Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30014895›Full record

ArticleEnvironmental research2018

Exposure to tetrachloroethylene-contaminated drinking water and time to pregnancy.

Amelia K Wesselink, Elizabeth E Hatch, Lauren A Wise, Kenneth J Rothman, Veronica M Vieira, Ann Aschengrau

Open access · greenAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Environmental research, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 33% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

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  3. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Amelia K WesselinkBoston University School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: akw23@bu.edu.
Elizabeth E HatchBoston University School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Boston, MA, USA.
Lauren A WiseBoston University School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Boston, MA, USA.
Kenneth J RothmanBoston University School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Boston, MA, USA; RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
Veronica M VieiraUniversity of California, Irvine, Program in Public Health, Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, Irvine, CA, USA.
Ann AschengrauBoston University School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Boston, MA, USA.
Boston University · USUniversity of California, Irvine · US

Funding

Training CoreP42ES007381 · NIEHS · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · PI HAHN, MARK E · 1995 to 2019
$46.1M
BURPPE:BU Reproductive, Perinatal, and Pediatric Epidemiology Training ProgramT32HD052458 · NICHD · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · PI WERLER, MARTHA M. · 2007 to 2016
$2.0M
NICHD NIH HHS T32 HD052458NIEHS NIH HHS P42 ES007381
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe synthetic solvent tetrachloroethylene (PCE), commonly used in dry cleaning operations, is a human neurotoxicant and carcinogen. However, its effect on reproduction is poorly understood, as prior studies have been limited to small occupational cohorts. We examined the association between PCE exposure from contamination of the public drinking water supply and time-to-pregnancy (TTP) in a cohort of mothers from Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

methodsThe Cape Cod Family Health Study is a retrospective cohort study designed to examine the reproductive and developmental health effects of exposure to PCE-contaminated drinking water. Our analysis included 1565 women who reported 3826 planned pregnancies from 1949 to 1990. Women completed self-administered questionnaires that ascertained TTP for each of her pregnancies, regardless of the outcome, as well as residential history and demographic information. We utilized EPANET water distribution system modeling software and a leaching and transport model to assess PCE exposure for each pregnancy. We used log-binomial regression models to estimate relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusting for potential confounders. We performed a probabilistic bias analysis to examine the effect of outcome misclassification on our results.

resultsAny cumulative PCE exposure before pregnancy was associated with a 15% reduction in risk of TTP > 12 months (RR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.70, 1.03). However, women with the highest average monthly PCE exposure around the time of the pregnancy attempt (≥ 2.5 g) had increased risk of TTP > 12 months (RR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.76).

conclusionsWe found little evidence for long-term, cumulative adverse effects of PCE exposure on TTP, but high levels of PCE exposure around the time of the pregnancy attempt were associated with longer TTP. These associations may be underestimated due to the exclusion of unsuccessful pregnancy attempts from our study population, and may be biased by outcome and exposure misclassification given the long-term recall of TTP and use of a leaching and transport model to estimate PCE exposure.

Indexed as

Drinking WaterTetrachloroethyleneTime-to-PregnancyWater Pollutants, ChemicalAdultEnvironmental ExposureFemaleHumansMaleMassachusettsPregnancyRetrospective StudiesDrinking WaterTetrachloroethyleneWater Pollutants, ChemicalInfertilityOrganic solventsRetrospective cohortTetrachloroethyleneTime to pregnancy

Identifiers

PMID30014895
PMCPMC6399737
OpenAlexW2827183857

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.