1
|
Margolis AE, Greenwood P, Dranovsky A, Rauh V. The Role of Environmental Chemicals in the Etiology of Learning Difficulties: A Novel Theoretical Framework. MIND, BRAIN AND EDUCATION : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL MIND, BRAIN, AND EDUCATION SOCIETY 2023; 17:301-311. [PMID: 38389544 PMCID: PMC10881209 DOI: 10.1111/mbe.12354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Children from economically disadvantaged communities have a disproportionate risk of exposure to chemicals, social stress, and learning difficulties. Although animal models and epidemiologic studies link exposures and neurodevelopment, little focus has been paid to academic outcomes in environmental health studies. Similarly, in the educational literature, environmental chemical exposures are overlooked as potential etiologic factors in learning difficulties. We propose a theoretical framework for the etiology of learning difficulties that focuses on these understudied exogenous factors. We discuss findings from animal models and longitudinal, prospective birth cohort studies that support this theoretical framework. Studies reviewed point to the effects of prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on reading comprehension and math skills via effects on inhibitory control processes. Long term, this work will help close the achievement gap in the United States by identifying behavioral and neural pathways from prenatal exposures to learning difficulties in children from economically disadvantaged families.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy E. Margolis
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
- New York State Psychiatric Institute
| | - Paige Greenwood
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
| | - Alex Dranovsky
- New York State Psychiatric Institute
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
| | - Virginia Rauh
- Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Payne-Sturges DC, Taiwo TK, Ellickson K, Mullen H, Tchangalova N, Anderko L, Chen A, Swanson M. Disparities in Toxic Chemical Exposures and Associated Neurodevelopmental Outcomes: A Scoping Review and Systematic Evidence Map of the Epidemiological Literature. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:96001. [PMID: 37754677 PMCID: PMC10525348 DOI: 10.1289/ehp11750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children are routinely exposed to chemicals known or suspected of harming brain development. Targeting Environmental Neuro-Development Risks (Project TENDR), an alliance of > 50 leading scientists, health professionals, and advocates, is working to protect children from these toxic chemicals and pollutants, especially the disproportionate exposures experienced by children from families with low incomes and families of color. OBJECTIVE This scoping review was initiated to map existing literature on disparities in neurodevelopmental outcomes for U.S. children from population groups who have been historically economically/socially marginalized and exposed to seven exemplar neurotoxicants: combustion-related air pollution (AP), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), organophosphate pesticides (OPs), phthalates (Phth), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). METHODS Systematic literature searches for the seven exemplar chemicals, informed by the Population, Exposure, Comparator, Outcome (PECO) framework, were conducted through 18 November 2022, using PubMed, CINAHL Plus (EBSCO), GreenFILE (EBSCO), and Web of Science sources. We examined these studies regarding authors' conceptualization and operationalization of race, ethnicity, and other indicators of sociodemographic and socioeconomic disadvantage; whether studies presented data on exposure and outcome disparities and the patterns of those disparities; and the evidence of effect modification by or interaction with race and ethnicity. RESULTS Two hundred twelve individual studies met the search criteria and were reviewed, resulting in 218 studies or investigations being included in this review. AP and Pb were the most commonly studied exposures. The most frequently identified neurodevelopmental outcomes were cognitive and behavioral/psychological. Approximately a third (74 studies) reported investigations of interactions or effect modification with 69% (51 of 74 studies) reporting the presence of interactions or effect modification. However, less than half of the studies presented data on disparities in the outcome or the exposure, and fewer conducted formal tests of heterogeneity. Ninety-two percent of the 165 articles that examined race and ethnicity did not provide an explanation of their constructs for these variables, creating an incomplete picture. DISCUSSION As a whole, the studies we reviewed indicated a complex story about how racial and ethnic minority and low-income children may be disproportionately harmed by exposures to neurotoxicants, and this has implications for targeting interventions, policy change, and other necessary investments to eliminate these health disparities. We provide recommendations on improving environmental epidemiological studies on environmental health disparities. To achieve environmental justice and health equity, we recommend concomitant strategies to eradicate both neurotoxic chemical exposures and systems that perpetuate social inequities. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP11750.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kristie Ellickson
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
- Union of Concerned Scientists, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Haley Mullen
- Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Laura Anderko
- M. Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Aimin Chen
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zou ML, Huang HC, Chen YH, Jiang CB, Wu CD, Lung SCC, Chien LC, Lo YC, Chao HJ. Sex-differences in the effects of indoor air pollutants and household environment on preschool child cognitive development. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 860:160365. [PMID: 36427743 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Air pollution, outdoor residential environment, indoor household characteristics, and parental mental health are potential factors associated with child development. However, few studies have simultaneously analyzed the association between the aforementioned factors and preschool child (aged 2-5 years) development. This study investigated the effects of those factors on child development and their potential modifying effects. A total of 142 participants were recruited from a birth cohort study in the Greater Taipei Area, and the evaluation was conducted at each participant's home from 2017 to 2020. Child cognitive development was assessed by psychologists using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development and the Wechsler Preschool & Primary Scale of Intelligence. Household air pollutants, outdoor residential environment, indoor household characteristics, parental mental health, and other covariates were evaluated. Multiple regressions were used to examine the relationships between child development and covariates. Stratified analysis by child sex and parental mental health was conducted. Average indoor air pollutant levels were below Taiwan's Indoor Air Quality Standards. After adjustment for covariates, the indoor total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) level was significantly associated with poor child development (per interquartile range increase in the TVOC level was associated with a 5.1 percentile decrease in child cognitive development). Sex difference was observed for the association between TVOC exposure and child development. Living near schools, burning incense at home, purchasing new furniture, and parental anxiety were related to child development. Indoor TVOC level was associated with poor child cognitive development, specifically with the girls. Indoor and outdoor residential environment and parental anxiety interfered with child development. TVOCs should be used cautiously at home to minimize child exposure. A low-pollution living environment should be provided to ensure children's healthy development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Lun Zou
- School of Public Health, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiao-Chun Huang
- School of Public Health, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Hua Chen
- School of Public Health, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Neuroscience Research Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chuen-Bin Jiang
- Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, MacKay Children's Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medicine, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Da Wu
- Department of Geomatics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | | | - Ling-Chu Chien
- School of Public Health, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Neuroscience Research Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chun Lo
- Neuroscience Research Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Ph.D. Program in Medical Neuroscience, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsing Jasmine Chao
- School of Public Health, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Neuroscience Research Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Odo DB, Yang IA, Dey S, Hammer MS, van Donkelaar A, Martin RV, Dong GH, Yang BY, Hystad P, Knibbs LD. A cross-sectional analysis of long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and cognitive development in children aged 3-4 years living in 12 low- and middle-income countries. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 318:120916. [PMID: 36563987 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to ambient air pollution may affect cognitive functioning and development in children. Unfortunately, there is little evidence available for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where air pollution levels are highest. We analysed the association between exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (≤2.5 μm [PM2.5]) and cognitive development indicators in a cross-sectional analysis of children (aged 3-4 years) in 12 LMICs. We linked Demographic and Health Survey data, conducted between 2011 and 2018, with global estimates of PM2.5 mass concentrations to examine annual average exposure to PM2.5 and cognitive development (literacy-numeracy and learning domains) in children. Cognitive development was assessed using the United Nations Children's Fund's early child development indicators administered to each child's mother. We used multivariable logistic regression models, adjusted for individual- and area-level covariates, and multi-pollutant models (including nitrogen dioxide and surface-level ozone). We assessed if sex and urban/rural status modified the association of PM2.5 with the outcome. We included 57,647 children, of whom, 9613 (13.3%) had indicators of cognitive delay. In the adjusted model, a 5 μg/m3 increase in annual all composition PM2.5 was associated with greater odds of cognitive delay (OR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.22). A 5 μg/m3 increase in anthropogenic PM2.5 was also associated with greater odds of cognitive delay (OR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.10). These results were robust to several sensitivity analyses, including multi-pollutant models. Interaction terms showed that urban-dwelling children had greater odds of cognitive delay than rural-dwelling children, while there was no significant difference by sex. Our findings suggest that annual average exposure to PM2.5 in young children was associated with adverse effects on cognitive development, which may have long-term consequences for educational attainment and health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B Odo
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia; College of Health Sciences, Arsi University, Asela, Ethiopia.
| | - Ian A Yang
- Thoracic Program, The Prince Charles Hospital, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Australia; UQ Thoracic Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sagnik Dey
- Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India; Arun Duggal Centre of Excellence for Research in Climate Change and Air Pollution, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Melanie S Hammer
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Aaron van Donkelaar
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Randall V Martin
- Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Guang-Hui Dong
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Bo-Yi Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Perry Hystad
- College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, USA
| | - Luke D Knibbs
- School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Greenwood PB, Cohen JW, Liu R, Hoepner L, Rauh V, Herbstman J, Pagliaccio D, Margolis AE. Effects of prenatal polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and childhood material hardship on reading achievement in school-age children: A preliminary study. Front Psychol 2023; 13:933177. [PMID: 36687992 PMCID: PMC9845780 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.933177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds are at elevated risk for reading problems. They are also likely to live in neighborhoods with high levels of air pollution and to experience material hardship. Despite these risk factors, the links between prenatal chemical exposures, socioeconomic adversities, and reading problems in youth from disadvantaged backgrounds remain understudied. Here we examine associations between prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), a common air pollutant, and reading skills, and determine if this relationship is exacerbated by material hardship among Black and/or Latinx children who have been followed as part of a longitudinal urban birth cohort. Methods Mothers and their children, who were participants in a prospective birth cohort followed by the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, were recruited for the current study. Personal prenatal PAH exposure was measured during the third-trimester of pregnancy using a personal air monitoring backpack. Mothers reported their level of material hardship when their child was age 5 and children completed measures of pseudoword and word reading [Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Achievement (WJ-III) Basic Reading Index] at age 7. We used multiple linear regression to examine the effects of the interaction between prenatal PAH and material hardship on Basic Reading Index, controlling for ethnicity/race, sex, birthweight, presence of a smoker in the home (prenatal), and maternal education (prenatal) (N = 53). Results A prenatal PAH × material hardship interaction significantly associated with WJ-III Basic Reading Index scores at age 7 (β = -0.347, t(44) = -2.197, p = 0.033). Exploratory analyses suggested that this effect was driven by untimed pseudoword decoding (WJ-III Word Attack: β = -0.391, t(44) = -2.550, p = 0.014). Conclusion Environmental chemical exposures can be particularly toxic during the prenatal period when the fetal brain undergoes rapid development, making it uniquely vulnerable to chemical perturbations. These data highlight the interactive effects of environmental neurotoxicants and unmet basic needs on children's acquisition of reading skill, specifically phonemic processing. Such findings identify potentially modifiable environmental risk factors implicated in reading problems in children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paige B. Greenwood
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jacob W. Cohen
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ran Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Lori Hoepner
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, SUNY Downstate Health Science University, Brooklyn, NY, United States
| | - Virginia Rauh
- Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Julie Herbstman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - David Pagliaccio
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Amy E. Margolis
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Huang CC, Pan SC, Chin WS, Chen YC, Wu CD, Hsu CY, Lin P, Chen PC, Guo YL. Living proximity to petrochemical industries and the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113128. [PMID: 35337833 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Evidence regarding the negative neurodevelopmental effects of compound exposure to petrochemicals remains limited. We aimed to evaluate the association between exposure to petrochemical facilities and generated emissions during early life and the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) development in children. We conducted a population-based birth cohort study using the 2004 to 2014 Taiwanese Birth Certificate Database and verified diagnoses of ADHD using the National Health Insurance Database. The level of petrochemical exposure in each participant's residential township was evaluated using the following 3 measurements: distance to the nearest petrochemical industrial plant (PIP), petrochemical exposure probability (accounting for monthly prevailing wind measurements), and monthly benzene concentrations estimated using kriging-based land-use regression models. We applied Cox proportional hazard models to evaluate the association. During the study period, 48,854 out of 1,863,963 children were diagnosed as having ADHD. The results revealed that residents of townships in close proximity to PIPs (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16-1.23, <3 vs. ≥10 km), highly affected by petrochemical-containing prevailing winds (HR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.08-1.16, ≥40% vs. <10%), and with high benzene concentrations (HR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.23-1.29, ≥0.75 vs. <0.55 ppb) were consistently associated with the increased risk of ADHD development in children. The findings of the sensitivity analysis remained robust, particularly for the 2004 to 2009 birth cohort and for models accounting for a longer duration of postnatal exposure. This work provided clear evidence that living near petrochemical plants increases the risk of ADHD development in children. Further studies are warranted to confirm our findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Chun Huang
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University and National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Chun Pan
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Shan Chin
- School of Nursing, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University and National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Cheng Chen
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Chih-da Wu
- Department of Geomatics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chin-Yu Hsu
- Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Center for Environmental Sustainability and Human Health, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Pinpin Lin
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Pau-Chung Chen
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University and National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan; Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
| | - Yue Leon Guo
- Environmental and Occupational Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University and National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli, Taiwan; Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Castagna A, Mascheroni E, Fustinoni S, Montirosso R. Air pollution and neurodevelopmental skills in preschool- and school-aged children: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 136:104623. [PMID: 35331818 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Early life exposure to air pollution has been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Emerging evidence are highlighting a possible impact of air pollution on typically developing children. Thirty papers were included in this review to systematically evaluate the association between air pollutants exposure in prenatal and/or postnatal periods and specific neurodevelopmental skills (i.e. intellective functioning, memory and learning, attention and executive functions, verbal language, numeric ability and motor and/or sensorimotor functions) in preschool- and school-age children. Detrimental effects of air pollutants on children's neurodevelopmental skills were observed, although they do not show clinically relevant performance deficits. The most affected domains were global intellective functioning and attention/executive functions. The pollutants that seem to represent the greatest risk are PM2.5, NO₂ and PAHs. Prenatal exposure is primarily associated with child neurodevelopment at pre-school and school ages. Early exposure to air pollutants is related to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in the general population of children. Further research is needed to support stronger conclusions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Castagna
- 0-3 Center for the at-Risk Infant, Scientific Institute IRCCS "Eugenio Medea", Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | - Eleonora Mascheroni
- 0-3 Center for the at-Risk Infant, Scientific Institute IRCCS "Eugenio Medea", Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | - Silvia Fustinoni
- EPIGET - Epidemiology, Epigenetics, and Toxicology Lab, Department of Clinical Sciences and Com-munity Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy; Environmental and Industrial Toxicology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Italy
| | - Rosario Montirosso
- 0-3 Center for the at-Risk Infant, Scientific Institute IRCCS "Eugenio Medea", Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Margolis AE, Ramphal B, Pagliaccio D, Banker S, Selmanovic E, Thomas LV, Factor-Litvak P, Perera F, Peterson BS, Rundle A, Herbstman JB, Goldsmith J, Rauh V. Prenatal exposure to air pollution is associated with childhood inhibitory control and adolescent academic achievement. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 202:111570. [PMID: 34181922 PMCID: PMC8578437 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal air pollution exposure is associated with reductions in self-regulation and academic achievement. Self-regulation has been separately linked with academic achievement. Understudied, however, are the contributions of pollution exposure to inhibitory control, a facet of self-regulation, and whether pollution-related inhibitory control deficits are associated with impairment in academic achievement. METHODS Participants were recruited from a prospective birth cohort. Measures of prenatal airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) during the third trimester of pregnancy, inhibitory control (NEPSY Inhibition) at mean age = 10.4 years, and Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement-III at mean age = 13.7 were available for N = 200 participants. Multiple linear regression examined sex-dependent and sex independent associations among prenatal PAH, childhood inhibitory control, and academic achievement during adolescence, and whether childhood inhibitory control mediated associations between prenatal PAH and academic achievement during adolescence, controlling for ethnicity, maternal country of birth, language of prenatal interview, maternal marital status, maternal years of education, material hardship, quality of home caregiving environment, and early life stress. RESULTS Across all participants, higher prenatal PAH was significantly associated with worse spelling skills (WJ-III Spelling, β = -0.16, 95%Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.30, -0.02, p = .02). Trend level associations between higher prenatal PAH and worse reading comprehension (WJ-III Passage Comprehension, β = -0.13, 95%CI: 0.28, 0.01, p = .07) and math skills (WJ-III Broad Math, β = -0.11, 95%CI: 0.25, 0.03, p = .11) were detected. Across all participants, higher PAH was significantly associated with worse inhibitory control (β = -0.15, 95%CI: 0.29,-0.01 p = .03). Better inhibitory control was significantly associated with better reading comprehension (WJ-III Passage Comprehension, β = 0.22, 95%CI: 0.09, 0.36, p < .002) and math skills (WJ-III Broad Math Index, β = 0.32, 95%CI: 0.19, 0.45, p < .001), and trend level associations with better spelling skills (WJ-III Spelling, β = 0.12, 95%CI: 0.02, 0.26, p = .10). Inhibitory control significantly mediated PAH-related achievement effects for Passage Comprehension (β = -0.61, 95%CI: 1.49, -0.01) and Broad Math Index (β = -1.09, 95%CI: 2.36, -0.03). CONCLUSIONS Higher prenatal PAH exposure and lower childhood inhibitory control were associated with worse spelling, passage comprehension, and math in adolescence. Notably, childhood inhibitory control mediated PAH exposure-related effects on achievement in adolescents. Identifying these potential exposure-related phenotypes of learning problems may promote interventions that target inhibitory control deficits rather than content specific deficits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy E Margolis
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| | - Bruce Ramphal
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - David Pagliaccio
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Sarah Banker
- Mt. Sinai Icahn School of Medicine, 1 Gustave L. Levy Pl, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Ena Selmanovic
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Lauren V Thomas
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Pam Factor-Litvak
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Frederica Perera
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Bradley S Peterson
- Department of Psychiatry, Keck School of Medicine University of Southern California, USA
| | - Andrew Rundle
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Julie B Herbstman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Jeff Goldsmith
- Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Virginia Rauh
- Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Araya F, Stingone JA, Claudio L. Inequalities in Exposure to Ambient Air Neurotoxicants and Disparities in Markers of Neurodevelopment in Children by Maternal Nativity Status. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18147512. [PMID: 34299963 PMCID: PMC8304619 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18147512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Exposure levels to environmental pollutants vary significantly among different populations. These inequities in exposure to hazardous air pollutants (HAP) among different populations can contribute to disparities in neurodevelopmental outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine if exposure to HAP varies by maternal nativity status, a demographic marker often overlooked in the study of health disparities. We also assessed if those inequalities in exposure levels are associated with neurodevelopmental measures in young children. To do this, we obtained data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth cohort (ECLS-B), a nationally representative sample of children born in the U.S. in the year 2001 (n = 4750). Bayley’s Short Form-Research Edition (BSF-R) was used to measure cognitive development at 2 years of age. Using residential location at nine months of age, participants were assigned exposures to ten HAPs identified as potentially neurotoxic. Linear regression models were used to assess the joint effect of maternal nativity status and HAP exposure on neurodevelopment. Results showed inequities in exposure levels to ten different HAPs among the populations, as approximately 32% of children of foreign-born mothers were exposed to high levels of HAPs, compared to 21% of children born to U.S.-born mothers. Adjusting for socioeconomic factors, both isophorone exposure (a marker of industrial pollution) (−0.04, 95% CI, −0.12, 0.04) and maternal nativity status (−0.17, 95% CI, −0.27, −0.06) were independently associated with lower standardized BSF-R mental scores in children. Interaction between nativity status and isophorone was not statistically significant, but the change in mental scores associated with isophorone exposure was greater in children of foreign-born mothers compared to children of U.S.-born mothers (−0.12, vs. −0.03, p = 0.2). In conclusion, exposure to HAPs within the highest quartile was more commonly found among children of foreign-born mothers as compared to children of US-born mothers, indicating inequities in pollutant exposure by nativity status within urban populations. Exposures associated with nativity status may negatively contribute to children’s neurodevelopment.
Collapse
|
10
|
Volk HE, Perera F, Braun JM, Kingsley SL, Gray K, Buckley J, Clougherty JE, Croen LA, Eskenazi B, Herting M, Just AC, Kloog I, Margolis A, McClure LA, Miller R, Levine S, Wright R. Prenatal air pollution exposure and neurodevelopment: A review and blueprint for a harmonized approach within ECHO. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 196:110320. [PMID: 33098817 PMCID: PMC8060371 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air pollution exposure is ubiquitous with demonstrated effects on morbidity and mortality. A growing literature suggests that prenatal air pollution exposure impacts neurodevelopment. We posit that the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program will provide unique opportunities to fill critical knowledge gaps given the wide spatial and temporal variability of ECHO participants. OBJECTIVES We briefly describe current methods for air pollution exposure assessment, summarize existing studies of air pollution and neurodevelopment, and synthesize this information as a basis for recommendations, or a blueprint, for evaluating air pollution effects on neurodevelopmental outcomes in ECHO. METHODS We review peer-reviewed literature on prenatal air pollution exposure and neurodevelopmental outcomes, including autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, intelligence, general cognition, mood, and imaging measures. ECHO meta-data were compiled and evaluated to assess frequency of neurodevelopmental assessments and prenatal and infancy residential address locations. Cohort recruitment locations and enrollment years were summarized to examine potential spatial and temporal variation present in ECHO. DISCUSSION While the literature provides compelling evidence that prenatal air pollution affects neurodevelopment, limitations in spatial and temporal exposure variation exist for current published studies. As >90% of the ECHO cohorts have collected a prenatal or infancy address, application of advanced geographic information systems-based models for common air pollutant exposures may be ideal to address limitations of published research. CONCLUSIONS In ECHO we have the opportunity to pioneer unifying exposure assessment and evaluate effects across multiple periods of development and neurodevelopmental outcomes, setting the standard for evaluation of prenatal air pollution exposures with the goal of improving children's health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heather E Volk
- Department of Mental Health and Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Frederica Perera
- Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joseph M Braun
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | | | - Kimberly Gray
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jessie Buckley
- Department of Environmental Health and Engineering and Epidemiology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jane E Clougherty
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lisa A Croen
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Brenda Eskenazi
- Center for Environmental Research and Children's Health, School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Megan Herting
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Allan C Just
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Itai Kloog
- Department of Geography and Environmental Development, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Amy Margolis
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Leslie A McClure
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rachel Miller
- Department of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, The College of Physicians and Surgeons, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sarah Levine
- Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rosalind Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, And Pediatrics, Institute for Exposomics Research, Kravis Children's Hospital, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Li HZ, Reeder MD, Pekney NJ. Quantifying source contributions of volatile organic compounds under hydraulic fracking moratorium. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 732:139322. [PMID: 32438153 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are precursors for ozone (O3) and secondary particulate matter, which contribute to asthma and cardiovascular diseases. With the technology development of hydraulic fracking, the United States experienced a shale gas boom in the last decade while the public raised concerns about the potential health impacts of co-emitted VOCs and other airborne pollutants. National Energy Technology Laboratory conducted stationary trailer-based ambient monitoring to study the sources of VOCs in Maryland, where the state enacted a moratorium on unconventional natural gas extraction. The campaign had two periods, May to August 2014 (summer) and November 2014 to February 2015 (winter). Ethane was the most abundant VOC, averaging 12.3 ppb (SD = 15.7 ppb) in summer and 21.7 ppb (SD = 21.6 ppb) in winter. The seasonal variation of VOCs indicated different source strengths. The sampling region was in the nitrogen oxides (NOx) limited regime for O3 production, and the O3 concentrations were sensitive to VOC/NOx ratios in the early mornings. We derived a six-factor profile using positive matrix factorization: motor vehicles, industrial, biogenics, coal burning, fugitive and evaporative, and ozone secondary. The fugitive and evaporative factor explained 44.5% of total VOCs, and the motor vehicles factor followed second with 15.5%. Oil and gas activities had a considerable impact on the abundance of VOCs in this region.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hugh Z Li
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, USA.
| | - Matthew D Reeder
- Leidos, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, USA
| | - Natalie J Pekney
- U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Quantifying Urban Spatial Variations of Anthropogenic VOC Concentrations and Source Contributions with a Mobile Sampling Platform. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16091632. [PMID: 31083299 PMCID: PMC6539943 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16091632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are important atmospheric constituents because they contribute to formation of ozone and secondary aerosols, and because some VOCs are toxic air pollutants. We measured concentrations of a suite of anthropogenic VOCs during summer and winter at 70 locations representing different microenvironments around Pittsburgh, PA. The sampling sites were classified both by land use (e.g., high versus low traffic) and grouped based on geographic similarity and proximity. There was roughly a factor of two variation in both total VOC and single-ring aromatic VOC concentrations across the site groups. Concentrations were roughly 25% higher in winter than summer. Source apportionment with positive matrix factorization reveals that the major VOC sources are gasoline vehicles, solvent evaporation, diesel vehicles, and two factors attributed to industrial emissions. While we expected to observe significant spatial variability in the source impacts across the sampling domain, we instead found that source impacts were relatively homogeneous.
Collapse
|