Dr. Jeremy Schraw, an epidemiologist and assistant professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine Academy, has expressed concerns that Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) systems may be causing birth defects. The knowledge about these water systems was previously limited, prompting research at Baylor.
"An environmental buffer allows for some degradation, through microbial activity or UV light for example, of potentially harmful compounds that might be present in treated wastewater," said Jeremy Schraw, epidemiologist and assistant professor of pediatrics – oncology at Baylor, according to Baylor College of Medicine. "We wanted to examine whether using an alternative approach might affect the prevalence of birth defects in the population."
According to Baylor College of Medicine, researchers analyzed data from various regions in Texas following the introduction of DPR water systems. The counties under scrutiny in the study included Howard, Edward, Scurry counties, and Midland. Through this research, it was observed that there were 50 additional cases of birth defects and 280 more instances of congenital heart disease per estimated 10,000 people. This data spanned from 2014 to 2017. Schraw clarified that the objective of the research was not to test DPR itself but to determine if it could serve as an alternative approach in combating birth defects across the population.
Baylor College of Medicine reports that Schraw reiterated the purpose of these experiments - they are designed to study the correlation between birth defects and DPR implementation. However, he cautioned that there were limitations to the research such as water quality not being directly recorded and uncertainty surrounding whether the mothers' consumed water originated from the studied counties. As Schraw warns, while there is no direct link established between DPR implementation and child defects, the study suggests a potential causal relationship.
According to Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Jeremy Schraw received his PhD from University of Texas at Austin and completed his Postdoctoral Fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine. He has been recognized with several awards including the Young Investigator Talent Award and Junior Investigator Award. His professional interests lie in childhood cancer and congenital defects. As a molecular epidemiologist, he frequently employs large-scale methods in investigating issues related to childhood cancer and birth defects.
