Living near polluted sites and birth outcomes

Input data for polluted sites was downloaded from publicly available facility registries at the following links.  These links contain geocoded locations for polluted sites.
Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) sites: https://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/tri-basic-data-files-calendar-years-1987-present 
Superfund sites: https://www.epa.gov/enviro/sems-search 
Landfill sites: https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/waste-management/solid-waste-section/solid-waste-facility-lists-presentations-and-annual-reports/solid-waste-facility-lists 
Auxiliary data from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) on specific contaminants: 
Substance Priority List (SPL) (downloaded file for all past lists): https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/spl/resources/index.html. This dataset is not publicly accessible because: EPA cannot release personally identifiable information regarding living individuals, according to the Privacy Act and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This dataset contains information about human research subjects. Because there is potential to identify individual participants and disclose personal information, either alone or in combination with other datasets, individual level data are not appropriate to post for public access. Restricted access may be granted to authorized persons by contacting the party listed. It can be accessed through the following means: These data can be requested from the North Carolina State Center for Vital Statistics, Birth Defects Monitoring Program by experienced researchers with an approved IRB.

Input data for polluted sites was downloaded from publicly available facility registries at the following links.  
Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) sites: https://www.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/tri-basic-data-files-calendar-years-1987-present 
Superfund sites: https://www.epa.gov/enviro/sems-search 
Landfill sites: https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/waste-management/solid-waste-section/solid-waste-facility-lists-presentations-and-annual-reports/solid-waste-facility-lists 
Auxiliary data from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) on specific contaminants: 
Substance Priority List (SPL) (downloaded file for all past lists): https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/spl/resources/index.html. Format: We received birth certificate records linked with birth defects monitoring program data from the NC State Center for Vital Statistics for all births in North Carolina between 2003 and 2015.  These data include identifying information, including birth date and residential address, which was used to assign exposure to polluted sites. 

This dataset is associated with the following publication:
Keeler, C., T. Luben, N. Forestieri, A. Olshan, and T. Desrosiers. Is residential proximity to polluted sites during pregnancy associated with preterm birth or low birth weight? Results from an integrated exposure database in North Carolina (2003-2015).   Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology. Nature Publishing Group, London,  UK, 33: 229-236, (2023).

Tags: brownfields, low-birth-weight, preterm-birth, superfund
Organization: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency