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Mohammadzadeh M, Khoshakhlagh AH, Grafman J. Air pollution: a latent key driving force of dementia. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:2370. [PMID: 39223534 PMCID: PMC11367863 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-19918-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Many researchers have studied the role of air pollutants on cognitive function, changes in brain structure, and occurrence of dementia. Due to the wide range of studies and often contradictory results, the present systematic review was conducted to try and clarify the relationship between air pollutants and dementia. To identify studies for this review, a systematic search was conducted in Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases (without historical restrictions) until May 22, 2023. The PECO statement was created to clarify the research question, and articles that did not meet the criteria of this statement were excluded. In this review, animal studies, laboratory studies, books, review articles, conference papers and letters to the editors were avoided. Also, studies focused on the effect of air pollutants on cellular and biochemical changes (without investigating dementia) were also excluded. A quality assessment was done according to the type of design of each article, using the checklist developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). Finally, selected studies were reviewed and discussed in terms of Alzheimer's dementia and non-Alzheimer's dementia. We identified 14,924 articles through a systematic search in databases, and after comprehensive reviews, 53 articles were found to be eligible for inclusion in the current systematic review. The results showed that chronic exposure to higher levels of air pollutants was associated with adverse effects on cognitive abilities and the presence of dementia. Studies strongly supported the negative effects of PM2.5 and then NO2 on the brain and the development of neurodegenerative disorders in old age. Because the onset of brain structural changes due to dementia begins decades before the onset of disease symptoms, and that exposure to air pollution is considered a modifiable risk factor, taking preventive measures to reduce air pollution and introducing behavioral interventions to reduce people's exposure to pollutants is advisable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahdiyeh Mohammadzadeh
- Department of Health in Emergencies and Disasters, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Climate Change and Health Research Center (CCHRC), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Hossein Khoshakhlagh
- Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Health, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
| | - Jordan Grafman
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Neurology, Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Center, Department of Psychiatry, Feinberg School of Medicine & Department of Psychology, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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2
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Mota-Bertran A, Coenders G, Plaja P, Saez M, Barceló MA. Air pollution and children's mental health in rural areas: compositional spatio-temporal model. Sci Rep 2024; 14:19363. [PMID: 39169039 PMCID: PMC11339296 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-70024-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Air pollution stands as an environmental risk to child mental health, with proven relationships hitherto observed only in urban areas. Understanding the impact of pollution in rural settings is equally crucial. The novelty of this article lies in the study of the relationship between air pollution and behavioural and developmental disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and eating disorders in children below 15 living in a rural area. The methodology combines spatio-temporal models, Bayesian inference and Compositional Data (CoDa), that make it possible to study areas with few pollution monitoring stations. Exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and sulphur dioxide (SO2) is related to behavioural and development disorders, anxiety is related to particulate matter (PM10), O3 and SO2, and overall pollution is associated to ADHD and eating disorders. To sum up, like their urban counterparts, rural children are also subject to mental health risks related to air pollution, and the combination of spatio-temporal models, Bayesian inference and CoDa make it possible to relate mental health problems to pollutant concentrations in rural settings with few monitoring stations. Certain limitations persist related to misclassification of exposure to air pollutants and to the covariables available in the data sources used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Mota-Bertran
- Research Group on Statistics, Econometrics and Health (GRECS), University of Girona, Carrer de la Universitat de Girona 10, Campus de Montilivi, 17003, Girona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Instituto de Salud Carlos III., Madrid, Spain
| | - Germà Coenders
- Research Group on Statistics, Econometrics and Health (GRECS), University of Girona, Carrer de la Universitat de Girona 10, Campus de Montilivi, 17003, Girona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Instituto de Salud Carlos III., Madrid, Spain
| | - Pere Plaja
- Fundació Salut Empordà., Figueres, Spain
| | - Marc Saez
- Research Group on Statistics, Econometrics and Health (GRECS), University of Girona, Carrer de la Universitat de Girona 10, Campus de Montilivi, 17003, Girona, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Instituto de Salud Carlos III., Madrid, Spain.
| | - Maria Antònia Barceló
- Research Group on Statistics, Econometrics and Health (GRECS), University of Girona, Carrer de la Universitat de Girona 10, Campus de Montilivi, 17003, Girona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Instituto de Salud Carlos III., Madrid, Spain
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3
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Herting MM, Bottenhorn KL, Cotter DL. Outdoor air pollution and brain development in childhood and adolescence. Trends Neurosci 2024; 47:593-607. [PMID: 39054161 PMCID: PMC11324378 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.06.008] [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: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to outdoor air pollution has been linked to adverse health effects, including potential widespread impacts on the CNS. Ongoing brain development may render children and adolescents especially vulnerable to neurotoxic effects of air pollution. While mechanisms remain unclear, promising advances in human neuroimaging can help elucidate both sensitive periods and neurobiological consequences of exposure to air pollution. Herein we review the potential influences of air pollution exposure on neurodevelopment, drawing from animal toxicology and human neuroimaging studies. Due to ongoing cellular and system-level changes during childhood and adolescence, the developing brain may be more sensitive to pollutants' neurotoxic effects, as a function of both timing and duration, with relevance to cognition and mental health. Building on these foundations, the emerging field of environmental neuroscience is poised to further decipher which air toxicants are most harmful and to whom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Herting
- Department of Populations and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Katherine L Bottenhorn
- Department of Populations and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Devyn L Cotter
- Department of Populations and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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4
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Granov R, Vedad S, Wang SH, Durham A, Shah D, Pasinetti GM. The Role of the Neural Exposome as a Novel Strategy to Identify and Mitigate Health Inequities in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04339-6. [PMID: 38967905 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04339-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
With the continuous increase of the elderly population, there is an urgency to understand and develop relevant treatments for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). In tandem with this, the prevalence of health inequities continues to rise as disadvantaged communities fail to be included in mainstream research. The neural exposome poses as a relevant mechanistic approach and tool for investigating ADRD onset, progression, and pathology as it accounts for several different factors: exogenous, endogenous, and behavioral. Consequently, through the neural exposome, health inequities can be addressed in ADRD research. In this paper, we address how the neural exposome relates to ADRD by contributing to the discourse through defining how the neural exposome can be developed as a tool in accordance with machine learning. Through this, machine learning can allow for developing a greater insight into the application of transferring and making sense of experimental mouse models exposed to health inequities and potentially relate it to humans. The overall goal moving beyond this paper is to define a multitude of potential factors that can increase the risk of ADRD onset and integrate them to create an interdisciplinary approach to the study of ADRD and subsequently translate the findings to clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravid Granov
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10019, USA
| | - Skyler Vedad
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10019, USA
| | - Shu-Han Wang
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10019, USA
| | - Andrea Durham
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10019, USA
| | - Divyash Shah
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10019, USA
| | - Giulio Maria Pasinetti
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10019, USA.
- Geriatrics Research, Education and Clinical Center, JJ Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA.
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5
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Zhao J, He T, Wang F, Liu W. Association of prenatal and postnatal exposure to air pollution with clinically diagnosed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a systematic review. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1396251. [PMID: 38855453 PMCID: PMC11157082 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1396251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder in children, originates from a multifaceted interplay of genetic, neurological, and environmental factors. Recent studies have increasingly concentrated on environmental determinants, notably air pollution, and their impact on the risk of developing ADHD. Additionally, previous research has often conflated clinically diagnosed ADHD cases with instances of mere ADHD-like symptoms, a methodology that can introduce bias and obscure the true relationship between environmental factors and ADHD. To address this oversight, our systematic review meticulously investigates the relationship between both prenatal and postnatal exposures to particular air pollutants and strictly clinically diagnosed ADHD. Our comprehensive review encompassed 801 studies from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase databases, out of which eight met our rigorous inclusion criteria. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was utilized to gauge quality and bias. Our review found substantiated the connection between prenatal exposure to PM2.5 and NOx and a heightened risk of ADHD, while exposure to PM10 during the prenatal stage was not associated with ADHD. These findings hint at varied health impacts from different particulate matters and the prospect of gender-specific susceptibilities to such exposures. We also identified an association between postnatal exposure to PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 and an increased ADHD risk, underlining the potential neurodevelopmental harms from early exposure to these pollutants. These relationships, seemingly intricate and potentially dose-dependent, underscore the need for more detailed scrutiny. The unique value of our review is in its detailed exploration of the association between specific air pollution exposures and clinically diagnosed ADHD. Our findings offer much-needed clarity in this complex domain and emphasize the importance of future research to standardize exposure and outcome metrics, probe potential mechanisms, and reduce bias and heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinzhu Zhao
- Division of Child Healthcare, Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Tianyi He
- Division of Child Healthcare, Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Public Health, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
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6
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Hahad O, Kuntic M, Al-Kindi S, Kuntic I, Gilan D, Petrowski K, Daiber A, Münzel T. Noise and mental health: evidence, mechanisms, and consequences. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2024:10.1038/s41370-024-00642-5. [PMID: 38279032 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-024-00642-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
The recognition of noise exposure as a prominent environmental determinant of public health has grown substantially. While recent years have yielded a wealth of evidence linking environmental noise exposure primarily to cardiovascular ailments, our understanding of the detrimental effects of noise on the brain and mental health outcomes remains limited. Despite being a nascent research area, an increasing body of compelling research and conclusive findings confirms that exposure to noise, particularly from sources such as traffic, can potentially impact the central nervous system. These harms of noise increase the susceptibility to mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, suicide, and behavioral problems in children and adolescents. From a mechanistic perspective, several investigations propose direct adverse phenotypic changes in brain tissue by noise (e.g. neuroinflammation, cerebral oxidative stress), in addition to feedback signaling by remote organ damage, dysregulated immune cells, and impaired circadian rhythms, which may collectively contribute to noise-dependent impairment of mental health. This concise review linking noise exposure to mental health outcomes seeks to fill research gaps by assessing current findings from studies involving both humans and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Hahad
- Department of Cardiology-Cardiology I, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Rhine-Main, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Marin Kuntic
- Department of Cardiology-Cardiology I, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Rhine-Main, Mainz, Germany
| | - Sadeer Al-Kindi
- Cardiovascular Prevention and Wellness, DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, Houston Methodist, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ivana Kuntic
- Department of Cardiology-Cardiology I, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Donya Gilan
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Katja Petrowski
- Medical Psychology & Medical Sociology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Andreas Daiber
- Department of Cardiology-Cardiology I, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Rhine-Main, Mainz, Germany
| | - Thomas Münzel
- Department of Cardiology-Cardiology I, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Rhine-Main, Mainz, Germany
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7
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Campbell CE, Cotter DL, Bottenhorn KL, Burnor E, Ahmadi H, Gauderman WJ, Cardenas-Iniguez C, Hackman D, McConnell R, Berhane K, Schwartz J, Chen JC, Herting MM. Air pollution and age-dependent changes in emotional behavior across early adolescence in the U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 240:117390. [PMID: 37866541 PMCID: PMC10842841 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117390] [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: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have linked air pollution to increased risk for behavioral problems during development, albeit with inconsistent findings. Additional longitudinal studies are needed that consider how emotional behaviors may be affected when exposure coincides with the transition to adolescence - a vulnerable time for developing mental health difficulties. This study investigates if annual average PM2.5 and NO2 exposure at ages 9-10 years moderates age-related changes in internalizing and externalizing behaviors over a 2-year follow-up period in a large, nationwide U.S. sample of participants from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study®. Air pollution exposure was estimated based on the residential address of each participant using an ensemble-based modeling approach. Caregivers answered questions from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at the baseline, 1-year follow-up, and 2-year follow-up visits, for a total of 3 waves of data; from the CBCL we obtained scores on internalizing and externalizing problems plus 5 syndrome scales (anxious/depressed, withdrawn/depressed, rule-breaking behavior, aggressive behavior, and attention problems). Zero-inflated negative binomial models were used to examine both the main effect of age as well as the interaction of age with each pollutant on behavior while adjusting for various socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. Against our hypothesis, there was no evidence that greater air pollution exposure was related to more behavioral problems with age over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E Campbell
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-2520, USA
| | - Devyn L Cotter
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-2520, USA
| | - Katherine L Bottenhorn
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Elisabeth Burnor
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hedyeh Ahmadi
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - W James Gauderman
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Hackman
- Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Rob McConnell
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kiros Berhane
- Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Joel Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jiu-Chiuan Chen
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90063, USA
| | - Megan M Herting
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90027, USA.
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8
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Brons ME, Helbich M, Bolt G, Visser K, Stevens GWJM. Time trends in associations between neighbourhood and school characteristics and mental health problems among Dutch adolescents. Health Place 2023; 84:103140. [PMID: 37948793 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.103140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
We investigated trends in associations between physical and social neighbourhood and school characteristics and adolescent mental health problems between 2005 and 2017. Nationally representative, repeated cross-sectional data collected in the Netherlands among primary (N = 5,871) and secondary school students (N = 20,778) were analysed through cross-classified multilevel models. Hardly any evidence was found for over-time changes in associations between neighbourhood and school characteristics and adolescent mental health problems. Findings showed that for both groups of students, only social characteristics within the two contexts were associated with adolescent mental health problems. For secondary school students, school effects were larger than neighbourhood effects, while the opposite was true for primary school students. Specifically, primary school students residing in more socially fragmented or lower socioeconomic status (SES) neighbourhoods, and lower SES schools, reported more conduct problems and peer relationship problems. For secondary school students, only the SES of the neighbourhood and the school was associated with all four aspects of mental health problems. Remarkably, the direction of the associations between neighbourhood/ school SES and adolescent mental health problems varied across the different mental health outcomes. More research is warranted to replicate our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde E Brons
- Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Marco Helbich
- Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Gideon Bolt
- Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Kirsten Visser
- Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Gonneke W J M Stevens
- Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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9
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Fernandes A, Krog NH, McEachan R, Nieuwenhuijsen M, Julvez J, Márquez S, de Castro M, Urquiza J, Heude B, Vafeiadi M, Gražulevičienė R, Slama R, Dedele A, Aasvang GM, Evandt J, Andrusaityte S, Kampouri M, Vrijheid M. Availability, accessibility, and use of green spaces and cognitive development in primary school children. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 334:122143. [PMID: 37423460 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122143] [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: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Green spaces may have beneficial impacts on children's cognition. However, few studies explored the exposure to green spaces beyond residential areas, and their availability, accessibility and uses at the same time. The aim of the present study was to describe patterns of availability, accessibility, and uses of green spaces among primary school children and to explore how these exposure dimensions are associated with cognitive development. Exposures to green space near home, school, commuting route, and other daily activity locations were assessed for 1607 children aged 6-11 years from six birth cohorts across Europe, and included variables related to: availability (NDVI buffers: 100, 300, 500 m), potential accessibility (proximity to a major green space: linear distance; within 300 m), and use (play time in green spaces: hours/year), and the number of visits to green spaces (times/previous week). Cognition measured as fluid intelligence, inattention, and working memory was assessed by computerized tests. We performed multiple linear regression analyses on pooled and imputed data adjusted for individual and area-level confounders. Availability, accessibility, and uses of green spaces showed a social gradient that was unfavorable in more vulnerable socioeconomic groups. NDVI was associated with more playing time in green spaces, but proximity to a major green space was not. Associations between green space exposures and cognitive function outcomes were not statistically significant in our overall study population. Stratification by socioeconomic variables showed that living within 300 m of a major green space was associated with improved working memory only in children in less deprived residential areas (β = 0.30, CI: 0.09,0.51), and that more time playing in green spaces was associated with better working memory only in children of highly educated mothers (β per IQR increase in hour/year = 0.10; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.19). However, studying within 300 m of a major green space increased inattention scores in children in more deprived areas (β = 15.45, 95% CI: 3.50, 27.40).
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Fernandes
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Norun Hjertager Krog
- Department of Air Quality and Noise, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Rosemary McEachan
- Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford Royal Infirmary, Bradford, UK
| | - Mark Nieuwenhuijsen
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Julvez
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; Clinical and Epidemiological Neuroscience (NeuroÈpia), Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Reus, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Sandra Márquez
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Montserrat de Castro
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - José Urquiza
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Barbara Heude
- Université Paris Cité and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, INRAE, Center for Research in Epidemiology and StatisticS (CRESS), F-75004, Paris, France
| | - Marina Vafeiadi
- Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece
| | | | - Rémy Slama
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (Inserm) and Université Grenoble-Alpes, Institute for Advanced Biosciences (IAB), Team of Environmental Epidemiology Applied to Reproduction and Respiratory Health, Grenoble, France
| | - Audrius Dedele
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Gunn Marit Aasvang
- Department of Air Quality and Noise, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jorunn Evandt
- Department of Air Quality and Noise, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sandra Andrusaityte
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Mariza Kampouri
- Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece
| | - Martine Vrijheid
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
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10
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Zeng Y, W J M Stevens G, Helbich M. Longitudinal associations of neighbourhood environmental exposures with mental health problems during adolescence: Findings from the TRAILS study. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 179:108142. [PMID: 37603991 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cross-sectional studies have found associations between neighbourhood environments and adolescent mental health, but the few longitudinal studies mainly focused on single exposure-based analyses and rarely assessed the mental health associations with environmental changes. OBJECTIVES We assessed longitudinal within- and between-person associations of multiple neighbourhood time-varying physical and social environmental exposures with externalising and internalising problems throughout adolescence. METHODS We used four waves of TRAILS (Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey) data on self-reported externalising and internalising problems at ages 11, 13, 16, and 19 among 2,135 adolescents in the Netherlands. We measured residence-based time-varying environmental exposures, including green space, air pollution (fine particulate matter (PM2.5)), noise, deprivation, and social fragmentation. We fitted random-effect within-between regression models to assess the environment-mental health associations. RESULTS At the within-person level, an interquartile range (IQR) increase in PM2.5 was associated with a 0.056 IQR (95% CI: 0.014, 0.099) increase in externalising problems, while an IQR social fragmentation increase was associated with a 0.010 IQR (95% CI: -0.020, -0.001) decrease in externalising problems. Stratification revealed that the association with PM2.5 was significant only for movers, whereas the association with social fragmentation remained only for non-movers. At the between-person level, an IQR higher noise was associated with a 0.100 IQR (95% CI: 0.031, 0.169) more externalising problems, while higher deprivation (β = 0.080; 95% CI: 0.022, 0.138) and lower fragmentation (β = -0.073; 95% CI: -0.128, -0.018) were associated with more internalising problems. We also observed positive between-person associations between PM2.5, noise, and internalising problems, but both associations were unstable due to the high PM2.5-noise correlation. Further, we observed a non-linear between-person PM2.5-externalising problems association turning positive when PM2.5 > 15 µg/m3. Null associations were found for green space. CONCLUSION Our findings suggested that air pollution, noise, and neighbourhood deprivation are risk factors for adolescent mental health. Not only exposure levels but also exposure changes matter for adolescent mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zeng
- Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Gonneke W J M Stevens
- Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, Padualaan 14, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Marco Helbich
- Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8a, 3584 CB Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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Feng Y, Ni N, Liu W, Chi X. Air Pollution and Prosocial Behavior in Chinese Adolescents: The Role of Resilience and Interpersonal Relations. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2023; 16:2569-2580. [PMID: 37457391 PMCID: PMC10349605 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s409663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Past studies have indicated that air pollution is a major environmental factor that negatively affects prosocial behavior in adolescents. However, the mechanism underlying this negative relationship has not been fully explored. This study postulated that this impact may occur through individual resilience, a major psychological capital for adolescents. In addition, we studied interpersonal relations, namely, adolescents' perceived family and teacher support, which may moderate the proposed relationship. Methods This study combined the three-year tracking survey data of 11-to-15 old adolescents (N=1301; approximately 48% female) in China with objective data from the air quality index (AQI) to measure the level of air pollution. Results Findings from ordinary least squares analysis indicated that air pollution negatively influences adolescents' prosocial behavior, and their resilience mediates this negative relationship. In addition, the results showed that the negative effect of air pollution on adolescent resilience is attenuated by higher family income, whereas it is accentuated by the absence of teacher support. Conclusion Our study provides insight into how the negative effect of air pollution on adolescents' prosocial behavior is mediated by their psychological resilience, and highlights the moderating role of adolescents' interpersonal relations in the association between air pollution and their psychological resilience. Our research also provides practical advice on how families, teachers, and psychologists can mitigate this negative impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukun Feng
- Shenzhen Audencia Financial Technology Institute, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People’s Republic of China
- Faculty of Business Administration, University of Macau, Macau, People’s Republic of China
| | - Na Ni
- Faculty of Business, Lingnan University, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Liu
- School of Management, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xinli Chi
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, People’s Republic of China
- The Shenzhen Humanities & Social Sciences Key Research Bases of the Center for Mental Health, Shenzhen, 518060, People’s Republic of China
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12
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Li Y, Xie T, Cardoso Melo RD, de Vries M, Lakerveld J, Zijlema W, Hartman CA. Longitudinal effects of environmental noise and air pollution exposure on autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder during adolescence and early adulthood: The TRAILS study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 227:115704. [PMID: 36940817 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.115704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to ambient noise and air pollution may affect the manifestation and severity of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, evidence is limited, and most studies solely assessed environmental exposures during pregnancy and early childhood. OBJECTIVE To examine the longitudinal effects of ambient noise and air pollutants on ASD and ADHD symptom severity during adolescence and early adulthood. METHODS Using a longitudinal design, we included 2750 children between 10 and 12 years old from the TRacking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS) in the Netherlands, who were assessed in 6 waves from 2001 to 2017. ASD was measured by the Children's Social Behavior Questionnaire and the Adult Social Behavior Questionnaire. ADHD was measured by Child Behavior Checklist and the Adult Behavior Checklist. Ambient noise and air pollution exposures, including Ozone (O3), soot, sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), and PM10 were modeled at the residential level according to standardized protocols. The longitudinal associations between exposures and symptom outcomes were examined using linear mixed models. RESULTS We found evidence that higher levels of exposure to PM were associated with more severe ASD and ADHD symptoms. This association decreased over time. We did not observe any other consistent associations of noise or other air pollutants with ASD and ADHD severity. CONCLUSION The current study provides evidence for the negative impact of PM on ASD and ADHD symptoms. We did not find evidence of the negative health impact of other air pollutants and noise exposures on ASD or ADHD symptoms. Our study adds more evidence on the presence of associations between PM air pollution and neurodevelopmental diseases among adolescents and young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiran Li
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion Regulation, Department of Psychiatry, Groningen, Netherlands.
| | - Tian Xie
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion Regulation, Department of Psychiatry, Groningen, Netherlands.
| | - Raniere Dener Cardoso Melo
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion Regulation, Department of Psychiatry, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Maaike de Vries
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Epidemiology, Groningen, Netherlands; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen Research Institute for Asthma and COPD (GRIAC), Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Lakerveld
- Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Wilma Zijlema
- The Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiolo'gıa y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Melchor Fernandez ' Almagro, 3-5, 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Catharina A Hartman
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion Regulation, Department of Psychiatry, Groningen, Netherlands
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Rahai R, Evans GW. Cumulative Neurotoxicological Air Pollution Exposure Is Associated with Lower Reading Improvement and Diminished Benefits of Literacy Interventions for Urban Elementary Students of Color. J Urban Health 2023; 100:493-503. [PMID: 37335466 PMCID: PMC10323057 DOI: 10.1007/s11524-023-00746-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
The cognitive and behavioral deficits associated with air pollution exposure may have far-reaching negative effects on children's scholastic achievement. Moreover, air pollution may be conditioning the success of educational investments that support students who face greatest levels of societal adversity. This study examined the direct main effects of cumulative neurotoxicological exposure on annual reading improvement. We also tested the statistical interaction (i.e., moderation) of neurotoxicological exposure and academic intervention sessions on annual reading improvement for a large sample of ethnic minority (95%) elementary school children (n = 6080, k-6th grade) enrolled in a standard literacy enrichment program. These children were all behind grade level in reading and attended predominantly low-income schools (n = 85) in urban settings across the state of California. Multi-level modeling assessments accounted for random effects associated with school and neighborhood environments, and incorporated extensive individual, school, and community level covariates. Findings show individual elementary students of color to progress less in reading when exposed to greater accumulations of neurotoxin air pollution in their home and school environments, with the average deficit equivalent to 1.5 weeks of learning delay per year. Findings also show neurotoxicological exposure to diminish the efficacy of literacy intervention sessions received on reading improvement throughout the school year. Results suggest that pollution abatement can be a salient strategy to help bridge the child educational achievement gap. In addition to several methodological strengths, this study is one of the first to show that ambient pollution can undermine program efficacy of a literacy enrichment program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rouzbeh Rahai
- Department of Human Centered Design, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University, T57, Human Ecology Building, 37 Forest Home Dr., NY 14853 Ithaca, USA
| | - Gary William Evans
- Department of Human Centered Design, Department of Psychology, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University, T57, Human Ecology Building, 37 Forest Home Dr., NY 14853 Ithaca, USA
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14
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Campbell CE, Cotter DL, Bottenhorn KL, Burnor E, Ahmadi H, Gauderman WJ, Cardenas-Iniguez C, Hackman D, McConnell R, Berhane K, Schwartz J, Chen JC, Herting MM. Air pollution and emotional behavior in adolescents across the U.S. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.04.19.23288834. [PMID: 37162908 PMCID: PMC10168412 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.19.23288834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have linked air pollution to increased risk for behavioral problems during development, albeit with inconsistent findings. Additional longitudinal studies are needed that consider how emotional behaviors may be affected when exposure coincides with the transition to adolescence - a vulnerable time for developing mental health difficulties. This study examines how annual average PM2.5 and NO2 exposure at ages 9-10 years relates to internalizing and externalizing behaviors over a 2-year follow-up period in a large, nationwide U.S. sample of participants from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study®. Air pollution exposure was estimated based on the residential address of each participant using an ensemble-based modeling approach. Caregivers answered questions from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at baseline and annually for two follow-up sessions for a total of 3 waves of data; from the CBCL we obtained scores on internalizing and externalizing problems plus 5 syndrome scales (anxious/depressed, withdrawn/depressed, rule-breaking behavior, aggressive behavior, and attention problems). Zero-inflated negative binomial models were used to examine both the main effect of age as well as the interaction of age with each pollutant on behavior while adjusting for various socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. Overall, the pollution effects moderated the main effects of age with higher levels of PM2.5 and NO2 leading to an even greater likelihood of having no behavioral problems (i.e., score of zero) with age over time, as well as fewer problems when problems are present as the child ages. Albeit this was on the order equal to or less than a 1-point change. Thus, one year of annual exposure at 9-10 years is linked with very small change in emotional behaviors in early adolescence, which may be of little clinical relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E Campbell
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA 90089-2520
| | - Devyn L Cotter
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA 90089-2520
| | - Katherine L Bottenhorn
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Elisabeth Burnor
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hedyeh Ahmadi
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - W James Gauderman
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Hackman
- Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089
| | - Rob McConnell
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kiros Berhane
- Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Joel Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jiu-Chiuan Chen
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90063, USA
| | - Megan M Herting
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
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15
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Fernandes A, Ubalde-López M, Yang TC, McEachan RRC, Rashid R, Maitre L, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, Vrijheid M. School-Based Interventions to Support Healthy Indoor and Outdoor Environments for Children: A Systematic Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:ijerph20031746. [PMID: 36767121 PMCID: PMC9914556 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20031746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Environmental exposures are associated with children's health. Schools are often urban exposure 'hotspots' for pollution, noise, lack of green space and un-walkable built environments. The aim of this systematic review was to explore the impact of school-based interventions on the modification of indoor and outdoor stressors related to the built and natural environment on children's exposure and health. A systematic review of seven databases was performed. We included quantitative studies on children aged 5-12, which reported intervention delivered within school settings aimed at addressing key environmental exposures including air pollution, green spaces, traffic noise or active travel; and reported physical and mental health, physical activity or active travel behavior. The quality of studies was assessed and interventions were described using a standardized framework. A narrative synthesis approach was used to describe the findings. Thirty-nine papers were included on three main intervention types: improve indoor air quality by the increase of ventilation rates in classrooms; increase children's green time or greening schools, and multicomponent interventions to increase active travel to school by changes in pedestrian facilities. No eligible intervention to reduce traffic noise at school was found. Increasing ventilation rates improved short-term indoor air quality in classrooms, but the effect on cognitive performance was inconsistent. Greening schools and increasing children's green time have consistent positive effects on cognition and physical activity, but not in behavior. Multi-component interventions can increase walking and cycling after three years. Overall, the studies were rated as having poor quality owing to weak study designs. We found modest evidence that school-based built and natural environment interventions can improve children's exposure and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Fernandes
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mònica Ubalde-López
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Tiffany C. Yang
- Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford Royal Infirmary, Bradford BD9 6RJ, UK
| | - Rosemary R. C. McEachan
- Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford Royal Infirmary, Bradford BD9 6RJ, UK
| | - Rukhsana Rashid
- Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford Royal Infirmary, Bradford BD9 6RJ, UK
| | - Léa Maitre
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Martine Vrijheid
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
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16
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Honey-Rosés J, Zapata O. Green Spaces with Fewer People Improve Self-Reported Affective Experience and Mood. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:1219. [PMID: 36673974 PMCID: PMC9858984 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20021219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Calm and quiet green spaces provide health benefits for urban residents. Yet as cities become more densely populated, increasing public users to green spaces may reduce or moderate these benefits. We examine how increased pedestrian density in a green street changes self-reported wellbeing. We use a between subject experimental design that added public users as confederates in randomly selected periods over three weeks. We collect data on mood and affective response from pedestrians moving through the green street (n = 504), with and without our public user treatment in randomly selected periods. Mood and affective response are improved when experiencing the green street with fewer people. We find that an increased number of public users in the green space has a negative effect on mood, especially among women. We provide experimental evidence that self-reported wellbeing in urban green spaces depends on social context, and that there are gender inequities associated with changes in affective response. Although we only measure immediate impacts, our results imply that the health benefits of green spaces may be limited by the total number of users. This research contributes additional evidence that greener cities are also healthier cities, but that the benefits may not be equally shared between women and men and will depend on the social context of use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Honey-Rosés
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Oscar Zapata
- School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada
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17
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Kyi-Tha-Thu C, Fujitani Y, Hirano S, Win-Shwe TT. Early-Life Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollutants Induced Anxiety-like Behaviors in Rats via Neurotransmitters and Neurotrophic Factors. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010586. [PMID: 36614034 PMCID: PMC9820394 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent epidemiological studies have reported significantly increasing hospital admission rates for mental disorders such as anxiety and depression, not only in adults but also in children and adolescents, indicating more research is needed for evaluation of the etiology and possible reduction and prevention of these disorders. The aim of the present study was to examine the associations between perinatal exposure to traffic-related air pollutants and anxiety-like behaviors and alterations in neurological and immunological markers in adulthood using a rat model. Sprague Dawley pregnant rats were exposed to clean air (control), diesel exhaust (DE) 101 ± 9 μg/m3 or diesel exhaust origin secondary organic aerosol (DE-SOA) 118 ± 23 μg/m3 from gestational day 14 to postnatal day 21. Anxiety-related behavioral tests including open field tests, elevated plus maze, light/dark transition tests and novelty-induced hypophagia were performed on 10-week-old rats. The hippocampal expression of neurotransmitters, neurotrophic factors, and inflammatory molecular markers was examined by real-time RT-PCR. Anxiety-like behaviors were observed in both male and female rat offspring exposed to DE or DE-SOA. Moreover, serotonin receptor (5HT1A), dopamine receptor (Drd2), brain-derived neurotrophic factor and vascular endothelial growth factor A mRNAs were significantly decreased, whereas interleukin-1β, cyclooxygenase-2, heme oxygenase-1 mRNAs and microglial activation were significantly increased in both male and female rats. These findings indicate that brain developmental period exposure to traffic-related air pollutants may induce anxiety-like behaviors via modulation of neurotransmitters, neurotrophic factors, and immunological molecular markers, triggering neuroinflammation and microglia activation in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaw Kyi-Tha-Thu
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, International University of Health and Welfare, 4-3, Kozunomori, Narita 286-8686, Chiba, Japan
| | - Yuji Fujitani
- Health and Environmental Risk Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Seishiro Hirano
- Health and Environmental Risk Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Tin-Tin Win-Shwe
- Health and Environmental Risk Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Ibaraki, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-29-850-2542
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Kusters MSW, Essers E, Muetzel R, Ambrós A, Tiemeier H, Guxens M. Air pollution exposure during pregnancy and childhood, cognitive function, and emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 214:113891. [PMID: 35839913 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to air pollution may impact neurodevelopment during childhood, but current evidence on the association with cognitive function and mental health is inconclusive and primarily focusses on young children. Therefore, we aim to study the association of exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and childhood, with cognitive function and emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents. METHODS We used data from 5170 participants of a birth cohort in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Concentrations of fourteen air pollutants at participant's home addresses were estimated during pregnancy and childhood, using land use regression models. We included four cognitive domains (processing speed, working memory, fluid reasoning and verbal intelligence quotient (IQ)) and an estimated full-scale IQ. Internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems were self- and parent-reported. We used linear regression models to assess the association of each air pollutant, with cognitive function and emotional and behavioral problems, adjusting for socioeconomic status and lifestyle characteristics. Then, we performed multipollutant analyses using the Deletion/Substitution/Addition (DSA) algorithm. RESULTS Air pollution exposure was not associated with full-scale IQ, working memory, or processing speed. Higher exposure to few air pollutants was associated with higher fluid reasoning and verbal IQ scores (e.g. 0.22 points of fluid reasoning (95%CI 0.00; 0.44) per 1 μg/m3 increase in organic carbon during pregnancy). Higher exposure to some air pollutants was also associated with less internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems (e.g. -0.27 internalizing problems (95% CI -0.52; -0.02) per each 5 ng/m3 increase in copper during pregnancy). CONCLUSIONS Higher exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and childhood was not associated with lower cognitive function or more emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents. Based on previous literature and biological plausibility, the observed protective associations are probably explained by negative residual confounding, selection bias, or chance and do not represent a causal relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle S W Kusters
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Esmée Essers
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ryan Muetzel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Albert Ambrós
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Social and Behavioral Science, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Mònica Guxens
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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Ursache A, Barajas-Gonzalez RG, Dawson-McClure S. Neighborhood influences on the development of self-regulation among children of color living in historically disinvested neighborhoods: Moderators and mediating mechanisms. Front Psychol 2022; 13:953304. [PMID: 36389468 PMCID: PMC9643166 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.953304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
We present a conceptual model of the ways in which built and social environments shape the development of self-regulation in early childhood. Importantly, in centering children of color growing up in historically disinvested neighborhoods, we first describe how systemic structures of racism and social stratification have shaped neighborhood built and social environment features. We then present evidence linking these neighborhood features to children's development of self-regulation. Furthermore, we take a multilevel approach to examining three potential pathways linking neighborhood contexts to self-regulation: school environment and resources, home environment and resources, and child health behaviors. Finally, we consider how racial-ethnic-cultural strengths and multilevel interventions have the potential to buffer children's development of self-regulation in disinvested neighborhood contexts. Advancing multilevel approaches to understand the development of self-regulation among children of color living in historically disinvested neighborhoods is an important step in efforts to promote equity in health and education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Ursache
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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Bao WW, Xue WX, Jiang N, Huang S, Zhang SX, Zhao Y, Chen YC, Dong GH, Cai M, Chen YJ. Exposure to road traffic noise and behavioral problems in Chinese schoolchildren: A cross-sectional study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 837:155806. [PMID: 35561898 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transportation noise is second only to air pollution as an environmental contributor to adverse health outcomes in Western countries. However, no studies investigated the association between road traffic noise and behavioral problems among schoolchildren in China. OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between exposure to road traffic noise at home and behavioral problems in Chinese schoolchildren. METHODS From January to June 2017, we screened 3236 children aged 7-13 years in Guangzhou (Guangdong, China) from the first investigation of an ongoing school-based cohort study with complete information on behavioral problems and residential geolocation. Residential road traffic noise exposure levels were assessed using a validated modeling method in different periods of the day, including daytime (Lday), nighttime (Lnight), and weighted 24-hr (Ldn). The annual mean concentration of nitrogen dioxide was also modeled in our study. Behavioral problems were assessed by the parent-rated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Generalized linear mixed models were utilized to estimate the associations between road traffic noise and behavioral problems. RESULTS In the main adjusted model, a 10-dB increase in Ldn was associated with 0.33 (95% CI: 0.08, 0.59), 0.08 (95% CI: -0.01, 0.17), and 0.09 (95% CI: 0.01, 0.16) increases in three subscales score for total difficulties score, emotional problems, and conduct problems, respectively. The same increase in Ldn was also associated with the abnormal total difficulties score (OR = 1.25, 95%CI: 1.01, 1.55), emotional problems (OR = 1.19, 95%CI: 0.98, 1.44), and conduct problems (OR = 1.28, 95%CI:1.02, 1.63). Externalising behavior appears more susceptible to traffic noise than internalising behavior. NO2 had a small impact on the associations between Ldn and behavioral problems. Our estimates were generally robust in several sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION Residential road traffic noise exposure might be related to increased behavioral problems in Chinese schoolchildren, such as emotional symptoms and conduct problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Wen Bao
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Wang-Xing Xue
- School of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Intelligent Transportation System, School of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Nan Jiang
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Shan Huang
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Shu-Xin Zhang
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Yu Zhao
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Yi-Can Chen
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Guang-Hui Dong
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Ming Cai
- School of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, China; Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Intelligent Transportation System, School of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Ya-Jun Chen
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
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Okuyama A, Yoo S, Managi S. Children mirror adults for the worse: evidence of suicide rates due to air pollution and unemployment. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1614. [PMID: 36008764 PMCID: PMC9403225 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14013-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Every year, more than 700,000 people die due to suicide, one of the most common reasons for youth death. While many studies have revealed two main factors for suicidal behavior: impulsive suicidal behavior due to mental illness and financial stress, it is not clear what happens if individuals face deterioration of mental health and economic recession. This paper attempts to answer this question and how suicide rates are correlated with these factors. Methods We empirically investigate whether economic recessions and air pollution trigger suicides by examining Japan, a country with one of the highest suicide rates, from 2014 to 2021. We take advantage of the characteristics of the COVID-19 pandemic and the periods before the pandemic, when both economic recessions and reductions in air pollution occurred simultaneously. Using monthly and municipal- level data, we construct a triple difference model that takes air pollution and unemployment as treatments. Results Our findings show that high (upper half of each period) levels of air pollution and unemployment have substantial impacts on the suicide rates of adults (22.9% in the short term) and children (42.7% in the short term, 36.0% in the long term), indicating that the increase in suicide rates among children is almost twice as high as that among adults. Our study finds that unemployment and air pollution alone are not associated with increased suicide rates but their simultaneous occurrence triggers suicides during the pandemic. Conclusions Our study urges suicide prevention, particularly among children, as an essential consideration for public health. Furthermore, our results indicate the need for the government to allocate resources to recover air quality and the economy simultaneously during a recession to reduce suicide mortality of both child and adults. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-14013-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiro Okuyama
- Urban Institute, School of Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Sunbin Yoo
- Urban Institute, School of Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
| | - Shunsuke Managi
- Urban Institute, School of Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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22
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Liu B, Fang X, Strodl E, He G, Ruan Z, Wang X, Liu L, Chen W. Fetal Exposure to Air Pollution in Late Pregnancy Significantly Increases ADHD-Risk Behavior in Early Childhood. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph191710482. [PMID: 36078201 PMCID: PMC9518584 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191710482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air pollution nowadays has seriously threatened the health of the Chinese population, especially in the vulnerable groups of fetuses, infants and toddlers. In particular, the effects of air pollution on children's neurobehavioral development have attracted widespread attention. Moreover, the early detection of a sensitive period is very important for the precise intervention of the disease. However, such studies focusing on hyperactive behaviors and susceptible window identification are currently lacking in China. OBJECTIVES The study aims to explore the correlation between air pollution exposure and hyperactive behaviors during the early life stage and attempt to identify whether a susceptible exposure window exists that is crucial for further precise intervention. METHODS Based on the Longhua Child Cohort Study, we collected the basic information and hyperactivity index of 26,052 children using a questionnaire conducted from 2015 to 2017, and the Conners' Parent Rating Scale-revised (CPRS-48) was used to assess hyperactive behaviors. Moreover, the data of air pollution concentration (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, CO, O3 and SO2) were collected from the monitoring station between 2011 to 2017, and a land-use random forest model was used to evaluate the exposure level of each subject. Furthermore, Distributed lag non-linear models (DLNMs) were applied for statistic analysis. RESULTS The risk of child hyperactivity was found to be positively associated with early life exposure to PM10, PM2.5 and NO2. In particular, for an increase of per 10 µg/m3 in PM10, PM2.5 and NO2 exposure concentration during early life, the risk of child hyperactivity increased significantly during the seventh month of pregnancy to the fourth month after birth, with the strongest association in the ninth month of pregnancy (PM10: OR = 1.043, 95% CI: 1.016-1.071; PM2.5: OR = 1.062, 95% CI: 1.024-1.102; NO2: OR = 1.043, 95% CI: 1.016-1.071). However, no significant associations among early life exposure to CO, O3 and SO2 and child hyperactive behaviors were observed. CONCLUSIONS Early life exposure to PM10, PM2.5 and NO2 is associated with an increased risk of child ADHD-like behaviors at the age around 3 years, and the late-prenatal and early postnatal periods might be the susceptible exposure windows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binquan Liu
- Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210006, China
| | - Xinyu Fang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
- Department of Public Health and Health Administration, Clincial College of Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230031, China
- Anhui Province Laboratory of Inflammation and Immune Mediated Disease, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Esben Strodl
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4059, Australia
| | - Guanhao He
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zengliang Ruan
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Ximeng Wang
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Li Liu
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Weiqing Chen
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
- Department of Information Management, Xinhua College of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
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23
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Singh S, Sharma P, Pal N, Kumawat M, Shubham S, Sarma DK, Tiwari RR, Kumar M, Nagpal R. Impact of Environmental Pollutants on Gut Microbiome and Mental Health via the Gut–Brain Axis. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10071457. [PMID: 35889175 PMCID: PMC9317668 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10071457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the last few years, the microbiome has emerged as a high-priority research area to discover missing links between brain health and gut dysbiosis. Emerging evidence suggests that the commensal gut microbiome is an important regulator of the gut–brain axis and plays a critical role in brain physiology. Engaging microbiome-generated metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, the immune system, the enteric nervous system, the endocrine system (including the HPA axis), tryptophan metabolism or the vagus nerve plays a crucial role in communication between the gut microbes and the brain. Humans are exposed to a wide range of pollutants in everyday life that impact our intestinal microbiota and manipulate the bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain, resulting in predisposition to psychiatric or neurological disorders. However, the interaction between xenobiotics, microbiota and neurotoxicity has yet to be completely investigated. Although research into the precise processes of the microbiota–gut–brain axis is growing rapidly, comprehending the implications of environmental contaminants remains challenging. In these milieus, we herein discuss how various environmental pollutants such as phthalates, heavy metals, Bisphenol A and particulate matter may alter the intricate microbiota–gut–brain axis thereby impacting our neurological and overall mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samradhi Singh
- National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal 462030, India; (S.S.); (P.S.); (N.P.); (M.K.); (S.S.); (D.K.S.); (R.R.T.)
| | - Poonam Sharma
- National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal 462030, India; (S.S.); (P.S.); (N.P.); (M.K.); (S.S.); (D.K.S.); (R.R.T.)
| | - Namrata Pal
- National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal 462030, India; (S.S.); (P.S.); (N.P.); (M.K.); (S.S.); (D.K.S.); (R.R.T.)
| | - Manoj Kumawat
- National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal 462030, India; (S.S.); (P.S.); (N.P.); (M.K.); (S.S.); (D.K.S.); (R.R.T.)
| | - Swasti Shubham
- National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal 462030, India; (S.S.); (P.S.); (N.P.); (M.K.); (S.S.); (D.K.S.); (R.R.T.)
| | - Devojit Kumar Sarma
- National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal 462030, India; (S.S.); (P.S.); (N.P.); (M.K.); (S.S.); (D.K.S.); (R.R.T.)
| | - Rajnarayan R. Tiwari
- National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal 462030, India; (S.S.); (P.S.); (N.P.); (M.K.); (S.S.); (D.K.S.); (R.R.T.)
| | - Manoj Kumar
- National Institute for Research in Environmental Health, Bhopal 462030, India; (S.S.); (P.S.); (N.P.); (M.K.); (S.S.); (D.K.S.); (R.R.T.)
- Correspondence: (M.K.); (R.N.)
| | - Ravinder Nagpal
- Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32302, USA
- Correspondence: (M.K.); (R.N.)
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Zeng X, Xu C, Xu X, Huang Y, Wang Q, Huo X. Combined toxicity of air pollutants related to e-waste on inflammatory cytokines linked with neurotransmitters and pediatric behavioral problems. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2022; 239:113657. [PMID: 35617902 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113657] [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: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
E-waste usually refers to the discarded electrical or electronic equipment that is no longer used. Informal e-waste recycling methods, such as burning, roasting, acid leaching, and shredding, had resulted in serious air pollution, which is a prominent risk factor for children's health. However, the combined toxicity of air pollutants on children's behavioral health remains unclear. This study collected data on air pollution exposure, calculated the average daily dose (ADD) based on these air pollutants for children in Guiyu (e-waste group, n = 112) and Haojiang (reference group, n = 101), then assessed children's behavioral health using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and further estimated the associations of ADD, inflammatory cytokines, neurotransmitters, and children's behavioral problems. Compared with Haojiang, Guiyu has poorer air quality and higher levels of ADD, inflammatory cytokines (such as IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α), neurotransmitters (such as DA and SP), and SDQ scores, but lower levels of serum neuropeptide Y (NPY) levels. Spearman correlation analyses indicated that there were significant relationships among inflammatory cytokines, neurotransmitters, and behavioral scores. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that each unit increase in ADD was associated with serum levels of DA and SP, the serum NPY subsequently changed by B (95% CI): 0.99 (0.14, 1.84) nmol/L, 0.25 (0.08, 0.42) ng/mL, and - 0.16 (-0.26, -0.05) ng/mL, respectively. After adjustment for confounders, logistic regression analyses suggested that with each one-fold increase in ADD was associated with the risk of emotional symptoms [OR (95% CI): 18.15 (2.72, 121.06)], hyperactivity-inattention [13.64 (2.28, 81.65)] and total difficulties [8.90 (1.60, 49.35)] and prosocial behavior [- 7.32 (-44.37, -1.21)]. Taken together, this study demonstrates that combined exposure to air pollutants may alter the levels of inflammatory cytokines and serum neurotransmitter to subsequently impact behavioral health in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Zeng
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong, China
| | - Cheng Xu
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, China
| | - Xijin Xu
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, China; Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, China
| | - Yu Huang
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, China
| | - Qihua Wang
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong, China
| | - Xia Huo
- Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong, China
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Cardenas-Iniguez C, Burnor E, Herting MM. Neurotoxicants, the Developing Brain, and Mental Health. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 2:223-232. [PMID: 35911498 PMCID: PMC9337627 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
While life in urban environments may confer a number of benefits, it may also result in a variety of exposures, with toxic consequences for neurodevelopment and neuropsychological health. Neurotoxicants are any of a large number of chemicals or substances that interfere with normal function and/or compromise adaptation in the central and/or peripheral nervous system. Evidence suggests that neurotoxicant effects have a greater effect when occurring in utero and during early childhood. Recent findings exploring neural-level mechanisms provide a crucial opportunity to explore the ways in which environmental conditions may get "under the skin" to impact a number of psychological behaviors and cognitive processes, ultimately allowing for greater synergy between macro- and microlevel efforts to improve mental health in the presence of neurotoxicant exposures. In this review, we provide an overview of 3 types of neurotoxicants related to the built environment and relevant to brain development during childhood and adolescence: lead exposure, outdoor particulate matter pollution, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. We also discuss mechanisms through which these neurotoxicants affect central nervous system function, including recent evidence from neuroimaging literature. Furthermore, we discuss neurotoxicants and mental health during development in the context of social determinants and how differences in the spatial distribution of neurotoxicant exposures result in health disparities that disproportionately affect low-income and minority populations. Multifaceted approaches incorporating social systems and their effect on neurotoxicant exposures and downstream mental health will be key to reduce societal costs and improve quality of life for children, adolescents, and adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Elisabeth Burnor
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Megan M. Herting
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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26
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Zare Sakhvidi MJ, Knobel P, Bauwelinck M, de Keijzer C, Boll LM, Spano G, Ubalde-Lopez M, Sanesi G, Mehrparvar AH, Jacquemin B, Dadvand P. Greenspace exposure and children behavior: A systematic review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 824:153608. [PMID: 35134416 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
We systematically reviewed the existing evidence (until end of November 2021) on the association between long-term exposure to greenspace and behavioral problems in children according to the PRISMA 2020. The review finally reached 29 relevant studies of which, 17 were cross-sectional, 11 were cohort, and one was a case-control. Most of the studies were conducted in Europe (n = 14), followed by the USA (n = 8), and mainly (n = 21) from 2015 onwards. The overall quality of the studies in terms of risk of bias was "fair" (mean quality score = 5.4 out of 9) according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Thirteen studies (45%) had good or very good quality in terms of risk of bias. The strength and difficulty questionnaire was the most common outcome assessment instrument. Exposure to the greenspace in the reviewed studies was characterized based on different indices (availability, accessibility, and quality), mostly at residential address locations. Association of exposure to different types of greenspace were reported for nine different behavioral outcomes including total behavioral difficulties (n = 16), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and severity (n = 15), ADHD diagnosis (n = 10), conduct problems (n = 10), prosocial behavior (n = 10), emotional symptoms (n = 8), peer-relationship problems (n = 8), externalizing disorders (n = 6), and internalizing disorders (n = 5). Most of the reported associations (except for conduct problems) were suggestive of beneficial association of greenspace exposure with children's behaviors; however, the studies were heterogeneous in terms of their exposure indicators, study design, and the outcome definition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Javad Zare Sakhvidi
- Occupational Health Department, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran; Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Pablo Knobel
- Environment and Human Health Lab (EH2 Lab), Forest Science and Technology Center of Catalonia, Lleida, Spain
| | - Mariska Bauwelinck
- Interface Demography (ID), Department of Sociology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Carmen de Keijzer
- ISGlobal, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Lilian Marie Boll
- ISGlobal, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Giuseppina Spano
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Monica Ubalde-Lopez
- ISGlobal, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Giovanni Sanesi
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Amendola 165/A, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | | | - Bénédicte Jacquemin
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Payam Dadvand
- ISGlobal, Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
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27
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Han C, Xu R, Wei X, Zhang Y, Liu J, Zhang Y, Ye T, Wang S, Yu W, Guo S, Han K, Ding Y, Wang J, Guo Y, Li S. Surrounding road density of child care centers in Australia. Sci Data 2022; 9:140. [PMID: 35361783 PMCID: PMC8971508 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01172-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
High surrounding road density could increase traffic-related air pollution, noise and the risk of traffic injuries, which are major public health concerns for children. We collected geographical data for all childcare centers (16,146) in Australia and provided the data on the road density surrounding them. The road density was represented by the child care center's nearest distance to main road and motorway, and the length of main road/motor way within 100~1000-meter buffer zone surrounding the child care center. We also got the data of PM2.5 concentration from 2013 to 2018 and standard Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data from 2013 to 2019 according to the longitude and latitude of the child care centers. This data might help researchers to evaluate the health impacts of road density on child health, and help policy makers to make transportation, educational and environmental planning decisions to protect children from exposure to traffic-related hazards in Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunlei Han
- School of Public Health and Management, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong, 264003, P.R. China
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Rongbin Xu
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Xiaoyan Wei
- Yunnan Provincial Archives of Surveying and Mapping, Kunming, Yunnan, 650034, P.R. China
- Yunnan Provincial Geomatics Center, Kunming, Yunnan, 650034, P.R. China
| | - Yajuan Zhang
- School of Public Health and Management, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, 750004, P.R. China
| | - Jiahui Liu
- School of Geography and Ecotourism, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650051, P.R. China
| | - Yuguo Zhang
- School of Geography and Ecotourism, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650051, P.R. China
| | - Tingting Ye
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Siwei Wang
- Tangshan Gangxin Technology Development Co., Ltd, Tangshan, Hebei, 063611, P.R. China
| | - Wenhua Yu
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Suying Guo
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Kun Han
- Guotai Junan Securities, Shanghai, 200030, P.R. China
- School of Economics, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, P.R. China
| | - Yimin Ding
- School of software, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, P.R. China
| | - Jinfeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Yuming Guo
- School of Public Health and Management, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, Shandong, 264003, P.R. China.
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
| | - Shanshan Li
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
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Brons ME, Bolt GS, Helbich M, Visser K, Stevens GW. Independent associations between residential neighbourhood and school characteristics and adolescent mental health in the Netherlands. Health Place 2022; 74:102765. [DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2022.102765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change: implications for the mental health policy of children and adolescents in Europe-a scoping review. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2022; 31:701-713. [PMID: 32845381 PMCID: PMC9142437 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-020-01615-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is a worldwide challenge. Its consequences do encompass severe threats not only for the existence and somatic health, but also for the mental health of children and adolescents. Mental health can be impaired by three types of consequences. Direct consequences of climate change, such as natural disasters and indirect consequences, such as loss of land, flight and migration, exposure to violence, change of social, ecological, economic or cultural environment. Moreover, the increasing awareness of the existential dimension of climate change in children and adolescents can influence their well-being or challenge their mental health. Consequences of climate change for somatic health may interact with mental health or have psychological sequelae in children and adolescents. Based on the estimates by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we have summarized current data on these differential pathways as to how climate change affects the mental health of children worldwide through selective literature research on Pubmed. Mental health sequelae of direct and indirect consequences of climate change, increased awareness and physical health problems caused by climate change are presented. We give insights into special vulnerabilities of children and adolescents and identify high-risk groups. As the "Fridays for Future" movement has been initiated in northern Europe, we will discuss these results with a focus on children and adolescents in Europe. The results indicate that climate change is a serious threat to children and adolescent mental health. Children´s rights, mental health and climate change should not continue to be seen as separate points; instead, they need to be brought together to address this major challenge determining the future of our children and their descendants.
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Essers E, Pérez-Crespo L, Foraster M, Ambrós A, Tiemeier H, Guxens M. Environmental noise exposure and emotional, aggressive, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder-related symptoms in children from two European birth cohorts. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 158:106946. [PMID: 34715431 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Environmental noise exposure is increasing but limited research has been done on the association with emotional, aggressive, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-related symptoms in children. OBJECTIVE To analyze the association between prenatal and childhood environmental noise exposure and emotional, aggressive, and ADHD-related symptoms in children from two European birth cohorts. METHODS We included 534 children from the Spanish INMA-Sabadell Project and 7424 from the Dutch Generation R Study. Average 24 h noise exposure at the participants' home address during pregnancy and childhood periods were estimated using EU maps from road traffic noise and total noise (road, aircraft, railway, and industry). Symptom outcomes were assessed using validated questionnaires: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Child Behavioral Checklist, ADHD Criteria of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition List, and Conner's Parent Rating Scale-Revised at 4, 7 and 9 years (INMA-Sabadell cohort) and 18 months, 3, 5, and 9 years (Generation R Study). Adjusted linear mixed models of prenatal and repeated childhood noise exposure with repeated symptom outcomes were run separately by cohort and overall estimates were combined with random-effects meta-analysis. RESULTS Average prenatal and childhood road traffic noise exposure levels were 61.3 (SD 6.1) and 61.7 (SD 5.8) for INMA-Sabadell and 54.6 (SD 7.9) and 51.6 (SD 7.1) for Generation R, respectively. Prenatal and childhood road traffic noise exposure were not associated with emotional, aggressive, or ADHD-related symptoms. No heterogeneity was observed between cohorts and results were comparable for total noise exposure. CONCLUSIONS No association was observed between prenatal or childhood road traffic or total noise exposure and symptom outcomes in children. Future studies should include a more comprehensive noise exposure assessment considering noise sensitivity and noise exposure at different settings such as work for pregnant women and school for children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esmée Essers
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Laura Pérez-Crespo
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Maria Foraster
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; PHAGEX Research Group, Blanquerna School of Health Science, Universitat Ramon Lull (URL), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Albert Ambrós
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Centre - Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Social and Behavioral Science, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA.
| | - Mònica Guxens
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Centre - Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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Ahmed SM, Mishra GD, Moss KM, Yang IA, Lycett K, Knibbs LD. Maternal and Childhood Ambient Air Pollution Exposure and Mental Health Symptoms and Psychomotor Development in Children: An Australian Population-Based Longitudinal Study. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 158:107003. [PMID: 34991263 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.107003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accumulating evidence indicates early life exposure to air pollution, a suspected neurotoxicant, is negatively associated with children's neurodevelopment. OBJECTIVES To explore the role of multiple exposure periods to ambient particulate matter with diameter <2.5 μm (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) on emotion and behaviour, and early development in children <13 years. METHODS We used data from Mothers and their Children's Health (MatCH) study, a 2016/17 sub-study from a prospective longitudinal study, the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Annual PM2.5 and NO2 estimates since 1996 were obtained from a land-use regression model. Maternal residential proximity to roadways were used as a proxy measure of exposure to traffic-related air pollution. Child outcomes were maternal-rated emotional and behavioural problems (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; SDQ, aged 2-12 years, n = 5471 children) and developmental delay in communication and gross motor skills (Ages and Stages Questionnaire; ASQ, aged 1-66 months, n = 1265 children). Defined exposure periods were early life exposure ('during pregnancy' and 'first year of life') and 'children's lifetime exposure'. Ambient air pollution was divided into tertiles and logistic regression was performed to estimate odds ratio (OR) for each child outcome, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS Children exposed to moderate and high PM2.5 exposure, compared to low exposure, across all periods, had higher odds of emotional and behavioural problems, and gross motor delay. Children's lifetime exposure to moderate levels of PM2.5 (5.9-7.1 µg/m3) was associated with 1.27 (95% confidence interval 1.03, 1.57) fold higher odds of emotional/behavioural problems. Similar associations were found for moderate PM2.5 levels at 'first year of life' in a two-pollutant model only (OR: 1.30; 1.05, 1.60). However, there was insufficient evidence to suggest that NO2 exposure or living within 200 m of major roads was associated with emotional and behaviour problems or developmental delay across any exposure periods. CONCLUSION We found isolated evidence that early life and childhood exposure to PM2.5 may be associated with emotional and behavioural problems and delays in gross motor skills, but most associations were null. Due to the limited number of longitudinal studies on low-exposure settings, further studies with more temporally refined exposure assessment are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salma M Ahmed
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Gita D Mishra
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Katrina M Moss
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ian A Yang
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, and Thoracic Medicine, The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland Australia
| | - Kate Lycett
- Centre for Social & Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Luke D Knibbs
- School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Vilcins D, Cortes-Ramirez J, Currie D, Preston P. Early environmental exposures and life-long risk of chronic non-respiratory disease. Paediatr Respir Rev 2021; 40:33-38. [PMID: 34140237 DOI: 10.1016/j.prrv.2021.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to environmental hazards occurs from the earliest stages of development. There are a broad range of environmental hazards, and virtually all children are exposed to these hazards during the critical period of growth and development. The burden of many chronic diseases continues to rise, and life course studies have shown that early exposure to environmental hazards is associated with non-communicable disease in later years. This review will discuss the environmental exposures associated with four non-respiratory chronic diseases: obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and neurodevelopmental /neurodegenerative conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dwan Vilcins
- Children's Health and Environment Program, Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Javier Cortes-Ramirez
- School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Paige Preston
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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Gignac F, Barrera-Gómez J, Persavento C, Solé C, Tena È, López-Vicente M, Foraster M, Amato F, Alastuey A, Querol X, Llavador H, Apesteguia J, Júlvez J, Couso D, Sunyer J, Basagaña X. Short-term effect of air pollution on attention function in adolescents (ATENC!Ó): A randomized controlled trial in high schools in Barcelona, Spain. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 156:106614. [PMID: 34000503 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106614] [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: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The recent evidence of the short-term impact of air pollution on youth cognitive functions is based primarily on observational studies. OBJECTIVES We conducted a randomized controlled trial to assess whether purifying the air of the classrooms produced short-term changes in attention processes of adolescents. METHODS We recruited a total of 2,123 adolescents (13-16 years old) in 33 high schools in Barcelona metropolitan area (Spain). In each school, adolescents from each class were randomly split into two equal-sized groups and assigned to two different classrooms. A set of two air cleaner devices with the same appearance (one recirculating and filtrating the air and the other only recirculating the air) was used. Each one of the devices was placed at random at one of the two classrooms. Students were masked to intervention allocation and had to complete several computerized activities for 1.5 h, including an attention test (Flanker task) to be performed at baseline and at the end of the intervention. The response speed consistency, expressed as hit reaction time standard error (HRT-SE, in ms), was measured as the primary outcome. Analyses were conducted using conditional linear regressions with classroom as strata, adjusted for variables that may differ from one class to another such as temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide concentration. RESULTS Average levels of PM2.5 and black carbon throughout the 1.5 h of experiment were 89% and 87%, respectively, lower in the classrooms with air cleaner than in the control classrooms. No differences were found in the median of HRT-SE between classrooms with cleaned air and normal air (percent change: 1.37%, 95% confidence interval: -2.81%, 5.56%). Sensitivity analyses with secondary attention outcomes resulted in similar findings. CONCLUSIONS Cleaning the air of a classroom to reduce exposure to air pollutants for 1.5 h did not have an impact on the attention function of adolescents. Still, in light of previous evidence suggesting an association between air pollution and attention, further experimental studies should explore other short-term timescales of exposure and age ranges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Gignac
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose Barrera-Gómez
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cecilia Persavento
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Madrid, Spain
| | - Caterina Solé
- Centre de Recerca per a l'Educació Científica i Matemàtica (CRECIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Èlia Tena
- Centre de Recerca per a l'Educació Científica i Matemàtica (CRECIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mónica López-Vicente
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maria Foraster
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fulvio Amato
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC) Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrés Alastuey
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC) Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Querol
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Research Council (CSIC) Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Jordi Júlvez
- Pere Virgili Institute for Health Research (IISPV), Hospital Universitari Sant Joan de Reus, Reus, Spain
| | - Digna Couso
- Centre de Recerca per a l'Educació Científica i Matemàtica (CRECIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Sunyer
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Madrid, Spain
| | - Xavier Basagaña
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Madrid, Spain.
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Karamanos A, Mudway I, Kelly F, Beevers SD, Dajnak D, Elia C, Cruickshank JK, Lu Y, Tandon S, Enayat E, Dazzan P, Maynard M, Harding S. Air pollution and trajectories of adolescent conduct problems: the roles of ethnicity and racism; evidence from the DASH longitudinal study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2021; 56:2029-2039. [PMID: 33929549 PMCID: PMC8519907 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-021-02097-7] [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] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE No known UK empirical research has investigated prospective associations between ambient air pollutants and conduct problems in adolescence. Ethnic minority children are disproportionately exposed to structural factors that could moderate any observed relationships. This prospective study examined whether exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations is associated with conduct problems in adolescence, and whether racism or ethnicity moderate such associations. METHODS Longitudinal associations between annual mean estimated PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations at the residential address and trajectories of conduct problems, and the potential influence of racism and ethnicity were examined school-based sample of 4775 participants (2002-2003 to 2005-2006) in London, using growth curve models. RESULTS Overall, in the fully adjusted model, exposure to lower concentrations of PM2.5 and NO2 was associated with a decrease in conduct problems during adolescence, while exposure to higher concentrations was associated with a flattened trajectory of conduct symptoms. Racism amplified the effect of PM2.5 (β = 0.05 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.10, p < 0.01)) on adolescent trajectories of conduct problems over time. At higher concentrations of PM2.5, there was a divergence of trajectories of adolescent conduct problems between ethnic minority groups, with White British and Black Caribbean adolescents experiencing an increase in conduct problems over time. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that the intersections between air pollution, ethnicity, and racism are important influences on the development of conduct problems in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Karamanos
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, 57 Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8WA, UK.
| | - I Mudway
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Exposures and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - F Kelly
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Exposures and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - S D Beevers
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Exposures and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - D Dajnak
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Environmental Exposures and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - C Elia
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, 57 Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8WA, UK
| | - J K Cruickshank
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, 57 Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8WA, UK
| | - Y Lu
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, 57 Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8WA, UK
| | - S Tandon
- Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Population Health & Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - E Enayat
- Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - P Dazzan
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - M Maynard
- School of Clinical and Applied Sciences, Leeds Beckett University, London, UK
| | - S Harding
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Life Course Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, 57 Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8WA, UK
- Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Population Health & Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
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Szabados M, Csákó Z, Kotlík B, Kazmarová H, Kozajda A, Jutraz A, Kukec A, Otorepec P, Dongiovanni A, Di Maggio A, Fraire S, Szigeti T. Indoor air quality and the associated health risk in primary school buildings in Central Europe - The InAirQ study. INDOOR AIR 2021; 31:989-1003. [PMID: 33615561 DOI: 10.1111/ina.12802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The indoor air quality (IAQ) was investigated in sixty-four primary school buildings in five Central European countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Poland, and Slovenia). The concentration of volatile organic compounds, aldehydes, PM2.5 mass, carbon dioxide, radon, as well as physical parameters were investigated during the heating period of 2017/2018. Significant differences were identified for the majority of the investigated IAQ parameters across the countries. The median indoor/outdoor ratios varied considerably. A comprehensive evaluation of IAQ in terms of potential health effects and comfort perception was performed. Hazard quotient values were below the threshold value of 1 with one exception. In contrast, 31% of the school buildings were characterized by hazard index values higher than 1. The maximum cumulative ratio approach highlighted that the concern for non-carcinogenic health effects was either low or the health risk was driven by more substances. The median excess lifetime cancer risk values exceeded the acceptable value of 1 × 10-6 in the case of radon and formaldehyde. PM2.5 mass concentration values exceeded the 24 h and annual guideline values set by the World Health Organization in 56 and 85% of the cases, respectively. About 80% of the schools could not manage to comply with the recommended concentration value for carbon dioxide (1000 ppm).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zsófia Csákó
- National Public Health Center, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bohumil Kotlík
- National Institute of Public Health, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Anna Kozajda
- Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland
| | - Anja Jutraz
- National Institute of Public Health, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Andreja Kukec
- National Institute of Public Health, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Peter Otorepec
- National Institute of Public Health, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Osborne S, Uche O, Mitsakou C, Exley K, Dimitroulopoulou S. Air quality around schools: Part I - A comprehensive literature review across high-income countries. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 196:110817. [PMID: 33524334 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Children are particularly vulnerable to the detrimental health impacts of poor air quality. In the UK, recent initiatives at local council level have focussed on mitigating children's air pollution exposure at school. However, an overview of the available evidence on concentration and exposure in school environments - and a summary of key knowledge gaps - has so far been lacking. To address this, we conducted a review bringing together recent academic and grey literature, relating to air quality in outdoor school environments - including playgrounds, drop-off zones, and the school commute - across high-income countries. We aimed to critically assess, synthesise, and categorise the available literature, to produce recommendations on future research and mitigating actions. Our searches initially identified 883 articles of interest, which were filtered down in screening and appraisal to a final total of 100 for inclusion. Many of the included studies focussed on nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and particulate matter (PM) in both the coarse and fine fractions, around schools across a range of countries. Some studies also observed ozone (O3) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) outside schools. Our review identified evidence that children can encounter pollution peaks on the school journey, at school gates, and in school playgrounds; that nearby traffic is a key determinant of concentrations outside schools; and that factors relating to planning and urban design - such as the type of playground paving, and amount of surrounding green space - can influence school site concentrations. The review also outlines evidence gaps that can be targeted in future research. These include the need for more personal monitoring studies that distinguish between the exposure that takes place indoors and outdoors at school, and a need for a greater number of studies that conduct before-after evaluation of local interventions designed to mitigate children's exposure, such as green barriers and road closures. Finally, our review also proposes some tangible recommendations for policymakers and local leaders. The creation of clean air zones around schools; greening of school grounds; careful selection of new school sites; promotion of active travel to and from school; avoidance of major roads on the school commute; and scheduling of outdoor learning and play away from peak traffic hours, are all advocated by the evidence collated in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Osborne
- Air Quality & Public Health Group, Environmental Hazards and Emergencies Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Oxon, OX11 0RQ, UK
| | - Onyekachi Uche
- Air Quality & Public Health Group, Environmental Hazards and Emergencies Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Oxon, OX11 0RQ, UK
| | - Christina Mitsakou
- Air Quality & Public Health Group, Environmental Hazards and Emergencies Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Oxon, OX11 0RQ, UK
| | - Karen Exley
- Air Quality & Public Health Group, Environmental Hazards and Emergencies Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Oxon, OX11 0RQ, UK
| | - Sani Dimitroulopoulou
- Air Quality & Public Health Group, Environmental Hazards and Emergencies Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Chilton, Oxon, OX11 0RQ, UK.
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Kim SS, Vuong AM, Dietrich KN, Chen A. Proximity to traffic and exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in relation to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and conduct disorder in U.S. children. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2021; 232:113686. [PMID: 33429141 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2020.113686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traffic related air pollution (TRAP) and its component polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) may be neurotoxic in children. There is limited research on postnatal exposure to TRAP and PAHs and child neurodevelopment. METHODS We linked data from the U.S. NHANES 2001-2004 with the National Highway Planning Network 2005 to examine the proximity to major roads (highway or urban/rural principal arterials), urinary PAH metabolites, and diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Conduct Disorder (CD) based on Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (C-DISC) in 1253 children aged 8-15 years. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs) for ADHD and CD by traffic proximity and PAH exposures using logistic regression adjusted for confounders. RESULTS Higher ADHD prevalence was observed among children living <500 m (9.86%) compared to those ≥500 m (3.84%) from a major road. Prevalence of children with CD was comparable (<500 m: 2.51% and ≥500 m: 2.43%). We found little difference in urinary PAH metabolite levels between children living near major roads and those who did not. Children living <500 m from a major road had a non-significant OR of 2.06 (95% CI 0.85-5.03) for ADHD diagnosis. Children living on ≥2 major roads within 500 m of a highway had a non-significant OR of 2.27 (95% CI 0.71-7.26) for ADHD diagnosis. There was no association between proximity to major roads and CD diagnosis. CONCLUSION We found living close to a major road was not associated with increased PAH levels. We did not find statistically significant relation between proximity to a major road or urinary PAH metabolite levels and ADHD or CD diagnosis in this cross-sectional analysis. Prospective studies are needed for the investigation of postnatal TRAP exposure and ADHD and CD diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephani S Kim
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Currently at Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Ann M Vuong
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Currently at Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Kim N Dietrich
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Aimin Chen
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Currently at Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Zijlema WL, de Kluizenaar Y, van Kamp I, Hartman CA. Associations between road traffic noise exposure at home and school and ADHD in school-aged children: the TRAILS study. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2021; 30:155-167. [PMID: 32246274 PMCID: PMC7864841 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-020-01521-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Environmental noise may play a role in the manifestation and severity of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, but evidence is limited. We investigated the cross-sectional associations between residential and school road traffic noise exposure and ADHD symptoms and diagnosis. The sample included n = 1710, 10-12-year-old children from the TRAILS study in The Netherlands. ADHD symptoms were measured using a DSM-IV based subscale from the Child Behavior Checklist. Children with diagnosed ADHD originated from the clinic-referred cohort. Road traffic noise (Lden) was estimated at the residence and school level, by model calculation. Risk ratios for ADHD symptoms and ADHD diagnoses, and regression coefficients for symptom severity were estimated separately and simultaneously for residential and school road traffic noise. Adjusted multinomial models with residential road traffic noise showed that residential noise was not associated with ADHD symptoms, but was associated with lower risks for ADHD diagnosis (RR = 0.93; 95% CI 0.89, 0.97). Similar associations were observed for models including school road traffic noise and models including both exposures. No clear exposure response relationship was observed for associations between residential or school noise and ADHD symptom severity. We found no evidence for a harmful association between road traffic noise and ADHD. Associations between noise and lower risks for ADHD were observed only in referred cases with a confirmed ADHD diagnosis and may be due to residual confounding or selection bias. Future studies should focus on residential and school noise exposure, and study associations with ADHD symptoms and diagnosis over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- W. L. Zijlema
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB), C/Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Doctor Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Melchor Fernández Almagro, 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - I. van Kamp
- RIVM, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - C. A. Hartman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Lee JT. Review of epidemiological studies on air pollution and health effects in children. Clin Exp Pediatr 2021; 64:3-11. [PMID: 32517422 PMCID: PMC7806407 DOI: 10.3345/cep.2019.00843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a growing body of literature on the adverse health effects of ambient air pollution. Children are more adversely affected by air pollution due to their biological susceptibility and exposure patterns. This review summarized the accumulated epidemiologic evidence with emphasis on studies conducted in Korea and heterogeneity in the literature. Based on systematic reviews and meta-analyses, there is consistent evidence on the association between exposure to ambient air pollution and children's health, especially respiratory health and adverse birth outcomes, and growing evidence on neurodevelopmental outcomes. Despite these existing studies, the mechanism of the adverse health effects of air pollution and the critical window of susceptibility remain unclear. There is also a need to identify causes of heterogeneity between studies in terms of measurement of exposure/outcome, study design, and the differential characteristics of air pollutants and population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong-Tae Lee
- Division of Health Policy and Management, College of Health Science, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
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Thygesen M, Engemann K, Holst GJ, Hansen B, Geels C, Brandt J, Pedersen CB, Dalsgaard S. The Association between Residential Green Space in Childhood and Development of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Population-Based Cohort Study. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2020; 128:127011. [PMID: 33351671 PMCID: PMC7755168 DOI: 10.1289/ehp6729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Access to green space has been hypothesized to have a beneficial impact on children's mental well-being and cognitive development. The underlying mechanisms of the mental health benefits of green space are not fully understood, but different pathways have been suggested, such as the psychologically restoring capacities of green space, the ability to facilitate physical activity and social cohesion, and the mitigation of exposure to air pollution. OBJECTIVES In this nationwide cohort study, we investigated associations between residential green space in early childhood and a clinical diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS The cohort included individuals, who were born in Denmark between 1992 and 2007 (n=814,689) and followed for a diagnosis of ADHD from age 5, during the period 1997-2016. We used the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) as a measure of vegetation greenness surrounding each residential address in a quadratic area of 210m×210m in which the residence was located in the center of the quadrate. Individual exposure to green space was calculated as the average of NDVI surrounding each individual's residential address (or addresses if more than one) between birth and the fifth birthday. Multilevel modeling was used to estimate the incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for ADHD, according to exposure level and adjusted for calendar time, age, sex, parental socioeconomic status, neighborhood level socioeconomic status, and urbanicity. RESULTS Individuals living in areas defined by sparse green vegetation (lowest decile of NDVI) had an increased risk of developing ADHD, compared with individuals living in areas within the highest decile of NDVI (IRR=1.55; 95% CI: 1.46, 1.65). Adjusting for the known confounders attenuated the result, but the association remained (IRR=1.20; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.28). CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that lower levels of green space in residential surroundings, during early childhood, may be associated with a higher risk of developing ADHD. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP6729.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malene Thygesen
- National Centre for Register-based Research, Department of Economics and Business, School of Business and Social Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus and Copenhagen, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Centre for Integrated Register-based Research (CIRRAU), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Kristine Engemann
- Centre for Integrated Register-based Research (CIRRAU), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Big Data Centre for Environment and Health (BERTHA), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Gitte J. Holst
- National Centre for Register-based Research, Department of Economics and Business, School of Business and Social Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Public Health, Section of Environment, Occupation and Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Big Data Centre for Environment and Health (BERTHA), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Birgitte Hansen
- Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Camilla Geels
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Jørgen Brandt
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Carsten B. Pedersen
- National Centre for Register-based Research, Department of Economics and Business, School of Business and Social Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus and Copenhagen, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Centre for Integrated Register-based Research (CIRRAU), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Big Data Centre for Environment and Health (BERTHA), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Søren Dalsgaard
- National Centre for Register-based Research, Department of Economics and Business, School of Business and Social Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus and Copenhagen, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Centre for Integrated Register-based Research (CIRRAU), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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Ma X, Longley I, Gao J, Salmond J. Evaluating the Effect of Ambient Concentrations, Route Choices, and Environmental (in)Justice on Students' Dose of Ambient NO 2 While Walking to School at Population Scales. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:12908-12919. [PMID: 32966051 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c05241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The commuting microenvironment accounts for a large part of students' diurnal exposure to air pollution, especially in cities in developed countries where air pollution is caused predominantly by vehicle traffic. Accurate quantification of students' exposure and pollution dose during their commute from home to school requires their home addresses and details of the schools they attend. Such details are usually inaccessible or difficult to obtain at population scales due to privacy issues. Therefore, estimates of students' exposure to, and dose of, air pollution at population scales have to rely on simulated origins and destinations, which may bias the results. This contribution overcomes this limitation by quantifying students' terrain-based dosage of ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) during their commute from home to school while walking along (a) the shortest-distance routes and (b) an alternative lowest-dose route. This is determined at population scales for students in Auckland, New Zealand using a rich dataset of observed home addresses and schools attended for 14,091 walking students. This study also determines the bias introduced when using simulated addresses (as opposed to observed data) to calculate the same result. Finally, we examine exposure inequalities among students of different socioeconomic backgrounds at school, at home, and during walking commutes. Results show that only 17.48% of students in the whole of Auckland can find alternative lowest-dose routes. The portion is higher (26%) in central Auckland because of its better road network connectivity. The trade-off analysis identifies that for only about 30% of students, a 1% increase in route length is associated with a >1% reduction in dosage if using the alternative lowest-dose route. Greater benefits were observed in suburban Auckland (a less-polluted area) than in central Auckland, which highlights the importance of taking an alternative lowest-dose route, especially for students whose shortest-distance routes overlap with or run parallel to an arterial road. The use of simulated addresses resulted in underestimates of both the length and reduced dosage of the alternative routes by up to a quarter in comparison with the results derived from the observed data. Limited evidence of exposure inequality based on commuter exposure was found, but patterns in the central city were opposite to those in the suburbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuying Ma
- School of Environment, Faculty of Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Ian Longley
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Jay Gao
- School of Environment, Faculty of Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
| | - Jennifer Salmond
- School of Environment, Faculty of Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
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Ma X, Longley I, Gao J, Salmond J. Assessing schoolchildren's exposure to air pollution during the daily commute - A systematic review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 737:140389. [PMID: 32783874 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Air pollution is mostly caused by emissions from human activities, and exposure to air pollution is linked with numerous adverse human health outcomes. Recent studies have identified that although people only spend a small proportion of time on their daily commutes, the commuter microenvironment is a significant contributor to their total daily air pollution exposure. Schoolchildren are a particularly vulnerable cohort of the population, and their exposure to air pollution at home or school has been documented in a number of case studies. A few studies have identified that schoolchildren's exposure during commutes is linked with adverse cognitive outcomes and severe wheeze in asthmatic children. However, the determinants of total exposure, such as route choice and commute mode, and their subsequent health impacts on schoolchildren are still not well-understood. The aim of this paper is to review and synthesize recent studies on assessing schoolchildren's exposure to various air pollutants during the daily commute. Through reviewing 31 relevant studies published between 2004 and 2020, we tried to identify consistent patterns, trends, and underlying causal factors in the results. These studies were carried out across 10 commute modes and 12 different air pollutants. Air pollution in cities is highly heterogeneous in time and space, and commuting schoolchildren move through the urban area in complex ways. Measurements from fixed monitoring stations (FMSs), personal monitoring, and air quality modeling are the three most common approaches to determining exposure to ambient air pollutant concentrations. The time-activity diary (TAD), GPS tracker, online route collection app, and GIS-based route simulation are four widely used methods to determine schoolchildren's daily commuting routes. We found that route choices exerted a determining impact on schoolchildren's exposure. It is challenging to rank commute modes in order of exposure, as each scenario has numerous uncontrollable determinants, and there are notable research gaps. We suggest that future studies should concentrate on examining exposure patterns of schoolchildren in developing countries, exposure in the subway and trains, investigating the reliability of current simulation methods, exploring the environmental justice issue, and identifying the health impacts during commuting. It is recommended that three promising tools of smartphones, data fusion, and GIS should be widely used to overcome the challenges encountered in scaling up commuter exposure studies to population scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuying Ma
- School of Environment, Faculty of Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand; National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Auckland 1010, New Zealand.
| | - Ian Longley
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Jay Gao
- School of Environment, Faculty of Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Jennifer Salmond
- School of Environment, Faculty of Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
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Prenatal PM 2.5 exposure and behavioral development in children from Mexico City. Neurotoxicology 2020; 81:109-115. [PMID: 32950567 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2020.09.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood exposure to air pollution has been linked with maladaptive cognitive development; however, less is known about the association between prenatal fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure and childhood behavior. OBJECTIVES Our aim was to assess the association between prenatal PM2.5 exposure and behavioral development in 4-6 year old children residing in Mexico City. METHODS We used data from 539 mother-child pairs enrolled in a prospective birth cohort in Mexico City. We estimated daily PM2.5 exposure using a 1 km2 satellite-based exposure model and averaged over each trimester of pregnancy. We assessed childhood behavior at 4-6 years of age using the parent-completed Behavioral Assessment Scale for Children (BASC-2) composite scores and subscales. We used linear regression models to estimate change in BASC-2 T-scores with trimester specific 5-μg/m3 increases in PM2.5. All models were mutually adjusted for PM2.5 exposures during the other trimesters, maternal factors including age, education, socioeconomic status, depression, and IQ, child's age at study visit, and season. We additionally assessed sex-specific effects by including an interaction term between PM2.5 and sex. RESULTS Higher first trimester PM2.5 exposure was associated with reduced Adaptive Skills scores (β: -1.45, 95% CI: -2.60, -0.30). Lower scores on the Adaptive Skills composite score and subscales indicate poorer functioning. For PM2.5 exposure during the first trimester, decrements were consistent across adaptive subscale scores including Adaptability (β: -1.51, 95% CI: -2.72, -0.30), Social Skills (β: -1.63, 95% CI: -2.90, -0.36), and Functional Communication (β: -1.21, 95% CI: -2.21, -0.21). The association between 1st trimester PM2.5 and depression was stronger in males than females (β for males: 1.52, 95% CI: -0.41, 3.45; β for females: -0.13, 95% CI: -1.99, 1.72; p-int: 0.07). CONCLUSIONS Exposure to PM2.5 during early pregnancy may be associated with impaired behavioral development in children, particularly for measures of adaptive skills. These results suggest that air pollution impacts behavioral domains as well as cognition, and that the timing of exposure may be critical.
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Kumar P, Omidvarborna H, Pilla F, Lewin N. A primary school driven initiative to influence commuting style for dropping-off and picking-up of pupils. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 727:138360. [PMID: 32498201 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The use of cars for drop-off and pick-up of pupils from schools is a potential cause of pollution hotspots at school premises. Employing a joint execution of smart sensing technology and citizen science approach, a primary school took an initiative to co-design a study with local community and researchers to generate data and provide information to understand the impact on pollution levels and identify possible mitigation measures. This study was aimed to assess the hotspots of vehicle-generated particulate matter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) and ≤10 μm (PM10) at defined drop-off/pick-up points and its ingress into a nearby naturally ventilated primary school classroom. Five different locations were selected inside school premises for measurements during two peak hours: morning (MP; 0730-0930 h; local time), evening (EP; 1400-1600 h), and off-peak (OP; 1100-1300 h) hours for comparison. These represent PM measurements at the main road, pick-up point at the adjoining road, drop-off point, a classroom, and the school playground. Additional measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) were taken simultaneously inside and outside (drop-off point) the classroom to understand its build-up and ingress of outdoor PM. The results demonstrated nearly a three-fold increase in the concentrations of fine particles (PM2.5) during drop-off hours compared to off-peak hours indicated the dominant contribution of car queuing in the school premises. Coarse particles (PM2.5-10) were prevalent in the school playground, while the contribution of fine particles as a result of traffic congestion became more pronounced during drop-off hours. In the naturally ventilated classroom, the changes in indoor PM2.5 concentrations during both peak hours (0.58 < R2 < 0.67) were followed by the outdoor concentration at the drop-off point. This initiative resulted in valuable information that might be used to influence school commuting style and raise other important issues such as the generally fairly high PM2.5 concentrations in the playground and future classroom ventilation plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prashant Kumar
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, United Kingdom; Department of Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Hamid Omidvarborna
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
| | - Francesco Pilla
- Department of Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin, Dublin D14, Ireland
| | - Neil Lewin
- St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School, Guildford GU1 2SX, United Kingdom
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Sharma A, Kumar P. Quantification of air pollution exposure to in-pram babies and mitigation strategies. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 139:105671. [PMID: 32278197 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 02/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Young children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution exposure during their early childhood development, yet research on exposure to in-pram babies in different types of single/double prams is limited. This work aims to mimick their exposure to multiple air pollutants - particulate matter ≤10 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10), ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5; fine particles), ≤1 µm (PM1), ≤0.10 µm (measured as particle number concentration, PNC) - in three different types of prams (single pram facing the road; single pram facing parents; double pram facing the road). We also assessed the differences in exposure concentrations between typical adult and in-pram baby breathing height via simultaneous measurements besides assessing their physico-chemical properties (morphology and elemental composition). In addition, we analysed the impact of pram covers in mitigating in-pram exposure concentrations of selected pollutants. We carried out a total of 89 single runs, repeating on a 2.1 km long pre-defined route between an origin-destination pair (the University of Surrey to a local school) during the morning (08:00-10:00 h; local time) and afternoon (15:00-17:00 h) hours. These run simulated morning drop-off and afternoon pick-off times of school children. Overall, the experimental runs took about 66 h and covered the total length of 145 km. Substantial variability is observed in measured concentrations of different pollutants within each run (e.g., up to 290-times for PNC) and between different runs performed during different times of the day (e.g., ~62% variability in average PNC; ~7% for PM1 and 8% for PM2.5 during morning versus afternoon). The average in-pram concentration of fine particles was always higher by up to 44% compared with adult breathing height during both morning and afternoon runs. The comparison of exposure concentrations at two different sitting heights of double pram showed that PNC concentrations were higher by about 72% at the bottom seat compared to the top seat. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis of PM2.5-10 revealed traces of brake wear, tyre wear and re-suspended dust minerals with the predominance of brake and tyre wear emissions at baby height compared with a relatively larger share of earth crust elements at adult height. For mitigation measures, pram covers reduced concentrations of small-sized particles by as much as 39% (fine particles) and 43% (coarse particles). Our results reinforce the need for mitigating exposures to in-pram babies, especially at urban pollution hotspots such as busy congested roads, bus stops, and traffic intersections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashish Sharma
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
| | - Prashant Kumar
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, United Kingdom.
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Costa LG, Cole TB, Dao K, Chang YC, Coburn J, Garrick JM. Effects of air pollution on the nervous system and its possible role in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 210:107523. [PMID: 32165138 PMCID: PMC7245732 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent extensive evidence indicates that air pollution, in addition to causing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, may also negatively affect the brain and contribute to central nervous system diseases. Air pollution is comprised of ambient particulate matter (PM) of different sizes, gases, organic compounds, and metals. An important contributor to PM is represented by traffic-related air pollution, mostly ascribed to diesel exhaust (DE). Epidemiological and animal studies have shown that exposure to air pollution may be associated with multiple adverse effects on the central nervous system. In addition to a variety of behavioral abnormalities, the most prominent effects caused by air pollution are oxidative stress and neuro-inflammation, which are seen in both humans and animals, and are supported by in vitro studies. Among factors which can affect neurotoxic outcomes, age is considered most relevant. Human and animal studies suggest that air pollution may cause developmental neurotoxicity, and may contribute to the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder. In addition, air pollution exposure has been associated with increased expression of markers of neurodegenerative disease pathologies, such as alpha-synuclein or beta-amyloid, and may thus contribute to the etiopathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucio G Costa
- Dept. of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Dept. of Medicine & Surgery, University of Parma, Italy.
| | - Toby B Cole
- Dept. of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Khoi Dao
- Dept. of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yu-Chi Chang
- Dept. of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jacki Coburn
- Dept. of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jacqueline M Garrick
- Dept. of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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Crous-Bou M, Gascon M, Gispert JD, Cirach M, Sánchez-Benavides G, Falcon C, Arenaza-Urquijo EM, Gotsens X, Fauria K, Sunyer J, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, Luis Molinuevo J. Impact of urban environmental exposures on cognitive performance and brain structure of healthy individuals at risk for Alzheimer's dementia. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 138:105546. [PMID: 32151419 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air quality might contribute to incidence of dementia-related disorders, including Alzheimer's dementia (AD). The aim of our study is to evaluate the effect of urban environmental exposures (including exposure to air pollution, noise and green space) on cognitive performance and brain structure of cognitively unimpaired individuals at risk for AD. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS The ALFA (ALzheimer and FAmilies) study is a prospective cohort of middle-age, cognitively unimpaired subjects, many of them offspring of AD patients. Cognitive performance was measured by the administration of episodic memory and executive function tests (N = 958). Structural brain imaging was performed in a subsample of participants to obtain morphological information of brain areas, specially focused on cortical thickness, known to be affected by AD (N = 228). Land Use Regression models were used to estimate residential exposure to air pollutants. The daily average noise level at the street nearest to each participant's residential address was obtained from noise maps. For each participant residential green exposure indicators, such as surrounding greenness or amount of green, were generated. General linear models were conducted to assess the association between environmental exposures, cognitive performance and brain structure in a cross-sectional analysis. RESULTS No significant associations were observed between urban environmental exposures and the cognitive composite (p > 0.1). Higher exposure to air pollutants, but not noise, was associated with lower cortical thickness in brain regions known to be affected by AD, especially NO2 (β = -16.4; p = 0.05) and PM10 (β = -5.34; p = 0.05). On the other hand, increasing greenness indicators was associated with greater thickness in these same areas (β = 0.08; p = 0.03). CONCLUSION In cognitively unimpaired adults with increased risk for AD, increased exposure to air pollution was suggested to be associated with greater global atrophy and reduced volume and thickness in specific brain areas known to be affected in AD, thus suggesting a potential link between environmental exposures and cerebral vulnerability to AD. Although more research in the field is needed, air pollution reduction is crucial for decreasing the burden of age-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Crous-Bou
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Madrid, Spain; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Mireia Gascon
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan Domingo Gispert
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Cirach
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Sánchez-Benavides
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Madrid, Spain; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carles Falcon
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eider M Arenaza-Urquijo
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Madrid, Spain; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Gotsens
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Karine Fauria
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Sunyer
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mark J Nieuwenhuijsen
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Luis Molinuevo
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Madrid, Spain; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.
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48
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Thygesen M, Holst GJ, Hansen B, Geels C, Kalkbrenner A, Schendel D, Brandt J, Pedersen CB, Dalsgaard S. Exposure to air pollution in early childhood and the association with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 183:108930. [PMID: 31810593 PMCID: PMC7167333 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to air pollution in early life has been linked to cognitive deficits and adverse neurodevelopmental effects. However, studies examining associations between air pollutants and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have had conflicting findings. METHODS Individuals born in Denmark 1992-2007 (n = 809,654) were followed for the development of ADHD from 1997 to 2013. Data on daily concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) from air-modeling data at a 1 km × 1 km resolution at residences within the first five years of life, was linked with population-based data from the Danish national registers, including data on clinical diagnoses of ADHD. We estimated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for ADHD, according to increases in exposures, adjusting for age, year, sex, and parental education and income. RESULTS Exposure to NO2 and PM2.5 during early life was associated with a significantly increased risk of ADHD: IRR of 1.38 (Cl: 1.35 to 1.42) per 10 μg/m3 increase in NO2 and an IRR of 1.51 (Cl: 1.41 to 1.62) per 5 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5. In two-pollutant models, the association between NO2 and ADHD did not change (IRR 1.35; 95% CI: 1.31 to 1.39), while the association with PM2.5 was substantially attenuated (IRR 1.07; 95% CI: 0.98 to 1.16), although in stratified models an elevated association with PM2.5 was found in the lowest quintile of NO2 exposure. CONCLUSIONS In this large nationwide prospective cohort study, residential air pollution exposure, specifically NO2, during early childhood was associated with the development of ADHD, even when adjusted for parental level of income and education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malene Thygesen
- National Centre for Register-based Research, Department of Economics and Business Economics, School of Business and Social Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus and Copenhagen, Denmark; Centre for Integrated Register Based Research, CIRRAU, Aarhus University, Denmark.
| | - Gitte Juel Holst
- National Centre for Register-based Research, Department of Economics and Business Economics, School of Business and Social Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Public Health, Section of Environment, Occupation and Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | | | - Camilla Geels
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Amy Kalkbrenner
- Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Diana Schendel
- National Centre for Register-based Research, Department of Economics and Business Economics, School of Business and Social Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus and Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Public Health, Section for Epidemiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jørgen Brandt
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Carsten Bøcker Pedersen
- National Centre for Register-based Research, Department of Economics and Business Economics, School of Business and Social Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus and Copenhagen, Denmark; Centre for Integrated Register Based Research, CIRRAU, Aarhus University, Denmark; Big Data Centre for Environment and Health, BERTHA, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Søren Dalsgaard
- National Centre for Register-based Research, Department of Economics and Business Economics, School of Business and Social Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus and Copenhagen, Denmark; Centre for Integrated Register Based Research, CIRRAU, Aarhus University, Denmark
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49
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Loftus CT, Ni Y, Szpiro AA, Hazlehurst MF, Tylavsky FA, Bush NR, Sathyanarayana S, Carroll KN, Young M, Karr CJ, LeWinn KZ. Exposure to ambient air pollution and early childhood behavior: A longitudinal cohort study. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 183:109075. [PMID: 31999995 PMCID: PMC8903039 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.109075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 12/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal and early life air pollution exposure may impair healthy neurodevelopment, increasing risk of childhood behavioral disorders, but epidemiological evidence is inconsistent. Little is known about factors that determine susceptibility. METHODS Participants were mother-child dyads from the CANDLE study, an ECHO PATHWAYS Consortium birth cohort set in the mid-South United States, who completed a preschool visit. We estimated prenatal and childhood exposures to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter less than 10 μm (PM10) at participants' residences using a national annual average universal kriging model (land-use regression with spatial smoothing). Distance to nearest major roadway was used as a proxy for traffic-related pollution. Primary outcomes were children's internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. Regression models were adjusted for individual- and neighborhood-level socioeconomic measures, maternal IQ, and multiple other potential confounders. We tested for effect modification by select maternal and child characteristics. RESULTS The analytic sample (N = 975 of 1503 enrolled) was 64% African American and 53% had a household annual income below $35,000; child mean age was 4.3 years (SD: 0.4). Mean prenatal NO2 and PM10 exposures were 12.0 ppb (SD: 2.4) and 20.8 μg/m3 (SD: 2.0); postnatal exposures were lower. In fully adjusted models, 2 ppb higher prenatal NO2 was positively associated with externalizing behavior (6%; 95% CI: 1, 11%). Associations with postnatal exposure were stronger (8% per 2 ppb NO2; 95%CI: 0, 16%). Prenatal NO2 exposure was also associated with an increased odds of clinically significant internalizing and externalizing behaviors. We found suggestive evidence that socioeconomic adversity and African American race increases susceptibility. PM10 and road proximity were not associated with outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Findings showed that air pollution exposure is positively associated with child behavior problems and that African American and low SES children may be more susceptible. Importantly, associations were observed at exposures below current air quality standards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine T Loftus
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, 4225 Roosevelt Way NE, University of Washington (UW), Seattle, WA, 95105, USA.
| | - Yu Ni
- Department of Epidemiology, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 357236, UW, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Adam A Szpiro
- Department of Biostatistics, UW, Box 357232, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Marnie F Hazlehurst
- Department of Epidemiology, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 357236, UW, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Frances A Tylavsky
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, 462 Doctors Office Building, 66 N Pauline St, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA
| | - Nicole R Bush
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California (UC), 401 Parnassus Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA; Department of Pediatrics, 550 16th Street, Box 0110, UC, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Sheela Sathyanarayana
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, 4225 Roosevelt Way NE, University of Washington (UW), Seattle, WA, 95105, USA; Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1900 9th Ave, Seattle, WA, 98101, USA; Department of Pediatrics, 1959 NE Pacific St, UW, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Kecia N Carroll
- Division of General Pediatrics, 2200 Children's Way, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 27232, USA
| | - Michael Young
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, 4225 Roosevelt Way NE, University of Washington (UW), Seattle, WA, 95105, USA
| | - Catherine J Karr
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, 4225 Roosevelt Way NE, University of Washington (UW), Seattle, WA, 95105, USA; Department of Epidemiology, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 357236, UW, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA; Department of Pediatrics, 1959 NE Pacific St, UW, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Kaja Z LeWinn
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California (UC), 401 Parnassus Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
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50
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Astolfi A, Puglisi GE, Murgia S, Minelli G, Pellerey F, Prato A, Sacco T. Influence of Classroom Acoustics on Noise Disturbance and Well-Being for First Graders. Front Psychol 2020; 10:2736. [PMID: 31920797 PMCID: PMC6923245 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies have shown so far that poor acoustics inside classrooms negatively affects the teaching and learning processes, especially at the lowest grades of education. However, the extent to which noise exposure or excessive reverberation affect well-being of children at school in their early childhood is still unanswered, as well as their awareness of noise disturbance. This work is a pilot study to investigate to which extent classroom acoustics affects the perceived well-being and noise disturbance in first graders. About 330 pupils aged from 6 to 7 years participated in the study. They belonged to 20 classes of 10 primary schools located in Torino (Italy), where room acoustic measurements were performed and where noise level was monitored during classes. The school buildings and the classrooms were balanced between socioeconomic status and acoustic conditions. Trained experimenters administered questionnaires in each class, where pupils answered all together during the last month of the school year (May). Questions included the happiness scale, subscales assessing self-esteem, emotional health, relationship at home and with friends, enjoyment of school, intensity and noise disturbance due to different sound sources, and quality of voice. The findings of the study suggest that long reverberation times, which are associated with poor classroom acoustics as they generate higher noise levels and degraded speech intelligibility, bring pupils to a reduced perception of having fun and being happy with themselves. Furthermore, bad classroom acoustics is also related to an increased perception of noise intensity and disturbance, particularly in the case of traffic noise and noise from adjacent school environments. Finally, happy pupils reported a higher perception of noise disturbance under bad classroom acoustic conditions, whereas unhappy pupils only reported complaints in bad classroom acoustics with respect to the perception of pleasances with himself or herself and of fitting in at school. Being a mother tongue speaker is a characteristic of children that brings more chances of attending classes in good acoustics, of being less disturbed, and of having more well-being, and richer districts presented better acoustic conditions, in turn resulting in richer districts also revealing a greater perception of well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Astolfi
- Department of Energy, Polytechnic University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Silvia Murgia
- Department of Energy, Polytechnic University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Greta Minelli
- Department of Energy, Polytechnic University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Franco Pellerey
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Polytechnic University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Andrea Prato
- INRiM - National Institute of Metrological Research, Turin, Italy
| | - Tiziana Sacco
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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