ABSTRACT Electronic waste (e-waste) is the fastest growing solid waste stream worldwide and mostly ends up in developing countries where residents use primitive methods for recycling. The

most infamous e-waste recycling town, Guiyu in Southeast China, has been recycling since the mid-1990s. E-waste contains several harmful chemicals, including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd),

chromium (Cr), and manganese (Mn). In 2011–12, the e-waste Recycling Exposures and Community Health (e-REACH) Study enrolled 634 pregnant women living in Guiyu and Haojiang, a control site,

both in Shantou, China. The women completed a questionnaire and gave maternal blood, cord blood, and maternal urine, which were analyzed for Pb, Cd, Cr, and Mn. Maternal blood Pb, Cd, and Cr

2.69) and Mn (ratio: 2.60, 95% CI: 2.04, 3.31) concentrations were significantly higher in Guiyu in comparison to Haojiang. In conclusion, pregnant women in Guiyu were at risk for increased

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Health/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) grants RC4ES019755, T32ES010957, P30 ES006096, and the Project of International Cooperation and Innovation Platform in

Guangdong Universities (2013gjhz0007). The authors also extend thanks to all the participants in the study. AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Environmental Health,

University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA Stephani Kim, Kim Dietrich, Tiina Reponen, Shuk-mei Ho, Changchun Xie & Aimin Chen * Laboratory of Environmental

Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease and Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China Xijin Xu, Yuling Zhang, 

Xiangbin Zheng & Rongju Liu * Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA Heidi Sucharew * School of Environment,

Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Exposure and Health, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China Xia Huo Authors * Stephani

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can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHORS Correspondence to Xia Huo or Aimin Chen. ETHICS DECLARATIONS CONFLICT OF INTEREST The authors declare that they

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Zhang, Y. _et al._ Metal concentrations in pregnant women and neonates from informal electronic waste recycling. _J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol_ 29, 406–415 (2019).

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41370-018-0054-9 Download citation * Received: 20 July 2017 * Revised: 21 May 2018 * Accepted: 31 May 2018 * Published: 15 August 2018 * Issue Date: May 2019 * DOI:

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currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative KEYWORDS * Electronic waste * Recycling * Lead * Cadmium *

Chromium * Manganese