Exposure to Melamine and its Derivatives and Aromatic Amines Among Pregnant Women in the United States: The Echo Program

41 Pages Posted: 2 May 2022

See all articles by Giehae Choi

Giehae Choi

Johns Hopkins University

Jordan R. Kuiper

Johns Hopkins University

Deborah H. Bennett

Harvard University - Department of Environmental Health

Emily S. Barrett

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Rutgers School of Public Health

Theresa Bastain

University of Southern California - Department of Population and Public Health Sciences

Carrie V. Breton

University of Southern California - Department of Population and Public Health Sciences

Sridhar Chinthakindi

New York University (NYU) - Grossman School of Medicine

Anne Dunlop

Emory University

Shohreh F. Farzan

University of Southern California - Department of Population and Public Health Sciences

Julie B. Herbstman

Columbia University

Margaret R. Karagas

Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth - Department of Epidemiology

Carmen J. Marsit

Emory University

John D. Meeker

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - Department of Environmental Health Sciences

Rachel Morello-Frosch

University of California, Berkeley - Department of Health Policy and Management

Thomas G. O’Connor

University of Rochester - Department of Psychiatry

Edo D. Pellizzari

RTI International

Megan E. Romano

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Sheela Sathyanarayana

University of Washington

Susan Schantz

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology

Rebecca J. Schmidt

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Deborah J. Watkins

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - Department of Environmental Health Sciences

Hongkai Zhu

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Kurunthachalam Kannan

New York University (NYU) - Grossman School of Medicine

Jessie P. Buckley

Johns Hopkins University

Tracey J. Woodruff

University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

Abstract

Background:  Melamine, melamine derivatives, and aromatic amines are nitrogen-containing compounds with known toxicity and widespread commercial uses. Nevertheless, biomonitoring of these chemicals is lacking, particularly during pregnancy, a period of increased susceptibility to adverse health effects.Objectives:  We aimed to measure melamine, melamine derivatives, and aromatic amine exposure in pregnant women across the United States (U.S.) and evaluate associations with participant and urine sample collection characteristics.Methods:  We measured melamine, cyanuric acid, ammelide, ammeline, and 41 aromatic amines in urine from pregnant women in nine diverse ECHO cohorts during 2008-2020 (N=171). To assess relations with participant and urine sample collection characteristics, we used generalized estimating equations to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs) for biomarkers dichotomized at the detection limit, % differences (%∆) for continuous biomarkers, and 95% confidence intervals. Multivariable models included age, race/ethnicity, marital status, cotinine, and year of sample collection.Results:  Twelve chemicals were detected in >60% of samples, with near ubiquitous detection of cyanuric acid, melamine, aniline, 4,4’-methylenedianiline, and a composite of o-toluidine and m-toluidine. In multivariable models, concentrations of 3,4-dichloroaniline were higher among Hispanic (%∆: 149, 95% CI: 17, 431) and non-Hispanic Black (%∆: 136, 95% CI: 35, 311) women compared with non-Hispanic White women. We observed similar results for ammelide, o-/m-toluidine, 4,4’-methylenedianiline, and 4-chloroaniline. Most chemicals were positively associated with the tobacco biomarker cotinine, with strongest associations observed for o-/m-toluidine (%∆: 23; 95% CI: 16, 31) and 3,4-dichloroaniline (%∆: 25; 95% CI: 17, 33). Some chemicals exhibited annual trends (e.g., %∆ in melamine per year: -11; 95% CI:  -19, -1) or within-day, seasonal, and geographic variability.Discussion:  Exposure to melamine, cyanuric acid, and some aromatic amines was ubiquitous in this first investigation of these analytes in pregnant women. Future research should expand biomonitoring, identify sources of exposure disparities by race/ethnicity, and evaluate potential adverse health effects.

Keywords: Biomonitoring, chemical exposure, pregnancy, Aromatic amines, Melamine, Tobacco

Suggested Citation

Choi, Giehae and Kuiper, Jordan R. and Bennett, Deborah H. and Barrett, Emily S. and Bastain, Theresa and Breton, Carrie V. and Chinthakindi, Sridhar and Dunlop, Anne and Farzan, Shohreh F. and Herbstman, Julie B. and Karagas, Margaret R. and Marsit, Carmen J. and Meeker, John D. and Morello-Frosch, Rachel and O’Connor, Thomas G. and Pellizzari, Edo D. and Romano, Megan E. and Sathyanarayana, Sheela and Schantz, Susan and Schmidt, Rebecca J. and Watkins, Deborah J. and Zhu, Hongkai and Kannan, Kurunthachalam and Buckley, Jessie P. and Woodruff, Tracey J., Exposure to Melamine and its Derivatives and Aromatic Amines Among Pregnant Women in the United States: The Echo Program. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4098346 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4098346

Giehae Choi

Johns Hopkins University ( email )

Baltimore, MD 20036-1984
United States

Jordan R. Kuiper

Johns Hopkins University ( email )

Baltimore, MD 20036-1984
United States

Deborah H. Bennett

Harvard University - Department of Environmental Health ( email )

Landmark Center, Room 404L
401 Park Drive, P. O. Box 15677
Boston, MA 02115
United States
617-384-8812 (Phone)
617-384-8859 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/faculty/DeborahBennett.html

Emily S. Barrett

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Rutgers School of Public Health ( email )

Newark, NJ
United States

Theresa Bastain

University of Southern California - Department of Population and Public Health Sciences ( email )

Carrie V. Breton

University of Southern California - Department of Population and Public Health Sciences ( email )

Sridhar Chinthakindi

New York University (NYU) - Grossman School of Medicine ( email )

New York, NY
United States

Anne Dunlop

Emory University ( email )

201 Dowman Drive
Atlanta, GA 30322
United States

Shohreh F. Farzan

University of Southern California - Department of Population and Public Health Sciences ( email )

Julie B. Herbstman

Columbia University ( email )

3022 Broadway
New York, NY 10027
United States

Margaret R. Karagas

Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth - Department of Epidemiology

Hanover, NH 03755
United States

Carmen J. Marsit

Emory University ( email )

John D. Meeker

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - Department of Environmental Health Sciences ( email )

1415 Washington Heights
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2800
United States

Rachel Morello-Frosch

University of California, Berkeley - Department of Health Policy and Management ( email )

Berkeley, CA 94720
United States

Thomas G. O’Connor

University of Rochester - Department of Psychiatry ( email )

300 Crittenden Blvd.
Rochester, NY 14627
United States

Edo D. Pellizzari

RTI International ( email )

PO Box 12194
Washington, DC 20036-3209
United States

Megan E. Romano

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

No Address Available

Sheela Sathyanarayana

University of Washington ( email )

Susan Schantz

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology ( email )

601 E John St
Champaign, IL 61820
United States

Rebecca J. Schmidt

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

No Address Available

Deborah J. Watkins

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor - Department of Environmental Health Sciences ( email )

1415 Washington Heights
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2800
United States

Hongkai Zhu

affiliation not provided to SSRN ( email )

No Address Available

Kurunthachalam Kannan

New York University (NYU) - Grossman School of Medicine ( email )

Jessie P. Buckley

Johns Hopkins University ( email )

Baltimore, MD 20036-1984
United States

Tracey J. Woodruff (Contact Author)

University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) ( email )

San Francisco, CA CA
United States

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