Burk Schaible1, Frank Annie2, Dara Seybold3, Byron C Calhoun4. 1. Charleston Area Medical Center Women and Children's Hospital, 800 Pennsylvania Ave, Charleston, WV, 25302, United States. Electronic address: burk.schaible@camc.org. 2. Charleston Area Medical Center Health Education and Research Institute, 3211 McCorkle Ave, SE Charleston, WV, 25304, United States. Electronic address: Frank.h.annie@camc.org. 3. Charleston Area Medical Center Health Education and Research Institute, 3211 McCorkle Ave, SE Charleston, WV, 25304, United States. Electronic address: djseybold@camc.org. 4. West Virginia University/Charleston Area Medical Center Women and Children's Hospital, 800 Pennsylvania Ave, Charleston, WV, 25302, United States. Electronic address: Byron.Calhoun@camc.org.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the prevalence of Müllerian anomalies within an obstetrical population in relation to official hazardous waste sites designated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in West Virginia. METHODS: Observational study of obstetric patients in a tertiary care center with uterine ultrasounds from January 2006 to June 2017. An Optimized Hot Spot analysis and Ripley's K- Function was constructed to ascertain if there is an association with environmental exposures. RESULTS: The prevalence of Müllerian anomalies in our obstetric study sample was 0.9% (118/13,040). The most common were septate (47; 39.8%) and bicornuate (46; 39.0%). The distribution of Müllerian anomalies was non-random illustrated by Optimized Hot Spot Analysis locating several statistically significant zip codes of Müllerian anomalies in relation to zip codes that include EPA facilities. CONCLUSION: The distribution of Müllerian anomalies was clustered in watershed areas along the Kanawha River in West Virginia that have been designated as EPA FRS Sites and Superfund Sites.
OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the prevalence of Müllerian anomalies within an obstetrical population in relation to official hazardous waste sites designated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in West Virginia. METHODS: Observational study of obstetric patients in a tertiary care center with uterine ultrasounds from January 2006 to June 2017. An Optimized Hot Spot analysis and Ripley's K- Function was constructed to ascertain if there is an association with environmental exposures. RESULTS: The prevalence of Müllerian anomalies in our obstetric study sample was 0.9% (118/13,040). The most common were septate (47; 39.8%) and bicornuate (46; 39.0%). The distribution of Müllerian anomalies was non-random illustrated by Optimized Hot Spot Analysis locating several statistically significant zip codes of Müllerian anomalies in relation to zip codes that include EPA facilities. CONCLUSION: The distribution of Müllerian anomalies was clustered in watershed areas along the Kanawha River in West Virginia that have been designated as EPA FRS Sites and Superfund Sites.