Citation

Aschengrau A, Gallagher LG, Winter MR, Vieira VM, Janulewicz PA, Webster TF, Ozonoff DM. J. Occup. Environ. Med. 2016; 58(10): 1040-1045.

Affiliation

Department of Epidemiology (Aschengrau, Gallagher); Data Coordinating Center, Boston University School of Public Health, Crosstown, Boston, Massachusetts (Winter); Program in Public Health, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California (Vieira); and Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts (Janulewicz, Webster, Ozonoff).

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/JOM.0000000000000850

PMID

27513173

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Because of emerging evidence that early-life exposure to the solvent tetrachloroethylene (PCE) has long-lasting neurological consequences, we examined the risk of unintentional head injuries following prenatal and childhood exposure to PCE-contaminated drinking water.

METHODS: Participants provided information on head injuries and other relevant characteristics in a self-administered questionnaire. Exposure to PCE was modeled using a leaching and transport algorithm set in water system modeling software.

RESULTS: We did not observe any evidence of an increased risk of any type of head injury among exposed participants.

CONCLUSIONS: PCE is a widespread water pollutant. Thus, documenting possible health effects of early-life exposure is vital for ensuring that drinking water regulations adequately protect vulnerable populations.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0, where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0.

Language: en