Using GIS Tools to Analyze, Compute, and Predict Pollution, Session I -
Exposure Assessment in the Field and Links to Human Health - November 12, 2013,
1:00PM-3:00PM EST
Preterm birth, the leading cause of
neonatal mortality in the U.S., may be associated with exposure to legacy and
emergent contaminants in the environment. Puerto Rico has one of the highest
rates of preterm birth, as well as density of Superfund Sites in the United
States. As part of NIEHS's Superfund Research Program, the Puerto Rico
Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT) is exploring the
relationships between exposure to hazardous chemicals and preterm birth in
northern Puerto Rico. Particular attention is given to chlorinated volatile
organic compounds and phthalates, although biomarkers of phenols, metals, and
parabens exposure are also being explored as precursors of preterm birth.
Identification of associations between contaminants and preterm birth
requires collection and integration of complex multi-disciplinary datasets.
The first presentation will describe the data management system being
developed by PROTECT to integrate, manage, analyze, and relate environmental,
demographic, exposure biomarkers, and birth outcome data. The discussion
will center on the applicability of the system, built on a foundation of
Earthsoft's EQUIS?, to assess the extent of groundwater and tap water
contamination, identify other modes of exposure, define patterns in biomarkers
of exposure and birth outcomes from an ongoing birth cohort, perform relational
queries, and map spatial patterns that can be directly visualized with ArcGIS.
Toxic metals are widespread environmental contaminants that are known human
carcinogens and/or developmental toxicants. The levels of metals in private
well water are federally unregulated. The second presenter will describe two
studies that used GIS mapping in North Carolina to examine 1) the spatial
patterns of arsenic levels private wells, and 2) the association between private
well levels of arsenic, cadmium, manganese, and lead and birth defects
prevalence. The studies used a statewide database of private well
contaminants collected by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human
Services Division of Public Health as well as data from the North Carolina Birth
Defects Monitoring Program. For more information and to register, see http://clu-in.org/live .
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