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Smith OV, Penhale SH, Ott LR, Rice DL, Coutant AT, Glesinger R, Wilson TW, Taylor BK. Everyday home radon exposure is associated with altered structural brain morphology in youths. Neurotoxicology 2024; 102:114-120. [PMID: 38703899 PMCID: PMC11139553 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2024.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
The refinement of brain morphology extends across childhood, and exposure to environmental toxins during this period may alter typical trends. Radon is a highly common radiologic toxin with a well-established role in cancer among adults. However, effects on developmental populations are understudied in comparison. This study investigated whether home radon exposure is associated with altered brain morphology in youths. Fifty-four participants (6-14 yrs, M=10.52 yrs, 48.15% male, 89% White) completed a T1-weighted MRI and home measures of radon. We observed a significant multivariate effect of home radon concentrations, which was driven by effects on GMV. Specifically, higher home radon was associated with smaller GMV (F=6.800, p=.012, ηp2=.13). Conversely, there was a trending radon-by-age interaction on WMV, which reached significance when accounting for the chronicity of radon exposure (F=4.12, p=.049, ηp2=.09). We found that youths with above-average radon exposure showed no change in WMV with age, whereas low radon was linked with normative, age-related WMV increases. These results suggest that everyday home radon exposure may alter sensitive structural brain development, impacting developmental trajectories in both gray and white matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- OgheneTejiri V Smith
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Samantha H Penhale
- Clinical and Health Psychology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Lauren R Ott
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town NE, USA
| | - Danielle L Rice
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Anna T Coutant
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Ryan Glesinger
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Tony W Wilson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Brittany K Taylor
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA.
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Silva de Sousa A, de Gois G, da Paz de Souza Paiva RF, Gomes Pimentel LC, de Bodas Terassi PM, Sobral BS, Muniz MA. Impacts of urban emissions and air quality in São Paulo State, Brazil. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2024; 196:433. [PMID: 38582822 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-024-12529-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Daily violations of air quality have an impact on urban populations and cause damage to the environment. Thus, the study evaluated the violations of the daily concentrations of SO2, NO2, and PM10, in regions of the State of São Paulo (SSP), based on the National Environment Council (CONAMA) resolution no 491/2018 and the World Health Organization (WHO - World Health Organization. (2016). Ambient air pollution: a global assessment of exposure and burden of disease.) criteria. Daily SO2, NO2, and PM10data from 6 air quality stations operated by Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo CETESB (1996-2011) were organized and submitted to quality control, with data faults (gaps) being identified. The imputation of data via spline proved satisfactory in filling in the gaps (r > 0.7 and low values of Standard Error of the Estimate (SEE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). The cluster analysis (CA) applied to SO2 formed only one homogeneous group (G1). Contrariwise, NO2 and PM10 formed two homogeneous groups (G1 and G2) each. The stations that showed the greatest similarity according to the CA were Cerqueira Cesar and Osasco. The cophenetic matrix generated for SO2 (0.83), NO2 (0.79), and PM10 (0.77) indicate a satisfactory adjustment of the dendrograms. The exploratory statistics applied to groups G1 and G2 point to the high variability of outliers. The WHO criteria are more restrictive than CONAMA regarding daily violations, with a reduction in SO2 and an increase in specific years for NO2 and PM10. Such variability is due to the adoption of public policies by the SSP and the influence of meteorological systems, being confirmed by the Run test that indicated oscillations in the time series, mainly in PM10, and also recognized well-defined biannual cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Givanildo de Gois
- Federal University of Acre (UFAC), Cruzeiro Do Sul, Acre, 69980-000, Brazil
| | | | - Luiz Cláudio Gomes Pimentel
- Department of Meteorology, Geoscience Institute (IGEO), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-916, Brazil
| | | | - Bruno Serafini Sobral
- Land and Cartography Institute of Rio de Janeiro (ITERJ), State Secretary of Cities (SECID-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, 20060-060, Brazil
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3
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Zeng X, Berriault C, Arrandale VH, DeBono NL, Harris MA, Demers PA. Radon exposure and risk of neurodegenerative diseases among male miners in Ontario, Canada: A cohort study. Am J Ind Med 2023; 66:132-141. [PMID: 36495187 DOI: 10.1002/ajim.23449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental radon has been examined as a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases in a small number of previous studies, but the findings have been inconsistent. This study aims to investigate the association between occupational radon exposure and neurodegenerative disease in a cohort of male miners with work experience in multiple ore types in Ontario, Canada. METHODS Radon exposure (1915-1988) was assessed using two job-exposure matrices (JEM) constructed from using historical records for 34,536 Ontario male miners. Neurodegenerative outcomes were ascertained between 1992 and 2018. Poisson regression models were used to estimate incidence rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) between cumulative radon exposure in working level months (WLM) and each neurodegenerative outcome. RESULTS Levels of cumulative radon exposure showed variability among cohort members with a mean of 7.5 WLM (standard deviation 24.4). Miners in uranium mines or underground jobs had higher levels and more variability in exposure than workers in non-uranium work or surface jobs. Compared to the reference group (radon < 1 WLM), increased rates of Alzheimer's (RR 1.23, 95% CI 1.05-1.45) and Parkinson's disease (RR 1.43, 95% CI 1.08-1.89) were observed among workers with >1-5 WLM and >5-10 WLM, respectively, but not among higher exposed workers (>10 WLM). CONCLUSION This study did not observe a positive monotonic dose-response relationship between cumulative radon exposure and Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease in Ontario mining workers. There was no association observed with motor neuron disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoke Zeng
- Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Occupational and Environmental Health Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Colin Berriault
- Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Victoria H Arrandale
- Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Occupational and Environmental Health Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nathan L DeBono
- Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Occupational and Environmental Health Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - M Anne Harris
- Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Occupational and Environmental Health Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,School of Occupational and Public Health, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul A Demers
- Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Ontario Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Occupational and Environmental Health Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Zhang Y, Lu L, Chen C, Field RW, D'Alton M, Kahe K. Does protracted radon exposure play a role in the development of dementia? ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 210:112980. [PMID: 35189101 PMCID: PMC9081166 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.112980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Radon is a ubiquitous radioactive gas that decays into a series of solid radioactive decay products. Radon, and its decay products, enter the human body primarily through inhalation and can be delivered to various tissues including the brain through systemic circulation. It can also reach the brain by neuronal pathways via the olfactory system. While ionizing radiation has been suggested as a risk factor of dementia for decades, studies exploring the possible role of radon exposure in the development of Alzheimer's Diseases (AD) and other dementias are sparse. We systematically reviewed the literature and found several lines of evidence suggesting that radon decay products (RDPs) disproportionally deposit in the brain of AD patients with selective accumulation within the protein fractions. Ecologic study findings also indicate a significant positive correlation between geographic-level radon distribution and AD mortality in the US. Additionally, pathologic studies of radon shed light on the potential pathways of radon decay product induced proinflammation and oxidative stress that may result in the development of dementia. In summary, there are plausible underlying biological mechanisms linking radon exposure to the risk of dementia. Since randomized clinical trials on radon exposure are not feasible, well-designed individual-level epidemiologic studies are urgently needed to elucidate the possible association between radon (i.e., RDPs) exposure and the onset of dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijia Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Liping Lu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Cheng Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - R William Field
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health and Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Mary D'Alton
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Ka Kahe
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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Dos Santos NV, Vieira CLZ, Saldiva PHN, De André CDS, Mazzilli BP, de Fátima Andrade M, Saueia CH, Saiki M, Veras MM, Koutrakis P. Accumulation of trace element content in the lungs of Sao Paulo city residents and its correlation to lifetime exposure to air pollution. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11083. [PMID: 35773451 PMCID: PMC9247064 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15048-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Heavy metals are natural and essential elements of the environment and living beings, produced from natural (e.g. volcanic activity and cosmic ray-induced spallation) and anthropogenic processes (e.g. industrial and fossil fuel combustion). High-concentrations of heavy metals and radionuclides are also originated from anthropogenic activities in urban and industrial areas. In this preliminary study, we analyzed the levels of heavy metals and Polonium-210 (210Po) in lung tissues in autopsies from residents of the city of Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. In order to identify the link among sources of the heavy metals in lungs, factor analysis was performed. Of the first four factors, which explain 66% of the total variability, three were associated with vehicular sources. The fitting of a regression model with 210Po as the response variable and with the four factors as explanatory variables, controlling for age, sex and tobacco, showed a significant association between the concentration of polonium and the first factor that is generated by catalysts and brakes (coefficient = 0.90, standard error = 0.33, p = 0.016). Our findings suggest an association between traffic-related trace metals and 210Po in lung autopsies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathália Villa Dos Santos
- Laboratory of Environmental and Experimental Pathology LIM05, Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. .,Department of Environmental Health School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, Brazil, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 715, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | | | - Paulo Hilario Nascimento Saldiva
- Laboratory of Environmental and Experimental Pathology LIM05, Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - Maria de Fátima Andrade
- Atmospheric Sciences Department, Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Mitiko Saiki
- Nuclear and Energy Research Institute, IPEN-CNEN, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Mariana Matera Veras
- Laboratory of Environmental and Experimental Pathology LIM05, Department of Pathology, University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Petros Koutrakis
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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6
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Dos Santos NV, Yariwake VY, Marques KDV, Veras MM, Fajersztajn L. Air Pollution: A Neglected Risk Factor for Dementia in Latin America and the Caribbean. Front Neurol 2021; 12:684524. [PMID: 34367051 PMCID: PMC8339300 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.684524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) rises with increasing age and polluted air. Currently, at least 172 million people breathe unhealthy levels of air pollution in LAC countries. Several cohort studies have indicated that air pollution increases the risk of developing dementia and neurodegenerative diseases, but the mechanisms underlying the association are still not clear. Air pollution causes and aggravates five established risk factors for dementia (obesity, hypertension, stroke, diabetes mellitus, and heart diseases) and is linked to three other risk factors (physical inactivity, cognitive inactivity, and depression). Some of these risk factors could be mediating the association between air pollution and dementia. Reducing the risks for dementia is crucial and urgently needed in LAC countries. There is room for improving air quality in many urban areas in the LAC region and other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), a routealready explored by many urban areas in developing regions. Moreover, reducing air pollution has proved to improve health outcomes before. In this article, we propose that despite the ongoing and valid scientific discussion, if air pollution can or cannot directly affect the brain and cause or aggravate dementia, we are ready to consider air pollution as a potentially modifiable risk factor for dementia in LAC and possibly in other LMICs. We suggest that controlling and reducing current air pollution levels in LAC and other LMIC regions now could strongly contribute.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathália Villa Dos Santos
- Laboratório de Poluição Ambiental, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Departamento de Saude Ambiental, Faculdade de Saude Publica, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Victor Yuji Yariwake
- Laboratório de Poluição Ambiental, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Mariana Matera Veras
- Laboratório de Poluição Ambiental, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Laís Fajersztajn
- Laboratório de Poluição Ambiental, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Matthaios VN, Liu M, Li L, Kang CM, Vieira CLZ, Gold DR, Koutrakis P. Sources of indoor PM 2.5 gross α and β activities measured in 340 homes. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 197:111114. [PMID: 33812873 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Particle radioactivity (PR) exposure has been linked to adverse health effects. PR refers to the presence of α- and β-emitting radioisotopes attached to fine particulate matter (PM2.5). This study investigated sources contributing to indoor PM2.5 gross α- and β-radioactivity levels. We measured activity from long-lived radon progeny radionuclides from archived PM2.5 samples collected in 340 homes in Massachusetts during the period 2006-2010. We analyzed the data using linear mixed effects models and positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis. Indoor PM2.5 gross α-activity levels were correlated with sulfur (S), iron (Fe), bromine (Br), vanadium (V), sodium (Na), lead (Pb), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), silicon (Si), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), titanium (Ti), radon (222Rn) and black carbon (BC) concentrations (p <0.05). Indoor PM2.5 β-activity was correlated with S, As, antimony (Sb), Pb, Br and BC. We identified four indoor PM2.5 sources: outdoor air pollution (62%), salt aerosol source (14%), fireworks and environmental tobacco smoke (7%) and indoor mixed dust (17%). Outdoor air pollution was the most significant contributor to indoor PM2.5 α- and β-activity levels. The contributions of this source were during the summer months and when windows were open. Indoor mixed dust was also found to contribute to PM2.5 α-activity. PM2.5 α-activity was further associated with radon during winter months, showing radon's important role as an indoor source of ionizing radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasileios N Matthaios
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Also at: School of Geography Earth and Environmental Science, University of Birmingham, UK.
| | - Man Liu
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Longxiang Li
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Choong-Min Kang
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carolina L Z Vieira
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Diane R Gold
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Petros Koutrakis
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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Papatheodorou S, Yao W, Vieira CLZ, Li L, Wylie BJ, Schwartz J, Koutrakis P. Residential radon exposure and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in Massachusetts, USA: A cohort study. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 146:106285. [PMID: 33395935 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to ionizing radiation has been associated with hypertension, but the relationship between residential radon exposure and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) has not been examined. METHODS We used the Massachusetts Birth Registry of Vital Records from 2001 to 2015 including women with a singleton pregnancy without prior hypertension. The binary outcome (HDP) included gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia cases and was assessed using birth certificate data. We obtained 141,665 basement radon measurements from Spruce Environmental Technologies, Inc. and modeled the monthly zip code basement radon level. We used a logistic regression model adjusted for sociodemographic covariates, maternal comorbidities, PM2.5, season, temperature, and relative humidity. We examined effect modification by maternal age, race, and maternal education as an indicator of socio-economic status. RESULTS Of 975,528 women, 3.7% (36,530) of them developed HDP. Zip code level radon ranged from 22 to 333 mBq/m3. An interquartile range (IQR) increase in zip code radon level throughout pregnancy was associated with a 15% increase in the odds of HDP (95% CI 13% to 18%). In women less than 20 years old, an IQR increase in zip code level radon was associated with 38% increase in the odds of HDP (95% CI 24% to 50%), while the effect was smaller in older women. There was no effect modification by maternal race or education. CONCLUSIONS In this cohort, higher levels of residential radon are associated with increased odds of HDP. After stratifying by age, this effect was stronger in participants younger than 20 years old. Since the burden of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy is increasing and affects women's future cardiovascular health, identification of modifiable risk factors is of great importance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Weiyu Yao
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carolina L Z Vieira
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Longxiang Li
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Blair J Wylie
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joel Schwartz
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Petros Koutrakis
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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Gómez-Anca S, Barros-Dios JM. Radon Exposure and Neurodegenerative Disease. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17207439. [PMID: 33066046 PMCID: PMC7600778 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17207439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Background: To carry out a systematic review of scientific literature about the association between radon exposure and neurodegenerative diseases. Methods: We performed a bibliographic search in the following databases: Pub med (Medline), Cochrane, BioMed Central and Web of Science. We collected the data by following a predetermined search strategy in which several terms werecombined. After an initial search, 77 articles were obtained.10 of which fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Five of these 10 studies were related to multiple sclerosis (MS), 2 were about motor neuron diseases (MND), in particular amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and 3 were related to both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Results: The majority of the included articles, suggested a possible association between radon exposure and a subsequent development of neurodegenerative diseases. Some of the studies that obtained statistically significant resultsrevealed a possible association between radon exposure and an increase in MS prevalence. Furthermore, it was also suggested that radon exposure increases MND and AD mortality. Regarding AD and PD, it was observed that certainde cay products of radon-222 (222Rn), specifically polonium-210 (210Po) and bismuth-210 (210Bi), present a characteristic distributionpattern within the brain anatomy. However, the study with the highest scientific evidence included in this review, which investigated a possible association between the concentration of residential radon gas and the MS incidence, revealed no significant results. Conclusions: It cannot be concluded, although it is observed, that there is a possible causal association between radon exposure and neurodegenerative diseases. Most of the available studies are ecological so, studies of higher statistical evidence are needed to establish a causal relationship. Further research is needed on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Gómez-Anca
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago, Spain;
| | - Juan Miguel Barros-Dios
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago, Spain;
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Santiago de Compostela University Teaching Hospital Complex, Santiago de Compostela, 15706 Santiago, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Research on the Network of Epidemiology and Public Health (Centro DE Investigacion Biomédica en Red DE Epidemiología Y Salud Pública), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Correspondence:
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