Superfund Sites and Preterm Births: Multiple Studies Search For Links
Researchers in Houston, North Carolina and Puerto Rico are studying whether living near Superfund sites raises the risk for preterm and low-weight births.
In Houston, the Baylor-Rice Superfund Research Program is working under an EPA grant to study whether higher rates of preterm births may be connected to chemicals from the North Cavalcade and South Cavalcade Superfund sites in the Greater Fifth Ward. Harris County’s rate of preterm births is 11.6%, significantly higher than the national average of 10%, according to researchers.
The study was prompted by research done by Texas A&M in 2014 that found higher than expected rates of low weight births (a potential indicator of preterm births) in the vicinity of the two sites. The results were compelling enough to prompt the Baylor/Rice team to launch a multi-year search for potential connections.
In the meantime, similar studies are taking place in several other locations. Recently, a study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill looked at individual characteristics of Superfund and other toxic waste sites in the state. It found increased risk of both preterm births and low birth weight “among births exposed to sites characterized by water emissions, air emissions, and land impoundment. In analyses of specific contaminants, increased risk was associated with proximity to sites containing arsenic, benzene, cadmium, lead and mercury.”
Another large-scale study is called PROTECT (Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats). Puerto Rico has a preterm birth rate of 17.7%, the highest in any U.S. jurisdiction and one of the highest in the world. It also has 19 Superfund sites and water contamination is a widespread problem. Northeastern University and 10 other institutions are working together to determine if the two are linked and how to solve the problem.
Why is this important? Developing fetuses and infants are especially vulnerable to exposure to chemicals. Multiple studies have found developmental and long-term health problems among children born near Superfund sites. In the communities near the San Jacinto River Waste Pits Superfund Site, researchers found that 30% of pregnancies in this area result in at least one serious complication and unexpectedly high rates of childhood brain cancer and congenital heart defects.
What happens when sites are cleaned-up? A 2011 study looked at birth defects and other congenital abnormalities near Superfund sites prior to remediation and at sites that had been cleaned up. Data from sites in Texas were included in the study. Based on the statistical analysis, the researchers found that “proximity to a Superfund site before cleanup is associated with a 20 to 25% increase in the risk of congenital anomalies.”