Tap water contaminants and baby health across communities
Public Drinking Water Contaminants and Infant Health: Advancing Environmental Justice
This project looks at whether contaminants in public tap water expose pregnant people and affect newborn health, especially across different racial and socioeconomic groups in the U.S.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11380507 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team will create nationwide estimates of contaminant levels in public drinking water for over eighty regulated chemicals using EPA monitoring data. They will compare those water-exposure estimates with measured metal levels in pregnant people and infants from three diverse birth cohorts to see links with birth outcomes like birth weight. The researchers will also study how past national drinking water regulation changes influenced infant health in different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups using a difference-in-differences approach. The work combines large-scale public water data with biological measurements and birth records to highlight exposure inequalities and potential health impacts.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who are pregnant or recently gave birth and who live in areas served by public water systems—especially communities with known or suspected water contamination—would be most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: Individuals whose drinking water comes from private wells or who are not pregnant/new parents may not see direct benefits from this specific project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify contaminated water sources and guide policies to reduce exposures and improve infant health and equity.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have linked water metals like arsenic to poorer birth outcomes, but combining nationwide drinking water estimates with measured in utero doses across multiple birth cohorts and policy-impact analyses is a newer, less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nigra, Anne E — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Nigra, Anne E
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.