K43TW011408
Project Grant
Overview
Grant Description
Prenatal fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposures and their association with birthweight in Southern India - Project Summary / Abstract
Air pollution is a leading risk factor for the national disease burden in India, resulting in an estimated 1.17 million adult and 116,000 neonatal deaths in 2019. Ambient air pollution is increasing steadily across Indian megacities and nearly 100% of the population experience exposures to unsafe levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
Further, exposures to air toxics such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are likely to be widespread in urban India on account of ubiquity of sources and high volume of emissions, but exposures to air toxics remain poorly characterized.
Impacts of air pollution on pregnant women and the developing fetus have tremendous implications for India where, the prevalence of low birth weight (LBW <2.5 kg birthweight) is already high (15 to 30% across states).
Despite the ubiquity of health damaging PM2.5 and PAHs exposure and high prevalence of LBW, evidence linking these exposures to adverse pregnancy outcomes has been limited in India.
To address this evidence gap, the study proposes to establish an urban cohort of 300 pregnant women in Chennai (a megacity in Southern India) to examine pregnancy period exposures to PM2.5 and PAHs through personal monitoring and biomarker measurements and examine associations with birthweight.
The proposed research builds on the extensive capacities at the host institution created through previous NIH supported projects.
The study will recruit 300 pregnant women from outpatient clinics of Sri Ramachandra Hospital (applicants host institute), conduct 24-hour personal exposure measurements for PM2.5 and PAHs three times, once during each trimester using a wearable sampler and assess the oxidative potential of the PM2.5 fractions (PM-OP) by acellular assays and its relationship with PM2.5 and PAHs.
Urinary levels of PAH metabolites (2-naphthol and 1-hydroxypyrene) and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-OHDG), a biomarker of oxidative damage will be measured during each trimester and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) will be measured in cord blood.
This will allow an evaluation of the individual and interactive associations between PM2.5, PAHs, PM-OP, urinary biomarkers (PAH metabolites and 8-OHDG) and telomere length.
On a 100-person subset of the cohort, fresh air wristbands will be used to provide a measure of personal exposure to PAHs and will be evaluated with other measures of exposure and effect.
Finally, the differential effects of PM2.5 and PAHs on term low-birth weight will be examined using single, two and multipollutant models.
The study will strengthen the limited available exposure-response evidence for prenatal PM2.5 and PAH exposures and birthweight in India while also identifying potential vulnerable exposure windows.
Career development activities will focus on advanced training in novel exposure assessment techniques, mass spectrometry-based techniques for biomarker analysis, regression analysis and multipollutant modeling.
The increased investigator capacities will allow research beyond traditional PM mass-related health effects to address multiple environmental exposures that predominate in high exposure settings of urban India.
Air pollution is a leading risk factor for the national disease burden in India, resulting in an estimated 1.17 million adult and 116,000 neonatal deaths in 2019. Ambient air pollution is increasing steadily across Indian megacities and nearly 100% of the population experience exposures to unsafe levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
Further, exposures to air toxics such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are likely to be widespread in urban India on account of ubiquity of sources and high volume of emissions, but exposures to air toxics remain poorly characterized.
Impacts of air pollution on pregnant women and the developing fetus have tremendous implications for India where, the prevalence of low birth weight (LBW <2.5 kg birthweight) is already high (15 to 30% across states).
Despite the ubiquity of health damaging PM2.5 and PAHs exposure and high prevalence of LBW, evidence linking these exposures to adverse pregnancy outcomes has been limited in India.
To address this evidence gap, the study proposes to establish an urban cohort of 300 pregnant women in Chennai (a megacity in Southern India) to examine pregnancy period exposures to PM2.5 and PAHs through personal monitoring and biomarker measurements and examine associations with birthweight.
The proposed research builds on the extensive capacities at the host institution created through previous NIH supported projects.
The study will recruit 300 pregnant women from outpatient clinics of Sri Ramachandra Hospital (applicants host institute), conduct 24-hour personal exposure measurements for PM2.5 and PAHs three times, once during each trimester using a wearable sampler and assess the oxidative potential of the PM2.5 fractions (PM-OP) by acellular assays and its relationship with PM2.5 and PAHs.
Urinary levels of PAH metabolites (2-naphthol and 1-hydroxypyrene) and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-OHDG), a biomarker of oxidative damage will be measured during each trimester and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) will be measured in cord blood.
This will allow an evaluation of the individual and interactive associations between PM2.5, PAHs, PM-OP, urinary biomarkers (PAH metabolites and 8-OHDG) and telomere length.
On a 100-person subset of the cohort, fresh air wristbands will be used to provide a measure of personal exposure to PAHs and will be evaluated with other measures of exposure and effect.
Finally, the differential effects of PM2.5 and PAHs on term low-birth weight will be examined using single, two and multipollutant models.
The study will strengthen the limited available exposure-response evidence for prenatal PM2.5 and PAH exposures and birthweight in India while also identifying potential vulnerable exposure windows.
Career development activities will focus on advanced training in novel exposure assessment techniques, mass spectrometry-based techniques for biomarker analysis, regression analysis and multipollutant modeling.
The increased investigator capacities will allow research beyond traditional PM mass-related health effects to address multiple environmental exposures that predominate in high exposure settings of urban India.
Funding Goals
THE JOHN E. FOGARTY INTERNATIONAL CENTER (FIC) SUPPORTS RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING TO REDUCE DISPARITIES IN GLOBAL HEALTH AND TO FOSTER PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN U.S. SCIENTISTS AND THEIR COUNTERPARTS ABROAD. FIC SUPPORTS BASIC BIOLOGICAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH, AS WELL AS RELATED RESEARCH TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT. THE RESEARCH PORTFOLIO IS DIVIDED INTO SEVERAL PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT A WIDE VARIETY OF FUNDING MECHANISMS TO MEET PROGRAMMATIC OBJECTIVES.
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding / Funding Agency
Place of Performance
India
Geographic Scope
Foreign
Related Opportunity
Analysis Notes
Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 300% from $61,690 to $246,781.
SRI Ramachandra Institute Of Higher Education And Research Trust was awarded
Assessing Prenatal PM2.5 PAH Exposures on Birthweight in Southern India
Project Grant K43TW011408
worth $246,781
from Fogarty International Center in September 2022 with work to be completed primarily in India.
The grant
has a duration of 4 years 9 months and
was awarded through assistance program 93.989 International Research and Research Training.
The Project Grant was awarded through grant opportunity Emerging Global Leader Award (K43 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed).
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 8/6/25
Period of Performance
9/1/22
Start Date
6/30/27
End Date
Funding Split
$246.8K
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$246.8K
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Transaction History
Modifications to K43TW011408
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
K43TW011408
SAI Number
K43TW011408-3364373617
Award ID URI
SAI UNAVAILABLE
Awardee Classifications
Private Institution Of Higher Education
Awarding Office
75NF00 NIH Fogarty International Center
Funding Office
75NF00 NIH Fogarty International Center
Awardee UEI
CAN8D5LFTNV7
Awardee CAGE
2151Y
Performance District
Not Applicable
Budget Funding
| Federal Account | Budget Subfunction | Object Class | Total | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John E. Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Health and Human Services (075-0819) | Health research and training | Grants, subsidies, and contributions (41.0) | $123,455 | 100% |
Modified: 8/6/25