Superfund Research Program
Biomarker Epidemiology of Exposure to Mixtures, Oxidative Stress, and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Puerto Rico
Project Leader: John D. Meeker (University of Michigan)
Co-Investigators: Bhramar Mukherjee (University of Michigan), Deborah J. Watkins (University of Michigan)
Grant Number: P42ES017198
Funding Period: 2010-2025
- Project-Specific Links
News Items List
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Linking Environmental Chemicals and Preterm Birth in Puerto Rico
SRP News Page - April 2020
Two new studies from Northeastern University's SRP Center, Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT), found links between poor birth outcomes and exposure to environmental chemicals, including metals and flame retardants. Led by John Meeker, Sc.D., and funded by NIEHS, both studies leverage the Center's PROTECT birth cohort to explore the environmental factors that contribute to preterm birth in Puerto Rico, which has one of the highest preterm birth rates in the world.
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Collaboration Between NIEHS and SRP Center Finds Phthalates May Contribute to Preterm Births
SRP News Page - November 2019
Puerto Rico does not just have one of the highest preterm birth rates in the United States, it has one of the highest preterm birth rates in the world. Researchers from Northeastern University's Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats (PROTECT) Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center, a multi-institution collaboration, may be a step closer to understanding why.
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Linking Phthalate Exposure and Oxidative Stress in Pregnancy
Research Brief - December 2014
In a recent study from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP), scientists reported that in pregnant women, exposure to phthalates, found in plastics and personal care products, was associated with increased levels of oxidative stress, which damages the body’s proteins, lipids, and DNA.
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Preterm birth linked with maternal phthalate exposure during pregnancy
Environmental Factor - January 2014
Researchers led by NIEHS Superfund Research Program grantee John Meeker, Sc.D., from the University of Michigan (UM), report that women with the highest levels of phthalate exposure during pregnancy had up to five times the odds of preterm birth, compared to women with the lowest exposure.