Other Environmental Exposures

In addition to air pollution and the built and natural environments, we are working on the health effects of many other environmental factors.  These include temperature, noise, ultraviolet radiation, radon, and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Below are recent papers from our group in this area and details of ongoing projects.

Recent Papers

  • Barbhaiya M, Hart JE, Malspeis S, Tedeschi S, VoPham T, Sparks J, Karlson E, Laden F, Costenbader K. Association of Ultraviolet-B radiation and risk of SLE among women in the Nurses’ Health Studies. Arthritis Care & Research. in press. PubMed PMID: 35724272
  • Klompmaker JO, Laden F, James P, Sabath MB, Wu X, Schwartz J, Dominici F, Zanobetti A, Hart JE. Effects of long-term average temperature on cardiovascular disease hospitalizations in an American elderly population. Environmental Research. PubMed PMID: 36049575
  • DeVille NV, Iyer HS, Holland I, Bhupathiraju SN, Chai B, James P, Kawachi I, Laden F, Hart JE. Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Mortality in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and the Nurses’ Health Study II (NHSII). Environ Epidemiol. 2022; 7(1): e235 PubMed PMID: 36777531; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9916023.
  • Simon MC, Hart JE, Levy JI, VoPham T, Malwitz A, Nguyen D, Bozigar M, Cupples A, James P, Laden F, Peters JL. Sociodemographic patterns of exposure to civil aircraft noise in the United States. Environ Health Perspect. Environ Health Perspectives.2022; 130(2): 27009. PubMed PMID: 35167327; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8846369.
  • Iyer HS, DeVille NV, Stoddard O, Cole J, Myers SS, Li H, Elliott EG, Jimenez MP, James P, Golden CD. Sustaining planetary health through systems thinking: Public health’s critical role. SSM Popul Health. 2021 Jun 11;15:100844. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100844. PMID: 34179331; PMCID: PMC8213960.
  • Almansour KS, Arisco NJ, Woo MK, Young AS, Adamkiewicz G, Hart JE. Playground lead levels in rubber, soil, sand, and mulch surfaces in Boston. PLoS One.2019; 14(4): e0216156. PubMed PMID:31022281; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6483242.
  • VoPham T, Bertrand KB, DuPre NC, James P, Vieira VM, Tamimi RM, Laden F, Hart JE. Ultraviolet radiation exposure and breast cancer risk in the Nurses’ Health Study II. Environ Epidemiol. in press. PubMed PMID: 31321375. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6639017.
  • Hu XC, Liddie J, Zhang Z, Tokranov AK, Grandjean P, Hart JE, Laden F, Sun Qi, Yeung LWY, Sunderland EM. Tap water contributions to plasma concentrations of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in a nationwide prospective cohort of U.S. women. Environ Health Perspect. 2019; 127(6): 67006. PubMed PMID: 31170009. PubMed Central PMCID in progress.
  • Sun S, Laden F, Hart JE, Qiu H, Wang Y, Wong C-M, Lee RS-Y, Tian L. Seasonal temperature variability and emergency hospital admissions for respiratory diseases: a population-based cohort study. Thorax. 2018; 73(10):951-8. PubMed PMID: 29622691. 
  • VoPham T, Weaver MD, Vetter C, Hart JE, Tamimi RM, Laden F, Bertrand KA. Circadian misalignment and hepatocellular carcinoma incidence in the United States. Cancer Epdemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2018; 27(7):719-27. PubMed PMID: 29636342. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6035064.
  • VoPham T, Bertrand KA, Yuan J-M, Tamimi RM, Hart JE, Laden F. Ambient ultraviolet radiation exposure and hepatocellular carcinoma incidence in the United States. Environ Health. 2017; 16(1):89. PubMed PMID: 28821245. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5562984.

Current Funding

NIH/NIEHS R01 ES029840-01A1: Early life exposure to the natural, built, and social environments and incident hypertension

Diet, obesity, and physical activity are known risk factors, and a growing body of evidence suggests that exposures to air pollution are also associated with risk; however, to date, no study has been able to examine the role of multiple environmental exposures throughout childhood on risk of subsequent hypertension in adulthood, nor how environmental exposures interact with features of the built and social environments to influence risk. We aim to explore the impacts of features of the natural, built, and social environments throughout childhood on risk of hypertension in adulthood, to provide valuable information for future risk assessments and population level prevention.

NIH/NIEHS R01 ES028712-01: The Effects of Environmental Exposures on Semen Quality and the Sperm Epigenome

The aims of this project are to assess the impact of multiple environmental exposures (air pollution and endocrine disruptors) on measures of semen quality (concentration, total count, and motility) assessed via cell phone, morphology assessed with standard laboratory methods, and novel epigenomic markers (sperm DNA methylation).

NIH/NIEHS R01 ES028033: Relationship Between Multiple Environmental Exposures and CVD Incidence and Survival: Vulnerability and Susceptibility

The major goals of the proposed project are to study associations of multiple environmental exposures on cardiovascular disease (CVD), mortality and survival after a non-fatal CVD event in the context of multiple confounders and effect modifications. We will be developing new statistical methods, assessing air pollution (particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone) and weather (e.g. temperature variability) as main effects, and evaluating effect modification by contextual, lifestyle and genetic factors