CCCEH Study Participant Newsletter March 2024/Boletín para los Participantes de Estudios de CCCEH Marzo 2024

Dear Study Participant,

Let's take individual and collective action to reduce plastic and protect our children’s health.

Last April 2023, the Center's publication, (authored by Medley EA, Spratlen MJ, Yan B, Herbstman JB, Deyssenroth MA), A Systematic Review of the Placental Translocation of Micro- and Nanoplastics, reviewed what is known about micro plastics (small pieces < than 5 mm that can be seen by the naked eye) and nanoplastics (particles so small that they can NOT be seen with a standard microscope*) and the possibility of placental translocation, passing from the mother to the baby through the placenta.

In summary, nine out of eleven studies examined in this review found that plastic particles were capable of placental translocation. It was clear from this review that more research is needed to confirm and quantify the existence of micro and nanoplastics in human placentas. There is a need to understand the potential harm these exposures could mean at different periods of gestation, and associations with adverse birth and other developmental outcomes.

In January, 2024, Dr. Behizan Yan, Division of Geochemistry, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, (co-author of the study above), and his team published findings on a new microscopic technique which zeroes in on the poorly explored world of nano plastics, and how these can pass into blood, cells, and the brain. See Columbia press release below, Bottled Water Can Contain Hundreds of Thousands of Nanoplastics.

These new findings are important because they corroborate earlier findings on micro and nanoplastics. In addition, these findings may now serve to strengthen enforcement on plastic reduction policies such as California’s SB 54, a landmark plastic waste reduction law, and “NY Plastic Free Act” which has been passed by the Senate and awaits Governor Hochul’s signature.

This year's Earth Month Theme is Planet vs Plastics-calling us to action to build on the research and policy momentum. Sign-up for this April's Earth Month activities and help spread the word. Please share EHN’s, the Environmental Health Network, EHN video and Columbia University's Environmental Health and Justice publications. See flyers below.

Sign-up for Upcoming Earth Month Events

“Every moment is an organizing opportunity, every person a potential activist, every minute a chance to change the world.” -Dolores Huerta

Join us at the COMBO & CCCEH Play Date as we kick-off Earth Month on April 7th. CCCEH, EHJ Advocates and EHS students will host several activities. Come make your own green cleaning product & non-toxic play-dough, learn how we are all exposed to small plastic particles, access resources for lead testing, voter registration and more.

Voter Registration online

Columbia Environmental Research

(CCCEH, EHS, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory)

*Important to note - The study findings represent how toxins and air pollution may affect the population as a whole, they do not tell us about the risk or effect for any individual study participant.

Bottled Water Can Contain Hundreds of Thousands of Nanoplastics

A new microscopic technique zeroes in on the poorly explored world of nanoplastics, which can pass into blood, cells, and your brain

January 9, 2024

Over recent years, there has been rising concern that tiny particles known as microplastics are showing up basically everywhere on Earth, from polar ice to soil, drinking water and food. Formed when plastics break down into progressively smaller bits, these particles are being consumed by humans and other creatures, with unknown potential health and ecosystem effects. One focus of research: bottled water, which has been shown to contain tens of thousands of identifiable fragments in each container.

Now, using newly refined technology, researchers have entered a whole new plastic world: the poorly known realm of nanoplastics, which are the spawn of microplastics that have broken down even further. For the first time, they counted and identified these minute particles in bottled water. They found that on average, a liter contained some 240,000 detectable plastic fragments—10 to 100 times greater than previous estimates, which were based mainly on larger sizes.

The study by researchers at Columbia University Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, and Columbia Mailman School of Public Health was just published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences(link is external and opens in a new window)

Nanoplastics are so tiny that, unlike microplastics, they can pass through the intestines and lungs directly into the bloodstream and travel from there to organs including the heart and brain. They can invade individual cells, and cross through the placenta to the bodies of unborn babies. Medical scientists are racing to study the possible effects(link is external and opens in a new window) on a wide variety of biological systems.

“Previously this was just a dark area, uncharted. Toxicity studies were just guessing what’s in there,” said study coauthor Beizhan Yan, an environmental chemist at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. “This opens a window where we can look into a world that was not exposed to us before.”

Wristband Monitors Provide Detailed Account of Air Pollution Exposure

January 5, 2024

Sarah M. McLarnan, Lisa M. Bramer, Holly M. Dixon , Richard P. Scott , Lehyla Calero, Darrell Holmes, Elizabeth A. Gibson, Haleigh M. Cavalier, Diana Rohlman, Rachel L. Miller , Laurel Kincl, Katrina M. Waters, Kim A. Anderson and Julie B. Herbstman

Environmental epidemiologists at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team of researchers at Oregon State University, Pacific Northwest National Labs, and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, report on the findings of a new study of air pollution exposures collected using personal wristband monitors worn by pregnant individuals in New York City matched with data from a questionnaire. Factors predictive of exposures to air pollution include income, time spent outdoors, maternal age, country of birth, transportation type, and season.

The researchers examined an unprecedented number of 61 air pollution compounds known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and compared them to 75 questionnaire variables, making the study the most comprehensive analysis of its kind. PAHs are created by combustion and can be found in sources like automotive exhaust and tobacco smoke; exposure to these compounds has been linked to various adverse health effects, including those related to fetal growth and neurodevelopment. The study’s findings appear online in the Journal of Exposure Science And Environmental Epidemiology.

Julie Herbstman, PhD, director of the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health and senior author of the study, commented, “This study represents a significant advancement in our understanding of personal PAH exposure. By uncovering the variables that play a crucial role in exposure levels, we are better equipped to develop interventions aimed at reducing health risks.”

Trajectory analysis of rhinitis in a birth cohort from lower-income NYC neighborhoods, December 15, 2023

Flores NM, Lovinsky-Desir S, Divjan A, Hoepner LA, Zou J, Miller RL, Herbstman JB, Perera FP, Perzanowski MS, Chen Q, Trajectory analysis of rhinitis in a birth cohort from lower-income NYC neighborhoods, Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (2024), doi: https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2023.11.919.

Nasal symptoms including congestion, runny nose, itching and/or sneezing may be a sign of rhinitis. Rhinitis is a prevalent, chronic nasal condition associated with asthma.

To better understand and characterize the developmental course of rhinitis and how it may shed light as an early predictor of asthma, the study examined the course of rhinitis from infancy to adolescence. CCCEH’s longitudinal birth cohort participated in the study. Children who experienced "persistent and late onset", and /or "frequent" rhinitis are associated with increased risk of asthma diagnosis and symptoms during adolescence.

The findings inform us that children experiencing repeat or persistent rhinitis symptoms early in life may warrant more vigilant monitoring for asthma symptoms and asthma triggers. Developing interventions aimed at the prevention, early diagnosis, and/or treatment of rhinitis could potentially avoid subsequent asthma development. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Community Outreach & Translation Core

(COTC)

Partners in Action

EHJ Advocates gathered on January 23rd to kick off the 2024 New Year’s plan. The session began by acknowledging their contribution to science, followed by Fanny Mairena, Information Technology Support Analyst at New York Presbyterian Hospital and founder of LENY, Latinas En NY, and Dr. Ornelas Van Horne sharing career paths with the youth. The session closed with EHJ Advocates identifying EHJ and youth development projects. Stay tuned.

Thank you to Diurka (Didi) Diaz, "the lady in red," CCCEH Senior Officer of Research, for decorating the event, enthusiasm, and overall good energy and commitment to youth.

Click here to view webinar

On February 15th, Anabel Cole presented to a group of 25 parents with the Children's Aid Society's Salome Ureña Middle School in Northern Manhattan. The presentation covered asthma, its triggers, risk factors, prevention and management strategies, as well as disparities in prevalence.

Primarily, the workshop focused on identifying and reducing environmental causes of asthma, such as outdoor and indoor air triggers, including ambient air pollution from environmental tobacco smoke, diesel exhaust, and other sources of combustion. Specifically, we discussed the harmful effects of exposure to components present in fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's). We also talked about indoor air hazards from mold, dust mites, and roach and rodent exposures that lead to allergic sensitivity to these pests.

The harmful effects of chemicals used in cleaning and pest control were also discussed. As alternatives to these household products, parents learned about green cleaning and integrated pest management strategies. The parents asked many questions about ways to identify potential asthma triggers, how to advocate for healthier indoor and outdoor air, and how to create a healthier environment for their children.

Parents also had the opportunity to sign up to participate in a new study that would install temperature and humidity sensors in their homes to help monitor indoor air humidity and temperature. Findings may highlight important asthma management strategies to reduce excess humidity and extreme temperatures that lead to mold, dust-mite propagation, or airway irritation.

Learn more about the HEATE Study here: https://sparklabnyc.github.io/site/heate.html

Welcome to CCCEH

Laura Mejilla Pinilla

Laura is a very passionate and goal-oriented person who joined the ECHO2 team in January as a Technician B. She is enthusiastic to start her research career at the Center for Children’s Environmental Health. She is originally from Bogota, Colombia, where she studied Early Childhood Education and worked as a preschool and elementary school teacher for 6 years. Her experience as a teacher sparked her interest in the human mind and brain development. Recently graduated from Columbia University with a BA in Psychology, and currently pursuing a master’s degree in forensic psychology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Laura is looking to learn and grow along with ECHO2 and the team.

We are recruiting