Examining the association between safe drinking water act violations and adverse birth outcomes in Virginia

Young, Holly A; Kolivras, Korine N.; Krometis, Leigh‐Anne; Marcillo, Cristina E.; Gohlke, Julia M.

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2022.114977

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…We performed a literature review (see Appendix Section "An Alternative Reproductive Health Index of Five Contaminants Based on Data Availability and Prior Research" for discussion of this literature) and the epidemiology literature primarily focuses on arsenic, nitrate, atrazine, and disinfectant byproducts (Haloacetic Acids [HAA5], Total Trihalomethanes [TTHM]) and only nitrate and atrazine overlap with the EPA's list. We also found some epidemiological literature associating tetrachloroethylene (PERC) and Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) and a recent study in Virgina included these plus lead, radon, and fecal bacteria (Young et al, 2022). 30 We assessed the availability of samples for these contaminants to create an index that would have more uniform coverage in our sample population and limited to five with frequent sampling in Pennsylvania for our reproductive-health specific water quality index: arsenic, atrazine, nitrate, Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP), and Tetrachloroethene (PCE or PERC).…”

Section: Number Of Testsmentioning

confidence: 65%

Drinking water contaminant concentrations and birth outcomes

DiSalvo,

Hill

2023

J Policy Anal Manage

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Previous research in the U.S. has found negative health effects of contamination when it triggers regulatory violations. An important question is whether levels of contamination that do not trigger a health‐based violation impact health. We study the impact of drinking water contamination in community water systems on birth outcomes using drinking water sampling results data in Pennsylvania. We focus on the effects of water contamination for births not exposed to regulatory violations. Our most rigorous specification employs mother fixed effects and finds changing from the 10th to the 90th percentile of water contamination (among births not exposed to regulatory violations) increases low birth weight by 12% and preterm birth by 17%.

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Section: Number Of Testsmentioning

confidence: 65%

Drinking water contaminant concentrations and birth outcomes

DiSalvo,

Hill

2023

J Policy Anal Manage

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“…Downloaded data included: PWS ID and name, PWS type, counties and cities served, contaminant name, and sample collection date. As water system service area boundaries for Virginia are not publicly available [46], estimated service areas (n = 662) used in previous work by Marcillo et al (2021) [47] and Young et al (2023) [5] were applied. In brief, the approach developed by Marcillo et al (2021) [47] assigned populations to community water systems (CWSs) based on population served and proximity to the system (Fig 2).…”

Section: Ucmr Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous research linking the incidence of municipal drinking water contaminants with human health impacts is primarily limited to examining the impacts of regulated contaminants [2][3][4][5]. However, considerable emerging research suggests that contaminants currently listed on the CCL are directly associated with health outcomes [6][7][8] and/or their presence exacerbates the negative impacts of contaminants currently regulated under the SDWA [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unregulated drinking water contaminants and adverse birth outcomes in Virginia

Young,

Kolivras,

Krometis

et al. 2024

PLOS Water

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Through the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR), the Environmental Protection Agency monitors selected unregulated drinking water contaminants of potential concern. While contaminants listed in the UCMR are monitored, they do not have associated health-based standards, so no action is required following detection. Given evolving understanding of incidence and the lack of numeric standards, previous examinations of health implications of drinking water generally only assess impacts of regulated contaminants. Little research has examined associations between unregulated contaminants and fetal health. This study individually assesses whether drinking water contaminants monitored under UCMR 2 and, with a separate analysis, UCMR 3, which occurred during the monitoring years 2008–2010 and 2013–2015 respectively, are associated with fetal health outcomes, including low birth weight (LBW), term-low birth weight (tLBW), and preterm birth (PTB) in Virginia. Singleton births (n = 435,449) that occurred in Virginia during UCMR 2 and UCMR 3 were assigned to corresponding estimated water service areas (n = 435,449). Contaminant occurrence data were acquired from the National Contaminant Occurrence Database, with exposure defined at the estimated service area level to limit exposure misclassification. Logistic regression models for each birth outcome assessed potential associations with unregulated drinking water contaminants. Within UCMR 2, N-Nitroso-dimethylamine was positively associated with PTB (OR = 1.08; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.14, P = 0.01). Molybdenum (OR = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.87, 0.97, P = 0.0) and vanadium (OR = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.92, 1.00, P = 0.04), monitored under UCMR 3, were negatively associated with LBW. Molybdenum was also negatively associated (OR = 0.90; 95% CI: 0.82, 0.99, P = 0.03) with tLBW, though chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22) was positively associated (OR 1.18; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.37, P = 0.03) with tLBW. These findings indicate that unregulated drinking water contaminants may pose risks to fetal health and demonstrate the potential to link existing health data with monitoring data when considering drinking water regulatory determinations at the national scale.

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