The Center for Children's Environmental Health Research at the University of California, Berkeley is a fully coordinated, interdisciplinary research program that addresses the unique environmental health needs of children living in a primarily Latino, farmworker community. Over the past 10 years, our research has focused on pesticides: children's routes and levels of exposure, the resulting health consequences, genetic susceptibility and mechanisms of effect, and community-based strategies to reduce exposure. We have developed strong community partnerships with extensive outreach to farmworkers, growers, service providers, and policy makers. We have also leveraged Center resources to obtain additional grants, ncluding resources to examine exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in this population. The keystone of our Center has been the CHAMACOS (Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children Of Salinas) study, a longitudinal cohort of primarily low-income, Mexican immigrant farmworker women and their children living in the agricultural Salinas Valley, California. Women were enrolled during pregnancy and their children have been followed through 7 years of age, providing a unique opportunity to examine prospectively the influence of prenatal and early childhood exposures on children's health. In the third phase of the Center, we propose to follow the CHAMACOS boys from age 9 to age 13 years and to double the size ofthe cohort to 300 boys (girls will be followed under a separate grant). We will expand our focus to a """"""""California mix"""""""" of chemicals: dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), which the children were exposed to in utero due to their mothers'exposure in Mexico;manganese (Mn), wtiich is a key component ofthe widely used agricultural fungicides, maneb and mancozeb;and PBDE flame retardants, which are very high in these children due to California's strict flammability standards. In Project A, we will examine the association of DDT, Mn, and PBDEs with neurodevelopment and onset of puberty in boys in the CHAMACOS cohort. In Project B, we will examine novel methods of examining prenatal exposure to these compounds using shed deciduous teeth and GIS methods with remote sensing. In Project 0, we will investigate the effects of exposure on the epigenome and its relationship with pubertal onset. We will expand our outreach to similar populations in California and the US, and engage youth as community partners (GOTO). Our ultimate goal is to translate research findings into sustainable strategies to reduce pesticide and other exposures to children, thus reducing the incidence of environmentally-related disease.

Public Health Relevance

This study will examine several endocrine disrupting and neurotoxic chemicals to which children living in California agricultural communities may be highly exposed: DDT, Mn, and PBDEs. These exposures have relevance beyond farmworker children: PBDE exposure is ubiquitous in the US, Mn is widely used as a fuel additive and in fungicides, and DDT use is increasing globally for malaria control. We will address key data gaps on the human health effects of these compounds crucial for assessing public health costs and benefits.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Type
Research Program Projects (P01)
Project #
5P01ES009605-14
Application #
8304378
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZES1-LKB-G (P1))
Program Officer
Kirshner, Annette G
Project Start
1998-11-01
Project End
2014-07-31
Budget Start
2012-08-01
Budget End
2013-07-31
Support Year
14
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$690,271
Indirect Cost
$230,733
Name
University of California Berkeley
Department
Type
Schools of Public Health
DUNS #
124726725
City
Berkeley
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94704
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Felix, Janine F; Joubert, Bonnie R; Baccarelli, Andrea A et al. (2018) Cohort Profile: Pregnancy And Childhood Epigenetics (PACE) Consortium. Int J Epidemiol 47:22-23u
Berger, Kimberly; Eskenazi, Brenda; Balmes, John et al. (2018) Associations between prenatal maternal urinary concentrations of personal care product chemical biomarkers and childhood respiratory and allergic outcomes in the CHAMACOS study. Environ Int 121:538-549
Sjödin, Andreas; Jones, Richard S; Gunier, Robert B et al. (2018) Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers, Polychlorinated Biphenyls, and 2,2-Bis(4-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dichloroethene in 7- and 9-Year-Old Children and Their Mothers in the Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas Cohort. Environ Sci Technol 52:2287-2294
Huen, Karen; Solomon, Olivia; Kogut, Katherine et al. (2018) PON1 DNA methylation and neurobehavior in Mexican-American children with prenatal organophosphate exposure. Environ Int 121:31-40
Sagiv, Sharon K; Harris, Maria H; Gunier, Robert B et al. (2018) Prenatal Organophosphate Pesticide Exposure and Traits Related to Autism Spectrum Disorders in a Population Living in Proximity to Agriculture. Environ Health Perspect 126:047012
Torres, Jacqueline M; Deardorff, Julianna; Gunier, Robert B et al. (2018) Worry About Deportation and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among Adult Women: The Center for the Health Assessment of Mothers and Children of Salinas Study. Ann Behav Med 52:186-193

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