Table 2 Summary of application studies.
Studies | Exposure (biomarker) | Sample size and type | Study design | Main findings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Joseph 2013 [35] | ETS; cotinine | 1541 DBS samples extant child lead screening | Cross-sectional | 61% DF; concurrent pediatric screening of lead and ETS using DBS sampling may be feasible | Used DBS assay developed by Murphy et al. (2013) [28] |
Spector 2014 [36] | ETS; cotinine | 1414 NDBS samples (California, Michigan, New York, Washington) | Cross-sectional | 35% DF (83% DF for infants of smoking mothers); evidence of non-disclosure and exposure to SHS during pregnancy | Used DBS assay developed by Murphy et al. (2013) [28] |
Sen 2015 [72] | Pb; epigenetic alterations | 43 DBS samples from children | Cross-sectional | Elevated Pb exposure associated with alterations in epigenetic profiles | DNA was extracted from DBS samples |
Sen 2015 [71] | Pb; epigenetic alterations | 35 mother–infant NDBS pairs (Michigan) | Multigenerational cohort study | Elevated Pb levels in NDBS samples from mothers were associated with epigenetic alterations in the child’s NDBS samples | DNA was extracted from DBS samples |
Montrose 2020 [73] | Pb; epigenetic alterations | 96 NDBS samples (Michigan) | Cross-sectional (within Healthy Families Project – cohort study) | Elevated Pb exposure associated with alterations in epigenetic profiles; DBS sampling suitable for advancing environmental epigenetics | DNA was extracted from DBS samples |
Nyanza 2019 [14] | Hg; T-Hg | 1056 DBS samples (Tanzanian ASGM communities) | Cross-sectional (Mining and Health longitudinal cohort study) | Although T-Hg levels were higher in pregnant women from ASGM communities compared to non-ASGM, T-Hg levels were elevated in both | Used DBS assay developed by Nyanza et al. (2019) [48] |
Nyanza 2020 [15] | Hg; T-Hg | 961 DBS samples (Tanzanian ASGM communities) | Mining and Health longitudinal cohort study | Prenatal exposure to Hg was associated with adverse birth outcomes among women in ASGM communities | Used DBS assay developed by Nyanza et al. (2019) [48] |
Nyanza 2021 [16] | Pb, T-Hg, Cd | 439 DBS samples (Tanzanian ASGM communities) | Mining and Health longitudinal cohort study | High prenatal exposure to Hg was associated with worse neurodevelopment outcomes at 6–12 months of age; Hg and Pb co-exposure may further increase risk | Used DBS assay developed by Nyanza et al. (2019) [48] |
Santa-Rios 2020 [69] | I-Hg; Me-Hg | 35 DBS samples (Colombian ASGM communities) | Cross-sectional | Me-Hg and I-Hg detected in nearly all samples; field blank filter card contamination was estimated to average ~0.07 ± 0.15 and ~1.16 ± 0.79 µg/L for Me-Hg and I-Hg, respectively. Sample field blanks averaged 0.15 ± 0.19 and 1.77 ± 4.06 µg/L for Me-Hg and I-Hg, respectively. There is a need for Hg speciation | Used DBS assay developed by Santa-Rios et al. (2020) [47] |
Santa-Rios 2021 [70] | Me-Hg | 20 electronic waste workers (Ghana) | Cross-sectional | Me-Hg detected in nearly all samples; excellent agreement with venous blood values; Me-Hg contamination was low in contaminated field setting | Used DBS assay developed by Santa-Rios et al. (2021) [47] |
Spliethoff 2008 [92] | PFOS, PFOSA, PFHxS, PFOA, PFNA | 110 pooled NDBS sample composites representing 2640 infants (New York state) | Temporal biomonitoring (1997–2007) | PFOS, PFOSA, PFHxS, PFOA showed exponential declines after the year 2000; DF >90% for all analytes | Included initial method development and validation using spiked DBS samples Pooled composite samples were 24 ×;6-mm diameter punches (~322 µL blood) |
Ma 2013 [93] | PBDE congeners | 51 pooled NDBS sample composites representing 1224 infants | Temporal biomonitoring (1997–2011) | PBDE exposure declined after 2004; DF 86%, 45%, and 43% for BDEs-47, -99, and -100, respectively. LOQs 0.003, 0.008, 0.008 ng/mL, respectively | Included initial method development and validation using spiked DBS samples Pooled samples were equivalent to 24 ×;6-mm diameter DBS punches (~322 µL blood) |
Ma 2014 [90] | PCBs and OCPs | 51 pooled NDBS sample composites representing 1224 infants | Temporal biomonitoring (1997–2011) | PCBs and p,p’-DDE significantly declined from 1997 to 2001 with p,p’-DDE showing continued significant declines through 2011; >50% DF for 12 PCBs and 2 OCPs | Included initial method development and validation using spiked DBS samples Pooled samples were equivalent to 24 × 6-mm diameter DBS punches (~322 µL blood) |
Bell 2018 [94] | PFOS, PFOA, BPA | 3111 NDBS samples (Upstate KIDS study, 2008–2010) | Longitudinal birth cohort study | PFOS, PFOA not associated with birth size independent of plurality; BPA negatively associated with birth size in twins. 99% DF for PFOS and 90% for BPA | Used DBS assay developed by Ma et al. (2013) [86] |
Ghassabian 2018 [96] | PFOS, PFOA, BPA | 788 NDBS samples (Upstate KIDS study, 2008–2010) | Longitudinal birth cohort study | Elevated PFOS related to behavioral difficulties; elevated PFOA related to difficulties in prosocial behavior. PFOS and PFOA had DF of 100% | Used DBS assay developed by Ma et al. (2013) [86] |
Yeung 2019 [95] | PFOS, PFOA, BPA | 3111 NDBS samples (Upstate KIDS study, 2008–2010) | Longitudinal birth cohort study | PFOS and PFOA associated with lower BMI at 3 years of age; postnatal BPA exposure may occur in the hospital | Used DBS assay developed by Ma et al. (2013) [86] |
Robinson 2021 [97] | PFOS, PFOA, epigenetic alterations | 597 NDBS samples (Upstate KIDS study, 2008–2010) | Cross-sectional | High concentrations of PFOA/PFOS were not clearly associated with significant epigenetic alterations | Used DBS assay developed by Ma et al. (2013) [86] DNA was extracted from DBS samples |
Bell 2019 [97] | PCBs, PBDE, p,p’-DDE | 2065 NDBS samples (Upstate KIDS study, 2008–2010) | Cross-sectional | Elevated POPs were associated with an increased risk for large for gestational age and higher birth weight. >96% DF for DDE and many PCBs using pooled samples | Used DBS methods developed by Ma et al. (2014) [90] and Batterman and Chernyak (2014) [5, 87] DBS samples pooled for analyses |
Gross 2020 [99] | OCPs, PBDEs, PFASs | 98 NDBS samples (Starting Early Program RCT) | Nested case–control study | >94% DF for most analytes. Two PFASs associated with lower birth weight | Used DBS methods developed by Ma et al. (2013) [86] and Ma et al. (2014) [90] |
