A case-control study of early-life residential exposure to tetrachloroethylene and risks of childhood cancer and birth defects

Background: Residential buildings with a co-located dry-cleaning facility (CL-DC) can have substantially higher indoor tetrachloroethylene concentrations than buildings without a CL-DC. We conducted a case-control study to investigate associations between early-life indoor tetrachloroethylene exposu...

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Main Authors: Jongeun Rhee, Adrian M Michalski, Margaret Gates Kuliszewski, Jamie Musco, Catherine T Adler, Shuai Xie, Melissa C Friesen, Tabassum Insaf, Mark P. Purdue
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Environment International
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412025003514
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author Jongeun Rhee
Adrian M Michalski
Margaret Gates Kuliszewski
Jamie Musco
Catherine T Adler
Shuai Xie
Melissa C Friesen
Tabassum Insaf
Mark P. Purdue
author_facet Jongeun Rhee
Adrian M Michalski
Margaret Gates Kuliszewski
Jamie Musco
Catherine T Adler
Shuai Xie
Melissa C Friesen
Tabassum Insaf
Mark P. Purdue
author_sort Jongeun Rhee
collection DOAJ
description Background: Residential buildings with a co-located dry-cleaning facility (CL-DC) can have substantially higher indoor tetrachloroethylene concentrations than buildings without a CL-DC. We conducted a case-control study to investigate associations between early-life indoor tetrachloroethylene exposure from CL-DCs and risks of childhood cancers (overall, acute lymphoblastic leukemia) and birth defects. Methods: We linked records between the New York City (NYC) Bureau of Vital Statistics and the New York State Cancer Registry and Birth Defects Registry to identify cases of childhood cancers (n = 5,334) and birth defects (n = 171,553) diagnosed among children born in NYC between 1988 and 2016, and controls without these conditions (n = 596,599). We identified CL-DC exposure by mapping addresses from birth certificates and DC permits involving tetrachloroethylene use to building footprints, and modeled tetrachloroethylene concentrations using measurement data from a survey of NYC CL-DCs. Using unconditional logistic regression, we computed odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) relating study endpoints to CL-DC exposure. Findings: Living in a building with a CL-DC at birth was associated with aortic valve stenosis (AVS; OR = 3.1, 95 % CI = 1.6, 5.9), with an exposure–response effect for predicted tetrachloroethylene concentration (≤44 μg/m3: OR = 2.7, 95 % CI = 1.0, 7.4; >44 μg/m3: OR = 3.9, 95 % CI = 1.6, 9.5) and stronger associations for children whose mother was non-White, less than college-educated, or lived at birth in majority non-White or poorer neighborhoods. We observed null findings for other endpoints. Conclusions: In this first-ever case-control study, early-life tetrachloroethylene exposure from CL-DCs in residential buildings was associated with increased AVS risk. These findings warrant further investigation.
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spelling doaj-art-a5a9850a034f48d4862fd934cb9e28d82025-08-20T03:30:49ZengElsevierEnvironment International0160-41202025-07-0120110960010.1016/j.envint.2025.109600A case-control study of early-life residential exposure to tetrachloroethylene and risks of childhood cancer and birth defectsJongeun Rhee0Adrian M Michalski1Margaret Gates Kuliszewski2Jamie Musco3Catherine T Adler4Shuai Xie5Melissa C Friesen6Tabassum Insaf7Mark P. Purdue8Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USABureau of Environmental & Occupational Epidemiology, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA; Birth Defects Registry, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USABureau of Cancer Epidemiology, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA; Birth Defects Registry, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA; Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University at Albany, Albany, NY, USABureau of Cancer Epidemiology, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USABureau of Environmental & Occupational Epidemiology, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USAOccupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USAOccupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USABureau of Cancer Epidemiology, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USA; Birth Defects Registry, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, USAOccupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA; Corresponding author at: Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch, DCEG, NCI, Rockville, MD 20850, USA.Background: Residential buildings with a co-located dry-cleaning facility (CL-DC) can have substantially higher indoor tetrachloroethylene concentrations than buildings without a CL-DC. We conducted a case-control study to investigate associations between early-life indoor tetrachloroethylene exposure from CL-DCs and risks of childhood cancers (overall, acute lymphoblastic leukemia) and birth defects. Methods: We linked records between the New York City (NYC) Bureau of Vital Statistics and the New York State Cancer Registry and Birth Defects Registry to identify cases of childhood cancers (n = 5,334) and birth defects (n = 171,553) diagnosed among children born in NYC between 1988 and 2016, and controls without these conditions (n = 596,599). We identified CL-DC exposure by mapping addresses from birth certificates and DC permits involving tetrachloroethylene use to building footprints, and modeled tetrachloroethylene concentrations using measurement data from a survey of NYC CL-DCs. Using unconditional logistic regression, we computed odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) relating study endpoints to CL-DC exposure. Findings: Living in a building with a CL-DC at birth was associated with aortic valve stenosis (AVS; OR = 3.1, 95 % CI = 1.6, 5.9), with an exposure–response effect for predicted tetrachloroethylene concentration (≤44 μg/m3: OR = 2.7, 95 % CI = 1.0, 7.4; >44 μg/m3: OR = 3.9, 95 % CI = 1.6, 9.5) and stronger associations for children whose mother was non-White, less than college-educated, or lived at birth in majority non-White or poorer neighborhoods. We observed null findings for other endpoints. Conclusions: In this first-ever case-control study, early-life tetrachloroethylene exposure from CL-DCs in residential buildings was associated with increased AVS risk. These findings warrant further investigation.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412025003514TetrachloroethyleneDry-cleaning facilityChildhood cancerBirth defectsAortic valve stenosis
spellingShingle Jongeun Rhee
Adrian M Michalski
Margaret Gates Kuliszewski
Jamie Musco
Catherine T Adler
Shuai Xie
Melissa C Friesen
Tabassum Insaf
Mark P. Purdue
A case-control study of early-life residential exposure to tetrachloroethylene and risks of childhood cancer and birth defects
Environment International
Tetrachloroethylene
Dry-cleaning facility
Childhood cancer
Birth defects
Aortic valve stenosis
title A case-control study of early-life residential exposure to tetrachloroethylene and risks of childhood cancer and birth defects
title_full A case-control study of early-life residential exposure to tetrachloroethylene and risks of childhood cancer and birth defects
title_fullStr A case-control study of early-life residential exposure to tetrachloroethylene and risks of childhood cancer and birth defects
title_full_unstemmed A case-control study of early-life residential exposure to tetrachloroethylene and risks of childhood cancer and birth defects
title_short A case-control study of early-life residential exposure to tetrachloroethylene and risks of childhood cancer and birth defects
title_sort case control study of early life residential exposure to tetrachloroethylene and risks of childhood cancer and birth defects
topic Tetrachloroethylene
Dry-cleaning facility
Childhood cancer
Birth defects
Aortic valve stenosis
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412025003514
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