Characterizing Prenatal Exposure to Contemporary and Emerging Chemicals in a Prospective Cohort of Pregnant Women in Atlanta, Georgia

Epidemiological evidence links chemical exposure during pregnancy to adverse maternal and child health outcomes, yet only a fraction of chemicals used in commerce in the United States (US) are biomonitored nationally and have undergone comprehensive safety review. In a cohort of pregnant women in Atlanta, an expansive panel of contemporary and emerging chemicals comprised of 113 analytes in 12 chemical groups were measured in midpregnancy urine samples (<i>N</i> = 168, 2016-2019). We assessed temporal trends in concentrations and performed latent profile analysis jointly with log-binomial regression to uncover patterns of chemical exposures in our population and their associations with sociodemographic, temporal, and behavioral predictors. Parabens, bactericides, and di (2-ethylhexyl phthalate) metabolite concentrations (ng/mL) decreased during our study period. Fungicide and herbicides and phthalate, organophosphorus flame retardant, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolite concentrations (ng/mL) spiked in warmer months. Latent profile analysis identified two distinct profiles: women with moderate levels of most analytes and women with low levels of most analytes. We observed no association between predictors and profile membership. However, chemical groups were significantly associated with season, indicators of low socioeconomic status, and home characteristics and behaviors in linear regression models. We highlight the need for national surveillance systems to incorporate biomonitoring that capture emerging exposures across diverse populations.