Prenatal and early childhood exposure to tetrachloroethylene and adult vision.
BACKGROUND
Tetrachloroethylene (PCE; or perchloroethylene) has been implicated in visual impairments among adults with occupational and environmental exposures as well as children born to women with occupational exposure during pregnancy.


OBJECTIVE
Using a population-based retrospective cohort study, we examined the association between prenatal and early childhood exposure to PCE-contaminated drinking water on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and deficits in adult color vision and contrast sensitivity.


METHODS
We estimated the amount of PCE that was delivered to the family residence from participants' gestation through 5 years of age. We administered to this now adult study population vision tests to assess acuity, contrast sensitivity, and color discrimination.


RESULTS
Participants exposed to higher PCE levels exhibited lower contrast sensitivity at intermediate and high spatial frequencies compared with unexposed participants, although the differences were generally not statistically significant. Exposed participants also exhibited poorer color discrimination than unexposed participants. The difference in mean color confusion indices (CCI) was statistically significant for the Farnsworth test but not Lanthony's D-15d test [Farnsworth CCI mean difference = 0.05, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.003, 0.10; Lanthony CCI mean difference = 0.07, 95% CI: -0.02, 0.15].


CONCLUSIONS
Prenatal and early childhood exposure to PCE-contaminated drinking water may be associated with long-term subclinical visual dysfunction in adulthood, particularly with respect to color discrimination. Further investigation of this association in similarly exposed populations is necessary.
Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Kelly D
KD
Getz
Patricia A
PA
Janulewicz
Susannah
S
Rowe
Janice M
JM
Weinberg
Michael R
MR
Winter
Brett R
BR
Martin
Veronica M
VM
Vieira
Roberta F
RF
White
Ann
A
Aschengrau
D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D055253:Color Vision / Q000187:drug effects*; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000187:drug effects; D060766:Drinking Water; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013750:Tetrachloroethylene / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity*
D060766:Drinking Water; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D013750:Tetrachloroethylene