Racial and ethnic differences in prenatal exposure to environmental phenols and parabens in the ECHO Cohort
Authors: Bloom Michael S. , Upadhyaya Sudhi , Nzegwu Adaeze W. , Kuiper Jordan R. , Buckley Jessie P. , Aschner Judy , Barr Dana , Barrett Emily S. , Bennett Deborah H. , Dabelea Dana , Dunlop Anne L. , Fuller Alma , Karagas Margaret , Liang Donghai , Meeker John , Miller Rachel , O’Connor Thomas G. , Romano Megan E. , Sathyanarayana Sheela , Starling Anne P. , Stroustrup Annemarie , Watkins Deborah J. ,   for the ECHO Cohort Consortium, Smith P. Brian , Newby L. Kristin , Adair Linda , Jacobson Lisa P. , Catellier Diane , McGrath Monica , Douglas Christian , Duggal Priya , Knapp Emily , Kress Amii , Blackwell Courtney K. , Mansolf Maxwell A. , Lai Jin-Shei , Ho Emily , Cella David , Gershon Richard , Macy Michelle L. , Das Suman R. , Freedman Jane E. , Mallal Simon A. , McLean John A. , Shah Ravi V. , Shilts Meghan H. , Alshawabkeh Akram N. , Cordero Jose F. , Meeker John , Trasande Leonardo , Camargo Carlos A. , Hasegawa Kohei , Zhu Zhaozhong , Sullivan Ashley F. , Dabelea Dana , Perng Wei , Bekelman Traci A. , Wilkening Greta , Magzamen Sheryl , Moore Brianna F. , Starling Anne P. , Rinehart Deborah J. , Mitchell Daphne Koinis , D’Sa Viren , Deoni Sean C. L. , Mueller Hans-Georg , Duarte Cristiane S. , Monk Catherine , Canino Glorisa , Posner Jonathan , Murray Tenneill , Lugo-Candelas Claudia , Brennan Patricia A. , Hockett Christine , Elliott Amy , Ferrara Assiamira , Croen Lisa A. , Hedderson Monique M. , Ainsworth John , Bacharier Leonard B. , Bendixsen Casper G. , Gern James E. , Gold Diane R. , Hartert Tina V. , Jackson Daniel J. , Johnson Christine C. , Joseph Christine L. M. , Kattan Meyer , Khurana Hershey Gurjit K. , Lemanske Robert F. , Lynch Susan V. , Miller Rachel L. , O’Connor George T. , Ober Carole , Ownby Dennis , Rivera-Spoljaric Katherine , Ryan Patrick H. , Seroogy Christine M. , Singh Anne Marie , Wood Robert A. , Zoratti Edward M. , Habre Rima , Farzan Shohreh , Gilliland Frank D. , Hertz-Picciotto Irva , Bennett Deborah H. , Schweitzer Julie B. , Schmidt Rebecca J. , LaSalle Janine M. , Hipwell Alison E. , Keenan Kate E. , Karr Catherine J. , Bush Nicole R. , LeWinn Kaja Z. , Sathyanarayana Sheela , Zhao Qi , Tylavsky Frances , Carroll Kecia N. , Loftus Christine T. , Leve Leslie D. , Ganiban Jody M. , Neiderhiser Jenae M. , Weiss Scott T. , Litonjua Augusto A. , McEvoy Cindy T. , Spindel Eliot R. , Tepper Robert S. , Newschaffer Craig J. , Lyall Kristen , Volk Heather E. , Landa Rebecca , Ozonoff Sally , Piven Joseph , Hazlett Heather , Pandey Juhi , Schultz Robert , Dager Steven , Botteron Kelly , Messinger Daniel , Stone Wendy , Ames Jennifer , Miller Richard K. , Oken Emily , Hacker Michele R. , James-Todd Tamarra , O’Shea T. Michael , Fry Rebecca C. , Frazier Jean A. , Singh Rachana , Rollins Caitlin , Montgomery Angela , Vaidya Ruben , Joseph Robert M. , Washburn Lisa K. , Gogcu Semsa , Bear Kelly , Rollins Julie V. , Hooper Stephen R. , Taylor Genevieve , Jackson Wesley , Thompson Amanda , Daniels Julie , Hernandez Michelle , Lu Kun , Msall Michael , Lenski Madeleine , Obeid Rawad , Pastyrnak Steven L. , Jensen Elizabeth , Sakai Christina , Santos Hudson , Kerver Jean M. , Paneth Nigel , Barone Charles J. , Elliott Michael R. , Ruden Douglas M. , Fussman Chris , Herbstman Julie B. , Margolis Amy , Schantz Susan L. , Geiger Sarah Dee , Aguiar Andrea , Tabb Karen , Strakovsky Rita , Woodruff Tracey , Morello-Frosch Rachel , Padula Amy , Stanford Joseph B. , Porucznik Christina A. , Giardino Angelo P. , Wright Rosalind J. , Wright Robert O. , Collett Brent , Baumann-Blackmore Nicole , Gangnon Ronald , McKennan Chris G. , Wilson Jo , Altman Matt , Aschner Judy L. , Stroustrup Annemarie , Merhar Stephanie L. , Moore Paul E. , Pryhuber Gloria S. , Hudak Mark , Lyndaker Ann Marie Reynolds , Lampland Andrea L. , Rochelson Burton , Jan Sophia , Blitz Matthew J. , Katzow Michelle W. , Brown Zenobia , Chiuzan Codruta , Rafael Timothy , Lewis Dawnette , Meirowitz Natalie , Poindexter Brenda , Gebretsadik Tebeb , Osmundson Sarah , Straughen Jennifer K. , Eapen Amy , Cassidy-Bushrow Andrea , Wegienka Ganesa , Sitarik Alex , Woodcroft Kim , Urquhart Audrey , Levin Albert , Johnson-Hooper Tisa , Davidson Brent , Ma Tengfei , Barrett Emily S. , Blaser Martin J. , Dominguez-Bello Maria Gloria , Horton Daniel B. , Jimenez Manuel , Rosen Todd , Palomares Kristy , Avalos Lyndsay A. , Zhu Yeyi , Hunt Kelly J. , Newman Roger B. , Bloom Michael S. , Alkis Mallory H. , Roberts James R. , Mumford Sunni L. , Burris Heather H. , DeMauro Sara B. , Yee Lynn M. , Hamvas Aaron , Olidipo Antonia F. , Haddad Andrew S. , Eiland Lisa R. , Spillane Nicole T. , Suri Kirin N. , Fisher Stephanie A. , Goldstein Jeffrey A. , Mithal Leena B. , DeRegnier Raye-Ann O. , Maitre Nathalie L. , Nguyen Ruby H. N. , JaKa Meghan M. , Sidebottom Abbey C. , Paidas Michael J. , Potter JoNell E. , Ruby Natale , Duthely Lunthita , Jayakumar Arumugam , Young Karen , Maldonado Isabel , Miller Meghan , Slaughter Jonathan L. , Keim Sarah A. , Lynch Courtney D. , Venkatesh Kartik K. , Whitworth Kristina W. , Symanski Elaine , Northrup Thomas F. , Mendez-Figueroa Hector , Mosquera Ricardo A. , Karagas Margaret R. , Madan Juliette C. , MacKenzie Debra M. , Lewis Johnnye L. , Rennie Brandon J. , Leventhal Bennett L. , Kim Young Shin , Bishop Somer , Nozadi Sara S. , Luo Li , Lester Barry M. , Marsit Carmen J. , Everson Todd , Loncar Cynthia M. , McGowan Elisabeth C. , Sheinkopf Stephen J. , Carter Brian S. , Check Jennifer , Helderman Jennifer B. , Neal Charles R. , Smith Lynne M. 
Published: February 2025

Background

Research suggests racial/ethnic disparities in prenatal exposure to endocrine disrupting environmental phenols (EPs) in limited populations. However, no studies have investigated racial/ethnic disparities in prenatal EP exposure across the U.S.

Objectives

To estimate demographic differences in prenatal urinary EPs among participants in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort.

Methods

An analysis of 4006 pregnant ECHO participants was performed, with 7854 specimens collected from 1999–2020. Racial/ethnic identity was self-reported. Urinary levels of 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), 2,5-dichlorophenol (2,5-DCP), benzophenone-3 (BP-3), bisphenols A (BPA), F (BPF), and S (BPS), and methyl- (MePb), ethyl- (EtPb), propyl- (PrPb), and butyl- (BuPb) parabens were measured at one or more time points during pregnancy. Effect estimates were adjusted for age, pre-pregnancy body mass index, educational level, gestational age and season at urine collection, and ECHO cohort.

Results

Participants were classified as Hispanic of any race (n = 1658), non-Hispanic White (n = 1478), non-Hispanic Black (n = 490), and non-Hispanic Other (n = 362), which included individuals of multiple races. Urinary 2,4-DCP and 2,5-DCP concentrations were 2- to 4-fold higher among Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic Other participants relative to non-Hispanic White participants. MePb was ~2-fold higher among non-Hispanic Black (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.7–3.1) and non-Hispanic Other (95% CI: 1.5–2.8) participants. PrPb was similarly higher among non-Hispanic Black (95% CI: 1.7–3.7) and non-Hispanic Other (95% CI: 1.3–3.1) participants. EtPb was higher among non-Hispanic Black participants (3.1-fold; 95% CI 1.7–5.8). BP-3 was lower in Hispanic (0.7-fold; 95% CI: 0.5–0.9), non-Hispanic Black (0.4-fold; 95% CI: 0.3–0.5), and non-Hispanic Other (0.5-fold; 95% CI: 0.4–0.7) participants. Urinary BuPb, BPA, BPF, and BPS were similar across groups.

Impact statement

This multisite, observational cohort study investigated whether there are racial and ethnic differences in prenatal exposure to endocrine disrupting environmental phenols and parabens. Among 4006 participants from multiple U.S. cohorts who provided urine specimens during pregnancy, those who self-reported a racial and ethnic identity other than non-Hispanic White had higher urinary concentrations of 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,5-dichlorophenol, methyl paraben, ethyl paraben, and propyl paraben and lower urinary concentrations of benzophenone-3 than those reporting as non-Hispanic White. These data show differences in prenatal concentrations of endocrine disrupting environmental phenols and parabens by racial and ethnic identity.