlying biological mechanisms of PFAS are not fully understood, although oxidative stress and inflammation are suspected pathways.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to characterize PFAS exposure among pregnant women in Puerto Rico and examine associations between early to mid-pregnancy PFAS concentrations and repeated measures of oxidative stress biomarkers.

METHODS: This study included 434 participants enrolled in the PROTECT birth cohort. We analyzed serum samples (∼18 weeks of gestation) for nine PFAS, while urinary oxidative stress biomarkers [8-isoprostaglandin F2α (8-IsoP), its metabolite (IsoP-M), and prostaglandin F₂α (PGF2α)] were measured up to three times during pregnancy. We examined associations between each PFAS and oxidative stress biomarker using linear mixed effects regression models and multivariable regression analyses, adjusting for maternal demographic, socioeconomic, and study-related factors.

RESULTS: PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, and PFOA were detected in over 50 % of participants, with PFOS being the most dominant. The majority of participants had total PFAS levels above 2 ng/mL. In repeated measures analyses, an interquartile range increase in PFHxS was associated with a 5.35 % (95 % CI: 0.12, 10.86) rise in IsoP-M levels. In categorical analyses, moderate levels of PFOS and PFNA were positively associated with PGF2α, while higher PFDeA was suggestively linked to 8-IsoP and IsoP-M.

CONCLUSIONS: Despite relatively modest levels compared to the U.S. NHANES, certain PFAS were positively linked with oxidative stress or inflammation, highlighting the need for broader investigations to examine PFAS-related alteration of inflammatory processes during pregnancy.

PMID:40112543 | DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179130

Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2024 Jul;2024:1-4. doi: 10.1109/EMBC53108.2024.10782282.

ABSTRACT

Visual observations provide an important foundation for physical therapist (PT) decision making in balance rehabilitation. This study used eye tracking to identify areas of the body focused on by PTs while evaluating standing balance across different exercise difficulties. Eye tracking data were obtained from five PTs who observed and rated older adults performing standing balance exercises, using a five-point scale. Excluding ratings of five, PTs had an average of approximately 215% more mean visits and an average of approximately 195% longer mean average visit durations to the lower extremities (LE) compared to the other regions of the body. However, visits to the LE shortened with increasing balance challenge, with approximately 75% shorter mean average visit durations to the LE for exercises rated as five compared to exercises rated as one. The number of visits to the head increased with balance challenge, with approximately 230% more mean number of visits to the head for ratings of five compared to ratings of one. Shortened visit durations and an increased number of visits to the upper body suggest an increase in whole body scan patterns with increasing challenge level.

PMID:40040011 | DOI:10.1109/EMBC53108.2024.10782282

Environ Res. 2025 May 1;272:121131. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2025.121131. Epub 2025 Feb 17.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:39971110 | DOI:10.1016/j.envres.2025.121131

Am J Community Psychol. 2025 Feb 13. doi: 10.1002/ajcp.12792. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Agricultural work presents significant physical and social challenges globally and in the United States, with women farmworkers facing unique risks that remain underexplored. This study examines the social and occupational hazards confronted by women farmworkers in Michigan using data from the Michigan Farmworker Project. In-depth interviews with farmworkers were thematically analyzed. Results highlight five main dimensions of working and living conditions: gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, reproductive health concerns, pregnancy challenges, and work-life balance issues. Women and men participants (n = 35; average age of 42 years; 57% women) reported hazardous and exploitative conditions including sexual harassment, chemical exposures, and challenges with proper hygiene and sanitation-especially during menstruation-including lack of bathroom access and other problems leading to urinary tract infections. Participants discussed pregnancy-specific concerns and concerns regarding work-life balance and childcare (i.e., insufficient time for family, challenges with coordination of childcare). Findings underscore the need for policies to address these disparities, especially for single women farmworkers. Interventions and policies informed by this study can improve the well-being of women workers and their families in agricultural settings.

PMID:39949185 | DOI:10.1002/ajcp.12792

Am J Community Psychol. 2025 Feb 13. doi: 10.1002/ajcp.12792. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Agricultural work presents significant physical and social challenges globally and in the United States, with women farmworkers facing unique risks that remain underexplored. This study examines the social and occupational hazards confronted by women farmworkers in Michigan using data from the Michigan Farmworker Project. In-depth interviews with farmworkers were thematically analyzed. Results highlight five main dimensions of working and living conditions: gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, reproductive health concerns, pregnancy challenges, and work-life balance issues. Women and men participants (n = 35; average age of 42 years; 57% women) reported hazardous and exploitative conditions including sexual harassment, chemical exposures, and challenges with proper hygiene and sanitation-especially during menstruation-including lack of bathroom access and other problems leading to urinary tract infections. Participants discussed pregnancy-specific concerns and concerns regarding work-life balance and childcare (i.e., insufficient time for family, challenges with coordination of childcare). Findings underscore the need for policies to address these disparities, especially for single women farmworkers. Interventions and policies informed by this study can improve the well-being of women workers and their families in agricultural settings.

PMID:39949185 | DOI:10.1002/ajcp.12792

Environ Sci Technol. 2025 Feb 18;59(6):2987-2999. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.4c10390. Epub 2025 Feb 6.

ABSTRACT

Consumer product chemicals pose an environmental risk to public health. Exposure during pregnancy to consumer product chemicals, particularly phthalates and phenols, may increase the susceptibility to pregnancy disorders by dysregulating inflammation and oxidative stress. However, existing studies rely on downstream and nonmodifiable markers of these processes. Oxylipins are oxidized lipids that act as key upstream drivers of inflammation and oxidative stress. Importantly, oxylipins are responsive to therapeutic interventions and thus potentially modifiable. Using recent advances in lipidomics and statistical approaches to address both individual chemical biomarkers and their mixtures, we determined associations between early pregnancy biomarkers of consumer product chemical exposure and oxylipins in a large prospective cohort. Overall, our results revealed associations among oxylipins produced across several biosynthetic pathways, suggesting a pattern indicative of dysregulated inflammation and elevated levels of oxidative stress. Phthalate metabolites were the primary drivers of associations, particularly for metabolites of low molecular weight phthalates, often used in personal care products. However, we found similar associations for a biomarker of a phthalate replacement that is increasingly used in consumer products. Our study provides observational evidence of specific physiological pathways that may be dysregulated by exposure to consumer product chemicals, including legacy phthalates and phthalate replacements.

PMID:39913660 | DOI:10.1021/acs.est.4c10390