title: Potential sources and racial disparities in the residential distribution of soil arsenic and lead among pregnant women.
abstract: Exposure to arsenic (As) or lead (Pb) has been associated with adverse health outcomes, and high-risk populations can be disproportionately exposed to these metals in soils. The objectives of this study were: to examine if predicted soil As and Pb concentrations at maternal residences of South Carolina (SC) low-income mothers differed based on maternal race (non-Hispanic black versus white), to examine whether differences in predicted residential soil As and Pb concentrations among black and white mothers differed by socioeconomic status (SES), and to examine whether such disparities persisted after controlling for anthropogenic sources of these metals, including direction from, and distance to industrial facilities. Kriged soil As and Pb concentrations were estimated at maternal residences in 11 locations in SC, and models with maternal race and individual and US Census block group level SES measures were examined. US Environmental Protection Agency Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) facility As and Pb releases categorized by distance and direction to block groups in which mothers resided were also identified, as were proxy measures for historic use of leaded gasoline (road density) and Pb-based paint (categories of median year home built by US Census block group). Consistent racial disparities were observed for predicted residential soil As and Pb concentrations, and the disparity was stronger for Pb than As (betas from adjusted models for black mothers were 0.12 and 2.2 for As and Pb, respectively, all p<0.006). Higher road density and older homes in block groups were more closely associated with higher predicted soil As and Pb concentrations than on-site releases of As and Pb categorized by facility location. These findings suggest that non-Hispanic black mothers in this study population had elevated residential As and Pb soil concentrations, after adjusting for SES, and that soil As and Pb concentrations were not associated with recent industrial releases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
authors.forename: Harley T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 715 No. Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003, USA. Electronic address: maelion@schoolph.umass.edu.
authors.forename: C Marjorie
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Aelion
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
authors.forename: Jihong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
authors.forename: James B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Burch
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, 135 Cannon Street Suite 303, Charleston, SC 29401, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Lawson
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McDermott
mesh_terms: D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis*; D044383:Black People; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis*; D009035:Mothers; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D013022:South Carolina; D014481:United States; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American
chemical_list: D012989:Soil Pollutants; D007854:Lead; D001151:Arsenic
keywords: Industrial facility distance/direction; Maternal exposure; Neighborhood deprivation; Racial disparity; Residential soil metals; Road density