Lab Matters Fall 2023 | Page 45

APHL 2023 POSTER ABSTRACTS specimens from these university populations improved our understanding of the transmission patterns of SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating on a local community level , the level of transmissibility amongst high-risk populations and provided timely actionable data for contact tracing .

Presenter : Amy Bauer , City of Milwaukee Health Department , ambauer @ milwaukee . gov

An Introduction to the Iowa Biomonitoring Program at the State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa

M . Schueller , A . Mattson , S . Dai ; State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa

Biomonitoring is defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) as an assessment of nutritional status and the exposure of the US population to environmental chemicals and toxic substances . The Iowa Biomonitoring Program , initiated in October 2019 , is a public health surveillance project conducted at the State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa ( SHL ). The three-fold purpose of the Iowa program is to : 1 ) enhance laboratory capacity and collaborations to perform biomonitoring analyses , and to increase laboratory service coverage across the state , 2 ) extend the CDC national study scope to Iowa , develop an Iowa-specific output database , establish the background level characterization of the Iowa rural population exposure and compare that to CDC reports , and 3 ) communicate and educate exposure risks , promote biomonitoring awareness , implement protective measures , and support informed policy development . The SHL is currently assessing the levels of environmental exposure to heavy metals , neonicotinoid insecticides , and phenols ( a group of compounds identified as endocrine disruptors ). The Iowa program is focused on two specific sub-populations – pregnant women and Iowa residents from 11 counties using private well water as their primary source of drinking water . The specific matrices that are being evaluated to fulfill the assessment of human exposure are urine and well water . SHL has collected 998 urine specimens from 343 expectant mothers at multiple points in time during their pregnancy , and 1,000 urine specimens and 1,000 well water samples from private well water users . A partnership with the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Maternal Fetal Tissue Bank provides the needed maternal urine specimens . The private well user water samples and urine specimens were originally designed to be obtained in partnership with the local public health specialists as collectors . However , the pandemic required that SHL change directions in recruitment and rely on a series of mailings to well owners / users identified in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources ( IDNR ) Private Well Tracking System ( PWTS ). The active recruitment period for private well users spans from September 2021 through February 2023 with approximately 70 % of the targeted goal achieved through October 2022 . These water samples and urine specimens are selfcollected by the participants . Analysis of urine and water samples is ongoing at this time . Selected findings from both study groups will be shared with attendees at the APHL Annual Meeting poster session .

Presenter : Michael Schueller , michael-schueller @ uiowa . edu

Automating Solid Phase Extraction of PFAS in Human Serum for LC-MS / MS Analysis using a Liquid Handler

Z . Quan Li , C . Xu , D . Mathes , C . Lestician , A . Lin , S . O ’ Leary , T . Fan , L . Zhong ; New Jersey Department of Health Public Health and Environmental Laboratories

Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances ( PFAS ) are a large group of manufactured chemicals that are persistent and potentially hazardous . PFAS is tested in human serum with high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry ( HPLC-MS / MS ), typically after solid phase extraction ( SPE ). Although it can be challenging , resource intense and time consuming , SPE is deemed necessary in this instance . In our lab , SPE is performed online system . A major limitation of this approach is that sample preparation occurs sequentially before sample injection , therefore limiting throughput . The main goal of this project is to improve the sample throughput of the SPE system by offline automation , where samples are prepared concurrently using a 96 well plate format using a Janus automated liquid handler . The proposed off-line SPE has been successfully deployed by others on various platforms . Sample pre-treatment was deemed the most crucial in eliminating analyte recoveries . The SPE will be conducted on weak anion extraction ( WAX ) stationary phase . The automated procedure includes sample pre-treatment : Combine 50 µ l , 150 µ l Acetonitrile and internal standard , load the supernatant to the SPE plate after conditioning and washing before sample elution . The new automated offline SPE sample preparation method is expected to enable the lab to prepare PFAS samples from 48 aliquot of 50 μl human serum in less than two hours for analysis of the 18 PFAS . Meanwhile , the accuracy of the further LC-MS / MS analysis must be within ± 30 % of nominal value or 3 times of STD value .

Presenter : Zhan Quan Li , zhanquan . li @ doh . nj . gov

Biomonitoring Results Reporting to Participants in a Statelevel Population Surveillance Study ( NJHANES )

C . Donohoe , C . Ho , T . Fan , E . Bind , E . Cook ; New Jersey Department of Health Public Health and Environmental Laboratories

NJHANES is a population surveillance study conducted by the NJ Department of Health to examine the health and nutritional status of NJ residents through questionnaires and biomonitoring various toxic metals and organic pollutants . In environmental population studies , individual results reporting is challenging ; therefore , NJHANES designed the reports to help participants interpret their results in a way that enables them to reduce exposure and improve their health outcomes . Specifically , the team determines elevated exposure levels , delivers those levels in lay terms , and must satisfy CLIA research regulations . The NJHANES reports , including partial reports with metals and final reports with all analytes , were designed to address above challenges . NJHANES reporting guidelines were based on the latest NHANES datasets to establish elevated exposure levels . While the partial report contains results for metals with established health limits , the participants are alerted if their level is three times higher than the 95th percentile of NHANES due to concerns of health risks associated with this range . The 95th percentile estimate was calculated for sex-age stratification to confirm results since exposure levels differ among age groups and / or between sexes .