ATLANTA-- A study by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry suggests that adverse birth outcomes might be associated with women’s exposure during pregnancy to the volatile organic compounds (VOCs), perchloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), and benzene in drinking water at the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base.

Women who were pregnant and were exposed to the contaminated drinking water between 1968 and 1985 were more likely to have increased risk of pre-term birth or children with forms of fetal growth retardation, according to the study results. These birth outcomes have been previously found to increase the risk for negative health outcomes later in life.

The findings also apply to women who gave birth before 1968 if they were exposed to similar levels of VOCs-contaminated drinking water. The adverse birth outcomes varied by type of exposure:

• Exposure to PCE in the contaminated water was associated with pre-term birth, that is, birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy. The strongest association was seen when women were exposed during the second trimester (fourth through sixth month of pregnancy).
• Exposure to TCE in the water was associated with children born small for gestational age, term low birth weight, and reduced mean birth weight. The risk of having a child with term low birth weight grew with increasing levels of exposure to TCE during the second trimester.
• Exposure to benzene also was associated with term low birth weight. The risk grew with increasing levels of exposure to benzene throughout the pregnancy.

The full report is available at: http://www.ehjournal.net/content/13/1/99/abstract

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ATSDR, a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, evaluates the potential for adverse human health effects of exposure to hazardous substances in the environment.