APHL 2019 POSTER ABSTRACTS
Both targeted and random samples were collected by the four
states and shipped to the laboratories in Utah and New Mexico
for analyses. Targeted samples were collected from participants
who are involved with spraying insecticides to control mosquito
populations.
Results: The laboratories have successfully validated the
biomonitoring method for three metabolites of pyrethroids in urine
and have analyzed approximately 250 samples. Results will show
how the Utah and New Mexico laboratories worked together and
helped each other to assure analytical needs of the consortium are
met. Geometric mean and selected percentiles of the pyrethroid
metabolites concentrations in urine will be presented. Results of the
pyrethroid metabolites from participants in the mosquito abatement
districts will be compared with those collected randomly from
participants all over Utah.
Presenter: Jackie Patel, Utah Public Health Laboratory, Taylorsville,
UT, [email protected]
A Biomonitoring Study to Examine Baseline Exposures to
Toxic Metals and Perchlorate in Virginia in a Geographically
Representative Population
D. Dannouf, S. Wyatt and C. Retarides, Virginia Division of
Consolidated Laboratory Services
The Commonwealth of Virginia is a geographically diverse state
spanning from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean.
Within Virginia are small farming and mining communities, large
cities and urban areas, military installations and shoreline fishing
and recreation areas; each with its own unique environment.
Virginia is rich in natural resources including coal and many
minerals including large deposits of uranium in the southern and
western regions. Studies have shown drinking water sources may
be contaminated with uranium from trace levels to more than twice
the EPA allowable maximum contamination limit (MCL) of 30 μg/L.1
Chronic exposure to uranium and other metals can lead to health
issues including renal damage. Perchlorate is a highly water soluble
chemical and accumulates in leafy green vegetables. It is present
in fertilizers, fireworks, munitions and high energy propellants and
is ubiquitous in the environment. Chronic exposure to perchlorate
can affect thyroid health, resulting in hypothyroidism. Exposure
to uranium, barium, cadmium, thallium, lead and perchlorate is
being assessed through analysis of urine samples self-collected by
volunteers recruited at community colleges throughout Virginia in
order to provide a geographically representative population from
which to compile data. The Virginia Community College System
consists of twenty-three community colleges serving distinct regions
of the state. Students, faculty and staff live and work within these
regions; therefore, environmental exposures to chemicals are
expected to be representative of the area population. Point-in-time
urine metal and perchlorate concentrations from convenience
samples were evaluated to determine if correlations could be
established between several factors. This included geographic
location, gender, drinking water source, tobacco use and dietary
habits.
Presenter: Shane Wyatt, Virginia Division of Consolidated
Laboratory Services, Richmond, VA, [email protected]
PublicHealthLabs
@APHL
APHL.org
Wastewater-based Epidemiology to Combat the Opioid Crisis
K. Foppe, N. Endo and M. Matus, Biobot Analytics
In October 2018, the US Department of Health and Human services
(HHS) renewed the declaration that the opioid crisis is a national
public health emergency. Since the initial declaration in 2017, there
has been an unprecedented growth in awareness of the opioid
crisis, but a lack of data to effectively inform public health officials’
decision-making. “Better data” are called for to better understand
and suppress the opioid crisis as written in the five-point strategy
announced by the HHS. Conventional metrics to assess the scope
of the crisis have been limited to drug seizure data, hospital reports,
and overdose records. However, these reporting methods are prone
to underestimation of the true problem. Better data are inclusive,
fast-arriving, and scientifically-sound evidence to allow public health
officials to make fast, informed decisions to end this epidemic.
Wastewater-based epidemiology (WWBE) is a prominent method
of monitoring the consumption of opioid in communities, providing
more accurate data near-real time. In the last two decades, WWBE
has been successfully used to measure the concentration of
opioids, as well as other illicit drugs from raw wastewater influent.
WWBE is a semi-real time approach with a turnaround time of days
compared to the months and years required for reporting data to be
collected.
Advancing WWBE, Biobot Analytics measures the concentration
of opioid metabolites within a city. Using GIS analysis of the city’s
sewer systems, Biobot Analytics selects a representative set of
manholes throughout the city to deploy its sampling devices.
While the application of WWBE to the upstream sewer network is
challenging, it bears significant potential in understanding the true
scope of the opioid crisis with finer spatial resolution. Over a 24-
hour period, each device collects raw sewage samples which are
filtered and loaded through Oasis HLB solid-phase extraction (SPE)
cartridges. These cartridges are extracted in the lab and analyzed
via HPLC-MS/MS. The method is capable of measuring the
concentration of opioids as well as many other illicit and prescription
drugs present in wastewater. These data are transformed into
consumption data (mg/day/1000 people) as well as milligram
morphine equivalent (MME) for opioid compounds. In liaising with
cities, these data are used to understand the high- and hidden-risk
areas of a city, track consumption trends, and implement efficient
interventions in a timely manner.
Presenter: Katelyn Foppe, Biobot Analytics, Somerville, MA,
[email protected]
Tips and Tricks for Extracting Perfluorinated Compounds from
Drinking Water and Wastewater Using Solid Phase Extraction
M. Ebitson and E. Walters, Biotage
Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are a group of compounds
that have been used in a wide array of industrial and household
applications, including fabric protectors, non-stick coatings for
cookware, coatings for food packaging and in some fire-fighting
foams. Due to the strength of the carbon-fluorine bonds within
the molecule, PFCs are highly resistant to degradation even when
metabolized or exposed to harsh environmental conditions. Their
persistence in the environment allows them to accumulate in water
sources, particularly those used for consumption.
Summer 2019 LAB MATTERS
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