Scholars@Duke
Kate Hoffman

Kate Hoffman

Elizabeth Brooks Reid and Whitelaw Reid Associate Research Professor of Environmental Natural Sciences
Environmental Natural Science
kate.hoffman@duke.edu
450 Research Drive, LSRC A333, Durham, NC 27708
Duke Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708

Scholarly Works - Journal articles

Polyurethane Foam Wristbands as Personal Passive Samplers of Ambient Particulate Exposures to Lead and Other Metals.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · June 2026 Wearable wristband passive samplers are a tool for evaluating personal exposures to chemical mixtures such as semivolatile organic compounds. However, these samplers are ineffective for particulate-bound chemicals such as metals because they do not accumul ... Full text Cite

Volatile per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other semi-volatile organic chemicals in indoor air of fire stations: the influence of gear storage conditions.

Journal article Environmental science. Processes & impacts · May 2026 Previous studies have examined firefighters' exposure to chemicals associated with fire calls and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS); however, little attention has been given to exposures in the fire station itself. This study measured volatile PFA ... Full text Cite

Assessing Nondietary Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Firefighters Using Silicone Wristbands.

Journal article Environment & health (Washington, D.C.) · April 2026 Firefighters are uniquely exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) from use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) and potentially from PFASs-treated turnout gear. This study assessed firefighter's ambient (nondietary) exposure to PFASs using si ... Full text Cite

Current Issues Related to Combustion Byproducts & Human Health: A Summary of the 18th International PIC Congress.

Journal article Environment & health (Washington, D.C.) · March 2026 The 18th International Congress on Combustion Byproducts and Human Health Effects (PIC2024) was held in Durham, North Carolina on May 20th-22nd, 2024. The overall goal of this conference, typically organized biannually, is to bring together scholars and re ... Full text Cite

Young infants' exposure to parabens: lotion use as a potential source of exposure.

Journal article Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology · November 2025 BackgroundParabens are widely used as antimicrobials in personal care products and pharmaceuticals. While previous studies demonstrate paraben exposure is ubiquitous, data investigating infants' exposure is limited.ObjectiveWe sought to c ... Full text Cite

Silicone Ankle Bands as a Tool to Assess Infant Exposures to Semivolatile Organic Chemicals in Indoor Environments.

Journal article Environ Sci Technol Lett · October 14, 2025 Exposure to organophosphate esters (OPEs), used as flame retardants and plasticizers, is highly variable in the general population, and limited data exist on exposures in young children. This study evaluated the use of silicone ankle bands to assess OPE ex ... Full text Link to item Cite

The utility of silicone wristbands in characterizing exposure to parabens found in commercial lotions.

Journal article The Science of the total environment · May 2025 Silicone wristbands are increasingly used as a wearable exposure tool to assess inhalation and dermal exposure to semi-volatile organic chemicals present in indoor environments. However, little research has investigated their utility in detecting exposures ... Full text Cite

Distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in placental tissues of maternal and fetal origin in exposed Wistar rats and associations with thyroid hormone levels.

Journal article Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology · March 2025 In utero exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) is linked to adverse pregnancy and fetal health outcomes, including altered thyroid hormone (TH) levels. Despite their phase-out, PBDEs are still commonly detected in newborn cord blood. While PBD ... Full text Cite

Environmental Exposures and Canine Bladder Cancer: A Case Control Study Using Silicone Passive Samplers.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · January 2025 Pet dogs offer valuable models for studying environmental impacts on human health due to shared environments and a shorter latency period for cancer development. We assessed environmental chemical exposures in a case-control study involving dogs at high ri ... Full text Cite

Particulate matter as a possible risk factor for eosinophilic esophagitis

Journal article Frontiers in Allergy · January 1, 2025 Background: Air pollution, including particulate matter smaller than 10 (PM10) and 2.5 (PM2.5) µm, increases the risk for heart and lung diseases, including asthma, but has not been extensively studied as a possible etiology in eosino ... Full text Cite

Children's exposure to chemical contaminants: Demographic disparities and associations with the developing basal ganglia.

Journal article Environmental research · December 2024 Children are regularly exposed to chemical contaminants that may influence brain development. However, relatively little is known about how these contaminants impact the developing human brain. Here, we combined silicone wristband exposure assessments with ... Full text Cite

The Climate Change Burden on Immune Health: Are Persons Living with HIV More at Risk?

Journal article AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses · October 2024 Climate change poses one of the most significant modern threats to overall human health,especially for vulnerable populations including persons living with HIV (PLWH). In this perspective, we specifically explore the concept of immune resilience in human h ... Full text Link to item Cite

Wristband Personal Passive Samplers and Suspect Screening Methods Highlight Gender Disparities in Chemical Exposures.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · September 2024 Wristband personal samplers enable human exposure assessments for a diverse range of chemical contaminants and exposure settings with a previously unattainable scale and cost-effectiveness. Paired with nontargeted analyses, wristbands can provide important ... Full text Cite

Silicone Wristbands as a Personal Passive Sampler to Evaluate Indoor Exposure to Volatile and Non-volatile PFASs.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · September 2024 Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) primarily occurs via consumption of contaminated drinking water and food; however, individuals can also be exposed dermally and via inhalation indoors. This study developed an analytical method for me ... Full text Cite

Monitoring human exposure to four parabens and triclosan: comparing silicone wristbands with spot urine samples as predictors of internal dose.

Journal article Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology · July 2024 BackgroundPeople are exposed to a variety of chemicals each day as a result of their personal care product (PCP) use.ObjectiveThis study was designed to determine if silicone wristbands provide a quantitative estimate of internal dose for ... Full text Cite

Children's exposure to brominated flame retardants in the home: The TESIE study.

Journal article Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987) · July 2024 Due to differences in chemical properties and half-lives, best practices for exposure assessment may differ for legacy versus novel brominated flame retardants (BFRs). Our objective was to identify the environment matrix that best predicted biomarkers of c ... Full text Cite

Chemical uptake into silicone wristbands over a five day period.

Journal article Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987) · May 2024 Silicone wristbands are a noninvasive personal exposure assessment tool. However, despite their utility, questions remain about the rate at which chemicals accumulate on wristbands when worn, as validation studies utilizing wristbands worn by human partici ... Full text Cite

Flame Retardant Exposure in Vehicles Is Influenced by Use in Seat Foam and Temperature.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · May 2024 Flame retardants (FRs) are added to vehicles to meet flammability standards, such as US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard FMVSS 302. However, an understanding of which FRs are being used, sources in the vehicle, and implications for human exposure is l ... Full text Cite

Cumulative environmental quality is associated with breast cancer incidence differentially by summary stage and urbanicity.

Journal article Sci Rep · November 20, 2023 Individual environmental contaminants have been associated with breast cancer; however, evaluations of multiple exposures simultaneously are limited. Herein, we evaluated associations between breast cancer summary stages and the Environmental Quality Index ... Full text Link to item Cite

Characterizing azobenzene disperse dyes and related compounds in house dust and their correlations with other organic contaminant classes.

Journal article Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987) · November 2023 Azobenzene disperse dyes are the fastest-growing category of commercial dyestuffs and are implicated in the literature as potentially allergenic. In the indoor environment, these dyes may be shed from various textiles, including clothing and upholstery and ... Full text Cite

PFAS levels in paired drinking water and serum samples collected from an exposed community in Central North Carolina.

Journal article The Science of the total environment · October 2023 The community of Pittsboro, North Carolina has been documented to have extensive per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in its drinking water source, the Haw River, over the last 20 years. However, a detailed exposure assessment has never ... Full text Cite

Measuring semi-volatile organic compound exposures during pregnancy using silicone wristbands.

Journal article Chemosphere · October 2023 Silicone wristbands were utilized as personal passive samplers in a sub-cohort of 92 women, who participated in New York University Children's Health and Environment Study, to assess exposure to semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). Wristbands were anal ... Full text Cite

Glyphosate and fluoride in high-hardness drinking water are positively associated with chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka.

Journal article Environmental science & technology letters · October 2023 Chronic Kidney Disease of uncertain Etiology (CKDu) has emerged as a serious public health concern in farming communities globally, especially in Sri Lanka with 5-20% of the adult population affected by the disease in CKDu-endemic regions. It is hypothesiz ... Full text Cite

Characterizing the Contribution of Indoor Residential Phthalate and Phthalate Alternative Dust Concentrations to Internal Dose in the US General Population: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Journal article International journal of environmental research and public health · August 2023 Diet is the primary exposure pathway for phthalates, but relative contributions of other exposure sources are not well characterized. This study quantifies the relative contribution of indoor residential dust phthalate and phthalate alternative concentrati ... Full text Cite

Escherichia coli ST131 Associated with Increased Mortality in Bloodstream Infections from Urinary Tract Source.

Journal article J Clin Microbiol · July 20, 2023 Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131) is a globally dominant multidrug-resistant clone, although its clinical impact on patients with bloodstream infection (BSI) is incompletely understood. This study aims to further define the risk factors, clinical ... Full text Link to item Cite

Adipogenic and endocrine disrupting mixture effects of organic and inorganic pollutant mixtures.

Journal article The Science of the total environment · June 2023 Chronic health conditions are rapidly increasing in prevalence and cost to society worldwide: in the US, >42 % of adults aged 20 and older are currently classified as obese. Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) has been implicated as a causal ... Full text Cite

Brominated flame retardants and legacy organochlorines in archived human placenta samples: Sex differences, temporal analysis and associations with infant birth weight.

Journal article Chemosphere · May 2023 Perinatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) has been suggested to play a role in the etiology of adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study evaluated temporal changes in the accumulation of several classes of POPs, including polybrominated diphe ... Full text Cite

Infants' diminished response to DTaP vaccine is associated with exposure to organophosphate esters.

Journal article Sci Total Environ · September 1, 2022 Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are commonly applied as flame retardants and plasticizers. Toxicological studies suggest exposure effects on immune endpoints, raising concerns as infants' OPE exposures are elevated compared to older children and adults due t ... Full text Link to item Cite

Characterizing firefighter's exposure to over 130 SVOCs using silicone wristbands: A pilot study comparing on-duty and off-duty exposures.

Journal article The Science of the total environment · August 2022 Firefighters are occupationally exposed to an array of hazardous chemicals, and these exposures have been linked to the higher rates of some cancer in firefighters. However, additional research that characterizes firefighters' exposure is needed to fully e ... Full text Cite

Concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in human placental tissues and associations with birth outcomes.

Journal article Chemosphere · May 2022 Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants commonly detected in human serum. Previous studies have observed associations between maternal serum PFAS and adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes such as lower birth weig ... Full text Cite

On the Utility of ToxCast-Based Predictive Models to Evaluate Potential Metabolic Disruption by Environmental Chemicals.

Journal article Environmental health perspectives · May 2022 BackgroundResearch suggests environmental contaminants can impact metabolic health; however, high costs prohibit in vivo screening of putative metabolic disruptors. High-throughput screening programs, such as ToxCast, hold promise to reduce ... Full text Cite

Maternal tobacco smoke exposure is associated with increased DNA methylation at human metastable epialleles in infant cord blood.

Journal article Environ Epigenet · 2022 Metastable epialleles (MEs) are genomic regions that are stochastically methylated prior to germ layer specification and exhibit high interindividual but low intra-individual variability across tissues. ME methylation is vulnerable to environmental stresso ... Full text Link to item Cite

Increased risk of eosinophilic esophagitis with poor environmental quality as measured by the Environmental Quality Index.

Journal article Diseases of the esophagus : official journal of the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus · December 2021 Geographic differences in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) prevalence suggest the possibility that environmental exposures contribute to EoE pathogenesis. We aimed to examine the association between environmental quality and risk of EoE, using the Environmen ... Full text Cite

Reproducibility of adipogenic responses to metabolism disrupting chemicals in the 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte model system: An interlaboratory study.

Journal article Toxicology · September 2021 The 3T3-L1 murine pre-adipocyte line is an established cell culture model for screening Metabolism Disrupting Chemicals (MDCs). Despite a need to accurately identify MDCs for further evaluation, relatively little research has been performed to comprehensiv ... Full text Cite

Monitoring Human Exposure to Organophosphate Esters: Comparing Silicone Wristbands with Spot Urine Samples as Predictors of Internal Dose.

Journal article Environmental science & technology letters · September 2021 Silicone wristbands present a noninvasive exposure assessment tool and an alternative to traditional biomonitoring; however, questions about their utility remain as validation studies are limited. We sought to determine if wristbands provide quantitative e ... Full text Cite

Pregnancy exposure to organophosphate esters and the risk of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in the Norwegian mother, father and child cohort study.

Journal article Environment international · September 2021 BackgroundOrganophosphate esters (OPEs) are a class of flame retardants in common use. OPEs can easily leach from materials, resulting in human exposure. Increasing concentrations have been reported in human populations over the past decade. Recen ... Full text Cite

Pregnancy exposure to common-detect organophosphate esters and phthalates and maternal thyroid function.

Journal article The Science of the total environment · August 2021 BackgroundContemporary human populations are exposed to elevated concentrations of organophosphate esters (OPEs) and phthalates. Some metabolites have been linked with altered thyroid function, however, inconsistencies exist across thyroid functio ... Full text Cite

Characterization of adipogenic, PPARγ, and TRβ activities in house dust extracts and their associations with organic contaminants.

Journal article The Science of the total environment · March 2021 In this study, we sought to expand our previous research on associations between bioactivities in dust and associated organic contaminants. Dust samples were collected from central NC homes (n = 188), solvent extracted, and split into two fractions, one fo ... Full text Cite

Young children's exposure to phenols in the home: Associations between house dust, hand wipes, silicone wristbands, and urinary biomarkers.

Journal article Environment international · February 2021 BackgroundEnvironmental phenols, such as parabens, bisphenol A, and triclosan, are ubiquitous in indoor environments because of their use in packaging, plastics, personal care products, and as anti-microbials. The primary pathways of exposure, as ... Full text Cite

Reconsidering an Appropriate Urinary Biomarker for Flame Retardant Tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) Phosphate (TCIPP) Exposure in Children

Journal article Environmental Science and Technology Letters · January 12, 2021 Tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCIPP) is frequently applied to consumer products as a flame retardant and is commonly detected in indoor environments. Urinary bis(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BCIPP) is typically measured as TCIPP's primary biomarker b ... Full text Cite

Exposures to Semivolatile Organic Compounds in Indoor Environments and Associations with the Gut Microbiomes of Children

Journal article Environmental Science and Technology Letters · January 12, 2021 Semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are widely detected in many indoor environments due to their frequent use in building materials, textiles, furniture, electronics, and other consumer products. Biomarkers of SVOC exposures have been consistently measu ... Full text Cite

Endocrine disrupting activities and geochemistry of water resources associated with unconventional oil and gas activity.

Journal article The Science of the total environment · December 2020 The rise of hydraulic fracturing and unconventional oil and gas (UOG) exploration in the United States has increased public concerns for water contamination induced from hydraulic fracturing fluids and associated wastewater spills. Herein, we collected sur ... Full text Cite

Thyroid Receptor Antagonism of Chemicals Extracted from Personal Silicone Wristbands within a Papillary Thyroid Cancer Pilot Study.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · December 2020 Research suggests that thyroid cancer incidence rates are increasing, and environmental exposures have been postulated to be playing a role. To explore this possibility, we conducted a pilot study to investigate the thyroid disrupting bioactivity of chemic ... Full text Cite

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Dust Collected from Residential Homes and Fire Stations in North America.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · November 2020 Over the past few years, human exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has garnered increased attention. Research has focused on PFAS exposure via drinking water and diet, and fewer studies have focused on exposure in the indoor environment. ... Full text Cite

Environmental Quality and Invasive Breast Cancer.

Journal article Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev · October 2020 Background: Breast cancer is a complex and multifactorial disease, and environmental factors have been suggested to increase its risk. However, prior research has largely focused on studying exposures to one factor/contaminant at a time, which does not ref ... Full text Link to item Cite

Young infants' exposure to organophosphate esters: Breast milk as a potential source of exposure.

Journal article Environ Int · October 2020 Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are applied as both flame retardants and plasticizers to a variety of consumer items such as home furnishings, construction materials, and children's products. While some assessments have characterized exposure among toddlers ... Full text Link to item Cite

Comparing the Use of Silicone Wristbands, Hand Wipes, And Dust to Evaluate Children's Exposure to Flame Retardants and Plasticizers.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · April 2020 Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are applied as additive flame retardants, and along with phthalates, are also used as plasticizers in consumer products. As such, human exposure is common and chronic. Deployed as personal passive samplers, silicone wristbands ... Full text Cite

Assessing the effectiveness of point-of-use residential drinking water filters for perfluoroalkyl substances (pfass)

Journal article Environmental Science and Technology Letters · March 10, 2020 Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have come under increased scrutiny due to concerns about their potential toxicity and prevalence in the environment, particularly drinking water. PFASs are difficult to remove in full-scale water treatment system ... Full text Cite

Strobilurin fungicides in house dust: is wallboard a source?

Journal article Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology · March 2020 Strobilurin fungicides are used primarily in fruits and vegetables, but recently, a patent was issued for one strobilurin fungicide, azoxystrobin, in mold-resistant wallboard. This raises concerns about the potential presence of these chemicals in house du ... Full text Cite

Early Life Exposure to Air Pollution and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Findings from a Multisite Case-Control Study.

Journal article Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.) · January 2020 BackgroundEpidemiologic studies have reported associations between prenatal and early postnatal air pollution exposure and autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, findings differ by pollutant and developmental window.ObjectivesWe examine ... Full text Cite

Organophosphate Esters: Are These Flame Retardants and Plasticizers Affecting Children's Health?

Journal article Current environmental health reports · December 2019 Purpose of reviewOrganophosphate esters (OPEs) are applied to a variety of consumer products, primarily as flame retardants and plasticizers. OPEs can leach out of products over time and are consequently prevalent in the environment and frequently ... Full text Cite

Children's exposure to phthalates and non-phthalate plasticizers in the home: The TESIE study.

Journal article Environment international · November 2019 BackgroundPhthalates and their potential replacements, including non-phthalate plasticizers, are ubiquitous in home environments due to their presence in building materials, plastics, and personal care products. As a result, exposure to these comp ... Full text Cite

Prenatal exposure to organophosphate esters and behavioral development in young children in the Pregnancy, Infection, and Nutrition Study.

Journal article Neurotoxicology · July 2019 Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are commonly used as plasticizers and flame retardants in consumer products, and exposure is relatively ubiquitous in most populations studied. This may be of concern as some OPEs may be neurotoxic, endocrine-disrupting, and i ... Full text Cite

Thyroid receptor antagonism as a contributory mechanism for adipogenesis induced by environmental mixtures in 3T3-L1 cells.

Journal article The Science of the total environment · May 2019 We previously demonstrated that indoor house dust extracts could induce adipogenesis in pre-adipocytes, suggesting a potential role for indoor contaminant mixtures in metabolic health. Herein, we investigated the potential role of thyroid receptor beta (TR ... Full text Cite

Prenatal exposure to organophosphate esters and cognitive development in young children in the Pregnancy, Infection, and Nutrition Study.

Journal article Environmental research · February 2019 Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are a class of chemicals commonly used as flame retardants and plasticizers. OPEs are applied to a wide variety of consumer products and have a propensity to leach from these products. Consequently, OPEs are ubiquitous contami ... Full text Cite

Geographic and Racial Disparities in Infant Hearing Loss.

Journal article Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg · December 2018 OBJECTIVE: Approximately 1 to 2 of every 1000 American newborns has hearing loss identified by newborn screening. This study was designed to determine if infant hearing loss is more common in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. STUDY DESIGN: In th ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Biomarkers of exposure to SVOCs in children and their demographic associations: The TESIE Study.

Journal article Environment international · October 2018 Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are used extensively in consumer and personal care products; electronics; furniture; and building materials and are detected in most indoor environments. As a result, human exposure to mixtures of SVOCs is wide-sprea ... Full text Cite

Chemical Mixtures Isolated from House Dust Disrupt Thyroid Receptor β Signaling.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · October 2018 House dust is a source of exposure to chemicals that can impact hormone regulation. This study was designed to evaluate the potential of house dust mixtures ( n = 137) to disrupt thyroid hormone nuclear receptor signaling in a cell-based reporter assay and ... Full text Cite

Evaluating the Use of Silicone Wristbands To Measure Personal Exposure to Brominated Flame Retardants.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · October 2018 Biomarkers remain the gold standard for assessing chemical exposure. However, silicone wristbands may provide some added benefits for characterizing personal exposures compared to single biomarker measurements, such as decreased costs, noninvasive sampling ... Full text Cite

Neighborhood Disadvantage is Associated with High Cytomegalovirus Seroprevalence in Pregnancy.

Journal article J Racial Ethn Health Disparities · August 2018 BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common infectious cause of fetal malformations and childhood hearing loss. CMV is more common among socially disadvantaged groups, and geographically clusters in poor communities. The Area Deprivation Index (AD ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Children's residential exposure to organophosphate ester flame retardants and plasticizers: Investigating exposure pathways in the TESIE study.

Journal article Environment international · July 2018 BackgroundFollowing the phase-out of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organophosphate esters (OPEs) have been increasingly used in consumer products and building materials for their flame retardant and plasticizing properties. As a result, ... Full text Cite

Prenatal exposure to organophosphates and associations with birthweight and gestational length.

Journal article Environment international · July 2018 Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are often used as flame retardants and plasticizers. Animal data suggest exposure to OPEs could impact children's growth and development, yet impacts on human birth outcomes are understudied. We evaluate impacts of OPE exposur ... Full text Cite

Geographic Patterns of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children of Participants in Nurses' Health Study II.

Journal article American journal of epidemiology · October 2017 Data indicate that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be increasing and that it varies geographically. We investigated associations between residential location and ASD in the children of Nurses' Health Study II (United States) participan ... Full text Cite

Serum perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) and associations with behavioral attributes.

Journal article Chemosphere · October 2017 The ubiquitous use of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in a variety of industrial and consumer products has resulted in chronic exposure in most industrialized nations, and led to measurable concentrations in blood and other tissues in humans ac ... Full text Cite

Associations between flame retardant applications in furniture foam, house dust levels, and residents' serum levels.

Journal article Environment international · October 2017 Polyurethane foam (PUF) in upholstered furniture frequently is treated with flame retardant chemicals (FRs) to reduce its flammability and adhere to rigorous flammability standards. For decades, a commercial mixture of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs ... Full text Cite

Exposure to flame retardant chemicals and occurrence and severity of papillary thyroid cancer: A case-control study.

Journal article Environ Int · October 2017 BACKGROUND: Thyroid cancer is the fastest increasing cancer in the U.S., and papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) accounts for >80% of incident cases. Increasing exposure to flame retardant chemicals (FRs) has raised concerns about their possible role in this 'e ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Geographic Disparities in Cytomegalovirus Infection During Pregnancy.

Journal article J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc · September 1, 2017 BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common infectious cause of fetal malformations and childhood hearing loss. CMV is more common among socially disadvantaged groups, and it clusters geographically in poor communities. We conducted a geospatial a ... Full text Link to item Cite

Characterization of Adipogenic Activity of House Dust Extracts and Semi-Volatile Indoor Contaminants in 3T3-L1 Cells.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · August 2017 Obesity and metabolic disorders are of great societal concern and generate significant human health care costs. Recently, attention has focused on the potential for environmental contaminants to act as metabolic disruptors. This study sought to evaluate th ... Full text Cite

Estimated tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate exposure levels for US infants suggest potential health risks.

Journal article Environmental science & technology letters · August 2017 Tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) has been widely used as a flame retardant and is commonly detected in environmental samples. Biomonitoring studies relying on urinary metabolite levels (i.e. bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCIPP)) demo ... Full text Cite

Temporal Trends in Exposure to Organophosphate Flame Retardants in the United States.

Journal article Environ Sci Technol Lett · March 14, 2017 During the past decade, use of organophosphate compounds as flame retardants and plasticizers has increased. Numerous studies investigating biomarkers (i.e., urinary metabolites) demonstrate ubiquitous human exposure and suggest that human exposure may be ... Full text Link to item Cite

Toddler's behavior and its impacts on exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers.

Journal article Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology · March 2017 Children have higher polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) body burdens than adults, which may be related to hand-to-mouth behavior. We investigate associations between children's behavior, including hand-to-mouth contacts, and markers of PBDE exposure. In ... Full text Cite

Do flame retardant chemicals increase the risk for thyroid dysregulation and cancer?

Journal article Current opinion in oncology · January 2017 Purpose of reviewFlame retardant chemicals are added to consumer products to reduce fire incidence and severity; approximately 1.5 million tons of these chemicals are used annually. However, their widespread use has led to their ubiquitous presenc ... Full text Cite

Predictors of urinary flame retardant concentration among pregnant women.

Journal article Environment international · January 2017 BackgroundOrganophosphate compounds are commonly used in residential furniture, electronics, and baby products as flame retardants and are also used in other consumer products as plasticizers. Although the levels of exposure biomarkers are general ... Full text Cite

Are People Living Near Modern Swine Production Facilities at Increased Risk of Influenza Virus Infection?

Journal article Clin Infect Dis · December 15, 2016 BACKGROUND:  Swine can harbor influenza viruses that are pathogenic to humans. Previous studies support an increased risk of human influenza cases among individuals with swine contact. North Carolina has the second-largest swine industry in the United Stat ... Full text Link to item Cite

Brominated flame retardants in placental tissues: associations with infant sex and thyroid hormone endpoints.

Journal article Environmental health : a global access science source · November 2016 BackgroundBrominated flame retardants (BFRs) are endocrine disruptors that bioaccumulate in the placenta, but it remains unclear if they disrupt tissue thyroid hormone (TH) metabolism. Our primary goal was to investigate associations between place ... Full text Cite

Lactational Exposure to Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers and Its Relation to Early Childhood Anthropometric Measurements.

Journal article Environmental health perspectives · October 2016 BackgroundPolybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are ubiquitous environmental contaminants that may influence growth and development.ObjectiveWe investigated the association between exposure to PBDEs via breast milk and anthropometric mea ... Full text Cite

Regional comparison of organophosphate flame retardant (PFR) urinary metabolites and tetrabromobenzoic acid (TBBA) in mother-toddler pairs from California and New Jersey.

Journal article Environment international · September 2016 The use of alternative chemical flame retardants in consumer products is increasing as the result of the phase-out of polybrominated diphenyl ethers. Today, the most commonly detected alternatives in residential furniture include the organophosphate flame ... Full text Cite

Characterizing Flame Retardant Applications and Potential Human Exposure in Backpacking Tents.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · May 2016 Flame retardant (FR) chemicals are applied to products to meet flammability standards; however, exposure to some additive FRs has been shown to be associated with adverse health effects. Previous research on FR exposure has primarily focused on chemicals a ... Full text Cite

Measuring Personal Exposure to Organophosphate Flame Retardants Using Silicone Wristbands and Hand Wipes.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · April 2016 Organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs) are widely used as replacements for polybrominated diphenyl ethers in consumer products. With high detection in indoor environments and increasing toxicological evidence suggesting a potential for adverse health effe ... Full text Cite

Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and 2,4,6-tribromophenol in human placental tissues.

Journal article Environment international · March 2016 Legacy environmental contaminants such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are widely detected in human tissues. However, few studies have measured PBDEs in placental tissues, and there are no reported measurements of 2,4,6-tribromophenol (2,4,6-TBP) ... Full text Cite

Nail polish as a source of exposure to triphenyl phosphate.

Journal article Environment international · January 2016 Triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) is primarily used as either a flame retardant or plasticizer, and is listed as an ingredient in nail polishes. However, the concentration of TPHP in nail polish and the extent of human exposure following applications have not bee ... Full text Cite

Fish Consumption Patterns and Mercury Advisory Knowledge Among Fishers in the Haw River Basin.

Journal article North Carolina medical journal · January 2016 BackgroundFish consumption has numerous health benefits, with fish providing a source of protein as well as omega-3 fatty acids. However, some fish also contain contaminants that can impair human health. In North Carolina, the Department of Health ... Full text Cite

High Exposure to Organophosphate Flame Retardants in Infants: Associations with Baby Products.

Journal article Environ Sci Technol · December 15, 2015 Infant products containing polyurethane foam are commonly treated with organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs), including tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl)phosphate (TDCIPP) and triphenyl phosphate (TPHP). Infants may have greater exposure due to greater contact ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Excess Burden of Cytomegalovirus in African American Communities: A Geospatial Analysis.

Journal article Open Forum Infect Dis · December 2015 Background.  Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common cause of birth defects and hearing loss in infants and opportunistic infections in the immunocompromised. Previous studies have found higher CMV seroprevalence rates among minorities and among persons with low ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Seasonal variation in detection of oesophageal eosinophilia and eosinophilic oesophagitis.

Journal article Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics · August 2015 BackgroundSeasonal variation has been reported in diagnosis of eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE), but results are not consistent across studies and there are no national-level data in the USA.AimTo determine if there is seasonal variation i ... Full text Cite

Associations between residence at birth and mental health disorders: a spatial analysis of retrospective cohort data.

Journal article BMC public health · July 2015 BackgroundMental health disorders impact approximately one in four US adults. While their causes are likely multifactorial, prior research has linked the risk of certain mental health disorders to prenatal and early childhood environmental exposur ... Full text Cite

Monitoring indoor exposure to organophosphate flame retardants: hand wipes and house dust.

Journal article Environmental health perspectives · February 2015 BackgroundOrganophosphate flame retardants (PFRs) are becoming popular replacements for the phased-out polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) mixtures, and they are now commonly detected in indoor environments. However, little is known about human e ... Full text Cite

Particulate matter exposure, prenatal and postnatal windows of susceptibility, and autism spectrum disorders.

Journal article Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.) · January 2015 BackgroundRecent studies suggest that exposure to traffic-related air pollutants, including particulate matter (PM), is associated with autism spectrum disorder (autism).MethodsChildren with autism were identified by records-based surveil ... Full text Cite

Flame retardant associations between children's handwipes and house dust.

Journal article Chemosphere · December 2014 Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE), flame retardants (FRs) have been ubiquitously detected at high concentrations in indoor environments; however, with their recent phase-out, more attention is being focused on measurements of exposure to alternative FRs ... Full text Cite

Urinary tetrabromobenzoic acid (TBBA) as a biomarker of exposure to the flame retardant mixture Firemaster® 550.

Journal article Environmental health perspectives · September 2014 BackgroundFiremaster® 550 (FM550) is commonly added to residential furniture to reduce its flammability. Recent toxicological evidence suggests that FM550 may be endocrine disrupting and obesogenic.ObjectivesOur objectives were to develop ... Full text Cite

Metabolites of organophosphate flame retardants and 2-ethylhexyl tetrabromobenzoate in urine from paired mothers and toddlers.

Journal article Environmental science & technology · September 2014 As a result of the polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) ban in the mid-2000s, the chemical flame retardant market has moved toward alterative compounds including chlorinated alkyl and nonchlorinated aryl organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) as well as ... Full text Cite

Esophageal eosinophilia is increased in rural areas with low population density: results from a national pathology database.

Journal article The American journal of gastroenterology · May 2014 ObjectivesEosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an increasingly prevalent chronic disease arising from an allergy/immune-mediated process. Generally, the risk of atopic disease differs in rural and urban environments. The relationship between populati ... Full text Cite

Brief report: diminishing geographic variability in autism spectrum disorders over time?

Journal article Journal of autism and developmental disorders · March 2014 We investigated differences in the geographic distribution of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) over time in central North Carolina with data from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. Using generalized additive models and geographic ... Full text Cite

Urinary metabolites of organophosphate flame retardants and their variability in pregnant women.

Journal article Environment international · February 2014 Organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) are commonly added to consumer products to reduce their flammability. Based on levels of OPFRs in indoor environments, human exposure is likely chronic and ubiquitous. Animal studies suggest that exposure to some OP ... Full text Cite

Polyfluoroalkyl chemicals and menopause among women 20-65 years of age (NHANES).

Journal article Environmental health perspectives · February 2014 BackgroundPolyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs) such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) have been associated with early menopause. However, previous cross-sectional studies have lacked adequate data to investigate possibl ... Full text Cite

Brominated flame retardants in breast milk and behavioural and cognitive development at 36 months.

Journal article Paediatric and perinatal epidemiology · January 2014 BackgroundPolybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are persistent flame retardants found in the environment, in household dust, and in humans. Breast feeding is a prominent route of exposure in infancy. PBDEs adversely affect neurodevelopment in ani ... Full text Cite

Perfluorooctanoic acid exposure and cancer outcomes in a contaminated community: a geographic analysis.

Journal article Environmental health perspectives · March 2013 BackgroundPerfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has been linked to cancer in occupational mortality studies and animal toxicologic research.ObjectiveWe investigated the relationship between PFOA exposure and cancer among residents living near the ... Full text Cite

Early-life prevention of non-communicable diseases.

Journal article Lancet (London, England) · January 2013 Full text Cite

Assessing the Spatial Distribution of Perfluorooctanoic Acid Exposure via Public Drinking Water Pipes Using Geographic Information Systems.

Journal article Environmental health and toxicology · January 2013 ObjectivesGeographic Information Systems (GIS) is a powerful tool for assessing exposure in epidemiologic studies. We used GIS to determine the geographic extent of contamination by perfluorooctanoic acid, C8 (PFOA) that was released into the envi ... Full text Cite

Lactational exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers and its relation to social and emotional development among toddlers.

Journal article Environmental health perspectives · October 2012 BackgroundPolybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been widely used as flame retardants and are ubiquitous environmental contaminants. PBDEs have been linked to adverse neurodevelopment in animals and humans.ObjectivesWe investigated t ... Full text Cite

The spatial distribution of known predictors of autism spectrum disorders impacts geographic variability in prevalence in central North Carolina.

Journal article Environmental health : a global access science source · October 2012 BackgroundThe causes of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) remain largely unknown and widely debated; however, evidence increasingly points to the importance of environmental exposures. A growing number of studies use geographic variability in ASD pr ... Full text Cite

Private drinking water wells as a source of exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in communities surrounding a fluoropolymer production facility.

Journal article Environmental health perspectives · January 2011 BackgroundThe C8 Health Project was established in 2005 to collect data on perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, or C8) and human health in Ohio and West Virginia communities contaminated by a fluoropolymer production facility.ObjectiveWe assesse ... Full text Cite

Exposure to polyfluoroalkyl chemicals and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in U.S. children 12-15 years of age.

Journal article Environmental health perspectives · December 2010 BackgroundPolyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs) have been widely used in consumer products. Exposures in the United States and in world populations are widespread. PFC exposures have been linked to various health impacts, and data in animals suggest th ... Full text Cite

Spatial analysis of learning and developmental disorders in upper Cape Cod, Massachusetts using generalized additive models.

Journal article International journal of health geographics · February 2010 The spatial variability of three indicators of learning and developmental disability (LDD) was assessed for Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Maternal reports of receiving special education services, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and educational attainm ... Full text Cite

Community- and individual-level socioeconomic status and breast cancer risk: multilevel modeling on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Journal article Environmental health perspectives · August 2008 BackgroundPrevious research demonstrated increased risk of breast cancer associated with higher socioeconomic status (SES) measured at both the individual and community levels. However, little attention has been paid to simultaneously examining bo ... Full text Cite

Cancer mortality in IBM Endicott plant workers, 1969-2001: an update on a NY production plant.

Journal article Environmental health : a global access science source · April 2008 BackgroundIn response to concerns expressed by workers at a public meeting, we analyzed the mortality experience of workers who were employed at the IBM plant in Endicott, New York and died between 1969-2001. An epidemiologic feasibility assessmen ... Full text Cite