Research
I do research on environmental chemical exposure and effects on health and development in young children.
My PhD project utilized data in the SELMA-study. This is an on-going longitudinal study of Värmland children that aims to investigate how exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) early in life affects children's health later in life.
The relationship between airway disorders and exposure to a group or EDCs called phthalets are of particular interest in my project. Several phthalates are known to have EDC properties and some are today restricted and banned in toys. However, we might still have products containing these chemicals in our homes, for instance in PVC flooring. This has been linked to a greater risk of children to develop asthma.
In my project I focused on phthalates in the indoor environment. Dust was collected from the SELMA families during pregnancy and during the child's first year. Phthalate levels in the dust was investigated and phthalate intake related to the indoor environment among pregnant women were estimated.
The results show that some phthalates can be followed from the source PVC flooring, to indoor dust, and on to human intake. Prenatal phthalate exposure and phthalate levels in bedroom dust can then be linked to wheeze and croup in children.
Bio
Preece, A. S., Shu, H., Knutz, M., Krais, A. M., and Bornehag, C.G. Phthalate levels in prenatal and postnatal bedroom dust in the SELMA study. [Manuscript submitted for publication].
Preece, A.S., Shu, H., Knutz, M., Krais, A.M., Bekö, G. and Bornehag, C.G. (2021), Indoor phthalate exposure and contributions to total intake among pregnant women in the SELMA study. Indoor Air. 31(5), 1495-1508. https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12813
Preece, A. S., Knutz, M., Lindh, C., & Bornehag, C. G. and Shu, H. (2021). Prenatal phthalate exposure and early-childhood wheeze. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-021-00382-w
Preece, A. S., Shu, H., Knutz, M., Krais, A. M., Wikström, S., and Bornehag, C. G. (2021). Phthalate levels in indoor dust and associations to croup in the SELMA study. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology. 31(2), 257-265. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-020-00264-7