Hokkaido University · Environmental Science
Professor Atsuko Araki's research lab focuses on environmental health, particularly the impact of persistent organic pollutants such as phthalates and organophosphate esters (PFRs) on human health. The lab investigates prenatal and early-life exposure to these chemicals and their associations with respiratory diseases, allergies, and reproductive health outcomes. Using epidemiological and biomonitoring approaches, the lab examines the effects of chemical mixtures on children and infants, with an emphasis on indoor environmental exposures. Their work contributes critical insights into the health risks posed by ubiquitous household chemicals.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Organophosphate esters are used as additives in flame retardants and plasticizers, and they are ubiquitous in the indoor environment. Phosphorus flame retardants (PFRs) are present in residential dust, but few epidemiological studies have assessed their impact on human health. We measured the levels of 11 PFRs in indoor floor dust and multi-surface dust in 182 single-family dwellings in Japan. We evaluated their correlations with asthma and allergies of the inhabitants. Tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosp
Prenatal di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) exposure can produce reproductive toxicity in animal models. Only limited data exist from human studies on maternal DEHP exposure and its effects on infants. We aimed to examine the associations between DEHP exposure in utero and reproductive hormone levels in cord blood. Between 2002 and 2005, 514 pregnant women agreed to participate in the Hokkaido Study Sapporo Cohort. Maternal blood samples were taken from 23-35 weeks of gestation and the concentrat
Significant associations of mixed exposures to phthalates and PFRs and increased prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis was found among elementary school-aged children in the WQS positive model. Mixed exposures were not associated with any of allergic symptoms in the WQS negative model or qg-computation approach. However, the combined effects of exposure to two PFRs suggested an additive and/or multiplicative interaction, potentially increasing the prevalence of rhinoconjunctivitis. A further study w
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