# Exposure to metal mixtures in multiple critical periods of development and adolescent neuromotor function

> **NIH NIH F31** · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · 2022 · $19,885

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Evidence for neurodevelopmental toxicity from exposure to environmental metals is mounting. Recent studies
have found that neurotoxicity may depend on when during development the metal exposure occurs (e.g., in
utero versus childhood) and that metals have synergistic adverse effects on children's neurodevelopment. Our
study aims to elucidate the role of childhood environmental metal exposure on neuromotor function, a largely
understudied neurodevelopmental outcome, by examining cumulative and interactive associations with a
common industrial metal mixture. The proposed research in this F31 will use previously collected data from the
Public Health Impact of Mixed Element exposure (PHIME) study, comprised of 720 children (ages 10-14 years)
with varied airborne exposure to ferroalloy industry pollutants in Italy. Under the mentorship of a
multidisciplinary team of experts in environmental epidemiology, neurobehavioral toxicology, exposure biology,
statistical methods and chemical mixtures, Alexa Friedman (PI) proposes to estimate the associations of an
industrially relevant metal mixture of manganese, copper, chromium and lead with neuromotor function
in multiple critical periods of development. We will evaluate the relationship between metals, measured in
multiple biomarkers (teeth, hair, nails, blood, saliva, urine) that represent exposure from the prenatal period
through adolescence, and a battery of neuropsychological tests that evaluate motor function. We will use state-
of-the-art statistical approaches, including Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression and quantile-based g-
computation for metal mixtures, and hierarchical variable selection to examine biomarker selection. This
research will inform our current understanding of metal associations with children's neuromotor function and
provide insights for targeted interventions to reduce metals exposure. It also targets several NIEHS strategic
goals including the study of co-exposures in communities living near environmental hazards and the innovative
use of exposure data across critical developmental windows.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10464009
- **Project number:** 1F31ES033558-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS
- **Principal Investigator:** Alexa Friedman
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $19,885
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2022-10-16

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10464009

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10464009, Exposure to metal mixtures in multiple critical periods of development and adolescent neuromotor function (1F31ES033558-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10464009. Licensed CC0.

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