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Aretaki MA, Desmet J, Viana M, van Drooge BL. Comprehensive methodology for semi-volatile organic compound determination in ambient air with emphasis on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons analysis by GC-MS/MS. J Chromatogr A 2024; 1730:465086. [PMID: 38941797 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2024.465086] [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: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are air pollutants that affect the human health and the environment, and their accurate determination in outdoor and indoor environments is important. This study presents a methodology for sampling and analysis of semi-volatile compounds in ambient air with emphasis on the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, collected with low-volume pumps (4.8 m3) in unconditioned solid phase extraction cartridges (Isolute ENV+). Sampling in SPE cartridges with low-volume pumps allows the collection of both gas and particulate phase compounds in indoor as well as outdoor environments, and reduces the number of extraction steps required as well as the solvent volume used for extraction. Analysis of the 16 US-EPA priority PAHs after extraction was conducted by GC-MS/MS with recoveries of the PAHs 40-118 %. No breakthrough was detected during sampling. Moreover, the methodology includes storage test to assess the conservation of PAHs in the SPE cartridges in heat-sealable Kapac bags; simulating transport from sampling sites to laboratory, and storage under room, cold and frozen conditions at different time-intervals, up to 3 months after sampling. The results showed that concentration levels remained constant across various storage time intervals and temperatures, with naphthalene and acenaphthylene being the only exceptions, showing high blank levels for the first and losses at room temperature for the later. The method quantification limits, including sampling, storage and GC-MS/MS analysis ranged from 2000 pg m-3 for naphthalene and 300 pg m-3 for phenanthrene to less than 20.0 pg m-3 for higher molecular and less volatile PAHs, such as benzo[a]pyrene (LOQ = 8.0 pg m-3). The feasibility of the method was tested by sampling indoors under urban background air conditions, showing individual PAH concentrations 4 to 10 times higher than their method quantification limits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Aretaki
- Institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA-CSIC), Jordi Girona, 18, Barcelona, 08034, Spain; Department of Analytical Chemistry and the Environment, PhD program of University of Barcelona (UB), Martí I Franqués 1-11, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Judith Desmet
- Institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA-CSIC), Jordi Girona, 18, Barcelona, 08034, Spain; Department of Analytical Chemistry and the Environment, PhD program of University of Barcelona (UB), Martí I Franqués 1-11, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Mar Viana
- Institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA-CSIC), Jordi Girona, 18, Barcelona, 08034, Spain
| | - Barend L van Drooge
- Institute for Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA-CSIC), Jordi Girona, 18, Barcelona, 08034, Spain.
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Herting MM, Bottenhorn KL, Cotter DL. Outdoor air pollution and brain development in childhood and adolescence. Trends Neurosci 2024:S0166-2236(24)00122-X. [PMID: 39054161 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2024.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 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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3
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Uy JP, Yuan JP, Colich NL, Gotlib IH. Effects of Pollution Burden on Neural Function During Implicit Emotion Regulation and Longitudinal Changes in Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:100322. [PMID: 38957313 PMCID: PMC11217611 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100322] [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: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Exposure to environmental pollutants early in life has been associated with increased prevalence and severity of depression in adolescents; however, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this association are not well understood. In the current longitudinal study, we investigated whether pollution burden in early adolescence (9-13 years) was associated with altered brain activation and connectivity during implicit emotion regulation and changes in depressive symptoms across adolescence. Methods One hundred forty-five participants (n = 87 female; 9-13 years) provided residential addresses, from which we determined their relative pollution burden at the census tract level, and performed an implicit affective regulation task in the scanner. Participants also completed questionnaires assessing depressive symptoms at 3 time points, each approximately 2 years apart, from which we calculated within-person slopes of depressive symptoms. We conducted whole-brain activation and connectivity analyses to examine whether pollution burden was associated with alterations in brain function during implicit emotion regulation of positively and negatively valenced stimuli and how these effects were related to slopes of depressive symptoms across adolescence. Results Greater pollution burden was associated with greater bilateral medial prefrontal cortex activation and stronger bilateral medial prefrontal cortex connectivity with regions within the default mode network (e.g., temporoparietal junction, posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus) during implicit regulation of negative emotions, which was associated with greater increases in depressive symptoms across adolescence in those exposed to higher pollution burden. Conclusions Adolescents living in communities characterized by greater pollution burden showed altered default mode network functioning during implicit regulation of negative emotions that was associated with increases in depressive symptoms across adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica P. Uy
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Justin P. Yuan
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Natalie L. Colich
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Ian H. Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
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Tian F, Qian Z, Zhang Z, Liu Y, Wu G, Wang C, McMillin SE, Bingheim E, Lin H. Air pollution, APOE genotype and risk of dementia among individuals with cardiovascular diseases: A population-based longitudinal study. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 347:123758. [PMID: 38492747 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD) are particularly vulnerable to dementia, but it remains unclear whether air pollution exposure links with higher risk of dementia among those with CVD. The data were derived from the UK Biobank study (UKB). Dementia-free participants with CVD at baseline were included. Air pollution exposure was assessed through land use regression models, including particulate matter (PM2.5, PM2.5-10, and PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and nitrogen oxides (NOX). A Cox proportional hazards model was used to investigate the associations between air pollution exposure and incident dementia among individuals with CVD. Air pollution was associated with dementia among individuals with CVD, and the hazard ratios of dementia associated with each interquartile range (IQR) μg/m3 increase in air pollution were 1.07 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.12) for PM2.5, 1.10 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.15) for PM10, 1.08 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.14) for NO2 and 1.05 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.09) for NOx. Associations between air pollution and all-cause dementia were found to be significant among individuals with hypertension. Adverse effects of air pollution were also observed for Alzheimer's dementia (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD), with a higher effect for AD. Observed associations remained similar in subgroups of APOE ε4 carriers and noncarriers, although there was a higher risk difference across different air pollution concentration among these individuals carrying APOE ε4. Air pollution emerges as a critical risk factor for dementia among individuals with CVD, regardless of genetic susceptibility indicated by the APOE genotype. Notably, individuals with hypertension might be susceptible to the adverse effects of air pollution, leading to a higher incidence of dementia. Understanding these impacts on dementia among individuals with CVD may promote better targeted prevention and clinical management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Tian
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Zhengmin Qian
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College for Public Health & Social Justice, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO, 63104, USA
| | - Zilong Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Yuewei Liu
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Gan Wu
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Chongjian Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | | | - Elizabeth Bingheim
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College for Public Health & Social Justice, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO, 63104, USA
| | - Hualiang Lin
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
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Carr RH, Eom GD, Brown EE. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder as a Potential Risk Factor for Dementia and Other Neurocognitive Disorders: A Systematic Review. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 98:773-792. [PMID: 38461502 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230904] [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] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Background Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a common neurodevelopmental condition now recognized to persist into older adulthood, has been postulated to be a risk factor for neurocognitive disorders given the overlap in clinical features and neurobiology, as well as the complex interplay between ADHD and known risk factors for dementia. Studies have emerged assessing this relationship, but there has not yet been a comprehensive systematic review addressing this topic. Objective To assess whether ADHD is a risk factor for neurocognitive disorders and to explore possible mechanisms for such an association. Methods A systematic review of the literature was conducted using Medline, Embase, and PsycINFO from inception until June 4, 2023. Studies were included if they assessed whether or how ADHD may be a risk factor for neurocognitive disorders. Studies were excluded if they were not primary literature, not published in a peer-reviewed journal, not in English, and/or used non-human subjects. Study quality was assessed using the QualSyst tool. Results Sixteen studies met inclusion criteria. Seven studies found a positive association between ADHD and neurocognitive disorders (all-cause dementia in four studies, Alzheimer's disease in three studies, Lewy body dementia in two studies, and mild cognitive impairment in one study). Four studies did not find an association. Five studies pertained to possible mechanisms for an association, including genetics, with minimal significant findings. Conclusions ADHD may be a risk factor for certain neurocognitive disorders, although the evidence base is limited, and the absolute risk is small. Possible explanations include genetic and lifestyle factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel H Carr
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Gina D Eom
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Eric E Brown
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute and Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
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Subiza-Pérez M, García-Baquero G, Fernández-Somoano A, Guxens M, González L, Tardón A, Dadvand P, Estarlich M, de Castro M, McEachan RRC, Ibarluzea J, Lertxundi N. Residential green and blue spaces and working memory in children aged 6-12 years old. Results from the INMA cohort. Health Place 2023; 84:103136. [PMID: 37871446 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2023.103136] [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: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Availability of green and blue spaces in the area of residence has been related to various health outcomes during childhood, including neurodevelopment. Some studies have shown that children living in greener and/or bluer areas score better on cognitive tasks although the evidence is inconsistent. These protective effects are hypothesized to occur in part through reductions in air pollution exposure and odds of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study analysed the effects of residential green and blue spaces on working memory of children in the Spanish INfancia y Medio Ambiente (INMA) birth cohort and the potential joint mediating role of air pollution and ADHD. The study samples were composed of 1738 six-to eight-year-olds (M = 7.53, SD = 0.68, 49% female) and 1449 ten-to twelve-year-olds (M = 11.18, SD = 0.69, 50% female) living in Asturias, Gipuzkoa, Sabadell or Valencia, Spain. Individual Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values in 100-, 300- and 500-m buffers and availability of green and blue spaces >5000 m2 in 300-m buffers were calculated using Geographic Information Systems software. Individual NO2 values for the home environment were estimated using ESCAPE's land use regression models. ADHD diagnosis was reported by participants' parents via a questionnaire. Working memory was measured with numbers and colours (in the younger group only) N-back tests (2- and 3-back d'). Mixed-effects models informed of the beneficial effects of NDVI in a 300-m buffer on numerical working memory in the younger sample although the results were not consistent for all d' scores considered and failed to detect significant effects through the candidate mediators. Availability of major blue spaces did not predict working memory performance. Provision of green spaces may play a role in children's working memory but further research is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikel Subiza-Pérez
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology and Research Methods, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Avenida Tolosa 70, 20018, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain; Bradford Institute for Health Research, Temple Bank House, Bradford Royal Infirmary, Duckworth Lane, BD9 6RJ, Bradford, UK; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, c/ Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid, 280, Spain; Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Group of Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014, Donostia- San Sebastián, Spain.
| | - Gonzalo García-Baquero
- Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Group of Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014, Donostia- San Sebastián, Spain; Faculty of Biology, University of Salamanca, Avda Licenciado Méndez Nieto s/n, 37007, Salamanca, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33001, Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Ana Fernández-Somoano
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, c/ Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid, 280, Spain; Unidad de Epidemiología Molecular Del Cáncer, Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), Departamento de Medicina, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33001, Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Mónica Guxens
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, c/ Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid, 280, Spain; ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Llucia González
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, c/ Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid, 280, Spain; University of Valencia, Avda Menéndez Pelayo, 19, 46010, Valencia, Spain; Joint Research Unit in Epidemiology, Environment and Health, FISABIO-University of Valencia-Universitat Jaume I, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Adonina Tardón
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, c/ Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid, 280, Spain; Unidad de Epidemiología Molecular Del Cáncer, Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), Departamento de Medicina, Universidad de Oviedo, 33006, Oviedo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), 33001, Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Payam Dadvand
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, c/ Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid, 280, Spain; ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Marisa Estarlich
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, c/ Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid, 280, Spain; University of Valencia, Avda Menéndez Pelayo, 19, 46010, Valencia, Spain; Joint Research Unit in Epidemiology, Environment and Health, FISABIO-University of Valencia-Universitat Jaume I, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Montserrat de Castro
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, c/ Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid, 280, Spain; ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Rosemary R C McEachan
- Bradford Institute for Health Research, Temple Bank House, Bradford Royal Infirmary, Duckworth Lane, BD9 6RJ, Bradford, UK.
| | - Jesús Ibarluzea
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, c/ Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid, 280, Spain; Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Group of Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014, Donostia- San Sebastián, Spain; Ministry of Health of the Basque Government, 20013, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain; Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Avenida Tolosa 70, 20018, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.
| | - Nerea Lertxundi
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology and Research Methods, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Avenida Tolosa 70, 20018, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, c/ Monforte de Lemos 3-5, Madrid, 280, Spain; Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Group of Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014, Donostia- San Sebastián, Spain.
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Cotter DL, Campbell CE, Sukumaran K, McConnell R, Berhane K, Schwartz J, Hackman DA, Ahmadi H, Chen JC, Herting MM. Effects of ambient fine particulates, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone on maturation of functional brain networks across early adolescence. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 177:108001. [PMID: 37307604 PMCID: PMC10353545 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108001] [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: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air pollution is linked to neurodevelopmental delays, but its association with longitudinal changes in brain network development has yet to be investigated. We aimed to characterize the effect of PM2.5, O3, and NO2 exposure at ages 9-10 years on changes in functional connectivity (FC) over a 2-year follow-up period, with a focus on the salience (SN), frontoparietal (FPN), and default-mode (DMN) brain networks as well as the amygdala and hippocampus given their importance in emotional and cognitive functioning. METHODS A sample of children (N = 9,497; with 1-2 scans each for a total of 13,824 scans; 45.6% with two brain scans) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study® were included. Annual averages of pollutant concentrations were assigned to the child's primary residential address using an ensemble-based exposure modeling approach. Resting-state functional MRI was collected on 3T MRI scanners. First, developmental linear mixed-effect models were performed to characterize typical FC development within our sample. Next, single- and multi-pollutant linear mixed-effect models were constructed to examine the association between exposure and intra-network, inter-network, and subcortical-to-network FC change over time, adjusting for sex, race/ethnicity, income, parental education, handedness, scanner type, and motion. RESULTS Developmental profiles of FC over the 2-year follow-up included intra-network integration within the DMN and FPN as well as inter-network integration between the SN-FPN; along with intra-network segregation in the SN as well as subcortical-to-network segregation more broadly. Higher PM2.5 exposure resulted in greater inter-network and subcortical-to-network FC over time. In contrast, higher O3 concentrations resulted in greater intra-network, but less subcortical-to-network FC over time. Lastly, higher NO2 exposure led to less inter-network and subcortical-to-network FC over the 2-year follow-up period. CONCLUSION Taken together, PM2.5, O3, and NO2 exposure in childhood relate to distinct changes in patterns of network maturation over time. This is the first study to show outdoor ambient air pollution during childhood is linked to longitudinal changes in brain network connectivity development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devyn L Cotter
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Claire E Campbell
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kirthana Sukumaran
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rob McConnell
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kiros Berhane
- Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joel Schwartz
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel A Hackman
- USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Hedyeh Ahmadi
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jiu-Chiuan Chen
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Megan M Herting
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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8
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Calderón-Garcidueñas L, Hernández-Luna J, Aiello-Mora M, Brito-Aguilar R, Evelson PA, Villarreal-Ríos R, Torres-Jardón R, Ayala A, Mukherjee PS. APOE Peripheral and Brain Impact: APOE4 Carriers Accelerate Their Alzheimer Continuum and Have a High Risk of Suicide in PM 2.5 Polluted Cities. Biomolecules 2023; 13:927. [PMID: 37371506 DOI: 10.3390/biom13060927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
This Review emphasizes the impact of APOE4-the most significant genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD)-on peripheral and neural effects starting in childhood. We discuss major mechanistic players associated with the APOE alleles' effects in humans to understand their impact from conception through all life stages and the importance of detrimental, synergistic environmental exposures. APOE4 influences AD pathogenesis, and exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), manufactured nanoparticles (NPs), and ultrafine particles (UFPs) associated with combustion and friction processes appear to be major contributors to cerebrovascular dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress. In the context of outdoor and indoor PM pollution burden-as well as Fe, Ti, and Al alloys; Hg, Cu, Ca, Sn, and Si UFPs/NPs-in placenta and fetal brain tissues, urban APOE3 and APOE4 carriers are developing AD biological disease hallmarks (hyperphosphorylated-tau (P-tau) and amyloid beta 42 plaques (Aβ42)). Strikingly, for Metropolitan Mexico City (MMC) young residents ≤ 40 y, APOE4 carriers have 4.92 times higher suicide odds and 23.6 times higher odds of reaching Braak NFT V stage versus APOE4 non-carriers. The National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA) framework could serve to test the hypothesis that UFPs and NPs are key players for oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, protein aggregation and misfolding, faulty complex protein quality control, and early damage to cell membranes and organelles of neural and vascular cells. Noninvasive biomarkers indicative of the P-tau and Aβ42 abnormal protein deposits are needed across the disease continuum starting in childhood. Among the 21.8 million MMC residents, we have potentially 4 million APOE4 carriers at accelerated AD progression. These APOE4 individuals are prime candidates for early neuroprotective interventional trials. APOE4 is key in the development of AD evolving from childhood in highly polluted urban centers dominated by anthropogenic and industrial sources of pollution. APOE4 subjects are at higher early risk of AD development, and neuroprotection ought to be implemented. Effective reductions of PM2.5, UFP, and NP emissions from all sources are urgently needed. Alzheimer's Disease prevention ought to be at the core of the public health response and physicians-scientist minority research be supported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian Calderón-Garcidueñas
- College of Health, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
- Universidad del Valle de México, Mexico City 14370, Mexico
| | | | - Mario Aiello-Mora
- Otorrinolaryngology Department, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | | | - Pablo A Evelson
- Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1113 AAD, Argentina
| | | | - Ricardo Torres-Jardón
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Atmósfera y Cambio Climático, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Alberto Ayala
- Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, Sacramento, CA 95814, USA
- West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
| | - Partha S Mukherjee
- Interdisciplinary Statistical Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata 700108, India
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9
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Pini L, Salvalaggio A, Wennberg AM, Dimakou A, Matteoli M, Corbetta M. The pollutome-connectome axis: a putative mechanism to explain pollution effects on neurodegeneration. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 86:101867. [PMID: 36720351 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.101867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The study of pollutant effects is extremely important to address the epochal challenges we are facing, where world populations are increasingly moving from rural to urban centers, revolutionizing our world into an urban world. These transformations will exacerbate pollution, thus highlighting the necessity to unravel its effect on human health. Epidemiological studies have reported that pollution increases the risk of neurological diseases, with growing evidence on the risk of neurodegenerative disorders. Air pollution and water pollutants are the main chemicals driving this risk. These chemicals can promote inflammation, acting in synergy with genotype vulnerability. However, the biological underpinnings of this association are unknown. In this review, we focus on the link between pollution and brain network connectivity at the macro-scale level. We provide an updated overview of epidemiological findings and studies investigating brain network changes associated with pollution exposure, and discuss the mechanistic insights of pollution-induced brain changes through neural networks. We explain, in detail, the pollutome-connectome axis that might provide the functional substrate for pollution-induced processes leading to cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration. We describe this model within the framework of two pollutants, air pollution, a widely recognized threat, and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a large class of synthetic chemicals which are currently emerging as new neurotoxic source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Pini
- Department of Neuroscience and Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Italy; Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine, VIMM, Padova, Italy.
| | | | - Alexandra M Wennberg
- Unit of Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anastasia Dimakou
- Department of Neuroscience and Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Italy
| | - Michela Matteoli
- Neuro Center, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milano, Italy; CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Milano, Italy
| | - Maurizio Corbetta
- Department of Neuroscience and Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Italy; Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine, VIMM, Padova, Italy
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10
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Sukumaran K, Cardenas-Iniguez C, Burnor E, Bottenhorn KL, Hackman DA, McConnell R, Berhane K, Schwartz J, Chen JC, Herting MM. Ambient fine particulate exposure and subcortical gray matter microarchitecture in 9- and 10-year-old children across the United States. iScience 2023; 26:106087. [PMID: 36915692 PMCID: PMC10006642 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies showing the adverse effects of air pollution on neurodevelopment have largely focused on smaller samples from limited geographical locations and have implemented univariant approaches to assess exposure and brain macrostructure. Herein, we implement restriction spectrum imaging and a multivariate approach to examine how one year of annual exposure to daily fine particulate matter (PM2.5), daily nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and 8-h maximum ozone (O3) at ages 9-10 years relates to subcortical gray matter microarchitecture in a geographically diverse subsample of children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study℠. Adjusting for confounders, we identified a latent variable representing 66% of the variance between one year of air pollution and subcortical gray matter microarchitecture. PM2.5 was related to greater isotropic intracellular diffusion in the thalamus, brainstem, and accumbens, which related to cognition and internalizing symptoms. These findings may be indicative of previously identified air pollution-related risk for neuroinflammation and early neurodegenerative pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirthana Sukumaran
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90063, USA
| | - Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90063, USA
| | - Elisabeth Burnor
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90063, USA
| | - Katherine L. Bottenhorn
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90063, USA
- Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Daniel A. 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, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90063, 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, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90063, 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, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90063, USA
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA
- Corresponding author
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11
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Puramat P, Dimick MK, Kennedy KG, Zai CC, Kennedy JL, MacIntosh BJ, Goldstein BI. Neurostructural and neurocognitive correlates of APOE ε4 in youth bipolar disorder. J Psychopharmacol 2023; 37:408-419. [PMID: 36919310 DOI: 10.1177/02698811221147151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bipolar disorder (BD) is a clinical risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Apolipoprotein E ε4 (APOE ε4), a genetic risk factor for AD, has been associated with brain structure and neurocognition in healthy youth. AIMS We evaluated whether there was an association between APOE ε4 with neurostructure and neurocognition in youth with BD. METHODS Participants included 150 youth (78 BD:19 ε4-carriers, 72 controls:17 ε4-carriers). 3T-magnetic resonance imaging yielded measures of cortical thickness, surface area, and volume. Regions-of-interest (ROI) and vertex-wise analyses of the cortex were conducted. Neurocognitive tests of attention and working memory were examined. RESULTS Vertex-wise analyses revealed clusters with a diagnosis-by-APOE ε4 interaction effect for surface area (p = 0.002) and volume (p = 0.046) in pars triangularis (BD ε4-carriers > BD noncarriers), and surface area (p = 0.03) in superior frontal gyrus (controls ε4-carriers > other groups). ROI analyses were not significant. A significant interaction effect for working memory (p = 0.001) appeared to be driven by nominally poorer performance in BD ε4-carriers but not control ε4-carriers; however, post hoc contrasts were not significant. CONCLUSIONS APOE ε4 was associated with larger neurostructural metrics in BD and controls, however, the regional association of APOE ε4 with neurostructure differed between groups. The role of APOE ε4 on neurodevelopmental processes is a plausible explanation for the observed differences. Future studies should evaluate the association of APOE ε4 with pars triangularis and its neurofunctional implications among youth with BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parnian Puramat
- Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mikaela K Dimick
- Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kody G Kennedy
- Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Clement C Zai
- Neurogenetics Section and Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - James L Kennedy
- Neurogenetics Section and Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Bradley J MacIntosh
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Hurvitz Brain Sciences, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Benjamin I Goldstein
- Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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12
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Qi H, Peng A, Mei H, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Tuerxun P, Dong W, Li C, Xu K, Chang R, Yang S, Zhang J. Association between short- and long-term exposures to air pollutants and internalizing/externalizing behavior in children aged 4 to 7 years. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:37321-37331. [PMID: 36567392 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-24811-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The effects of air pollutants on psychological health have attracted increasing attention worldwide. However, there is limited evidence on the association between air pollution and children's psychological development. This study explores the association between short- and long-term exposures to air pollutants and children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors. A total of 2303 children of 4-7 years were included in this study. We assessed their behavior using the Child Behavior Checklist (4-16 years). The prevalence of internalizing and externalizing behavior was 4.77% and 4.43%, respectively. For short-term exposure, CO pollution was associated with children's internalizing behaviors, with each 1 mg/m3 increment leading to an odds ratio (OR) of 1.063 (95% CI 1.005, 1.124), 1.065 (95% CI 1.009, 1.124), 1.067 (95% CI 1.007, 1.131), and 1.122 (95% CI 1.018, 1.236) at lag04, lag05, lag06, and lag0120, respectively. O3 (per 1 g[Formula: see text]/m3) was negatively associated with internalizing problems at lag2 [OR = 0.991 (95% CI 0.983, 0.999)]. NO2 (per 1 g[Formula: see text]/m3) was significantly associated with externalizing behaviors, with the ORs of 1.067 (95% CI 1.024, 1.111) at lag060 and 1.060 (95% CI 1.010, 1.113) at lag0120. For long-term exposure, it indicated that 1-year exposure to CO (per 1 mg/m3) and PM2.5 (per 1 g[Formula: see text]/m3) was positively associated with internalizing behavioral risk [OR = 1.724 (95% CI 1.187, 2.504); PM2.5: OR = 1.236 (95% CI 1.114, 1.371)], whereas NO2 (per 1 g[Formula: see text]/m3) exposure was associated with an increased risk of externalizing behavior [OR = 1.123 (95% CI 1.003, 1.256)]. In addition, the interaction analysis showed that boys were at a higher risk of abnormal behaviors associated with long-term exposure to CO, PM2.5, and NO2. Our findings reveal a potential link between air pollution exposure and abnormal behaviors in kindergarten children after short-/long-term exposure, which is an essential supplement to the studies on the association between air pollution and children's behavioral problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiqin Qi
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Rd., Wuhan, 430030, China
- Department of Health Education, Emergency Management, Nanshan District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 95 Nanshang Rd., Shenzhen, 518054, China
| | - Anna Peng
- Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 100 Hongkong Rd., Wuhan, 430016, China
| | - Hong Mei
- Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 100 Hongkong Rd., Wuhan, 430016, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Rd., Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Ya Zhang
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Rd., Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Paiziyeti Tuerxun
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Rd., Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Wenli Dong
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Rd., Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Chunan Li
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Rd., Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Ke Xu
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Rd., Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Ruixia Chang
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Rd., Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Shaoping Yang
- Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 100 Hongkong Rd., Wuhan, 430016, China
| | - Jianduan Zhang
- Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Rd., Wuhan, 430030, China.
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13
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Thompson R, Smith RB, Karim YB, Shen C, Drummond K, Teng C, Toledano MB. Air pollution and human cognition: A systematic review and meta-analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 859:160234. [PMID: 36427724 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This systematic review summarises and evaluates the literature investigating associations between exposure to air pollution and general population cognition, which has important implications for health, social and economic inequalities, and human productivity. METHODS The engines MEDLINE, Embase Classic+Embase, APA PsycInfo, and SCOPUS were searched up to May 2022. Our inclusion criteria focus on the following pollutants: particulate matter, NOx, and ozone. The cognitive abilities of interest are: general/global cognition, executive function, attention, working memory, learning, memory, intelligence and IQ, reasoning, reaction times, and processing speed. The collective evidence was assessed using the NTP-OHAT framework and random-effects meta-analyses. RESULTS Eighty-six studies were identified, the results of which were generally supportive of associations between exposures and worsened cognition, but the literature was varied and sometimes contradictory. There was moderate certainty support for detrimental associations between PM2.5 and general cognition in adults 40+, and PM2.5, NOx, and PM10 and executive function (especially working memory) in children. There was moderate certainty evidence against associations between ozone and general cognition in adults age 40+, and NOx and reasoning/IQ in children. Some associations were also supported by meta-analysis (N = 14 studies, all in adults aged 40+). A 1 μg/m3 increase in NO2 was associated with reduced performance on general cognitive batteries (β = -0.02, p < 0.05) as was a 1 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 exposure (β = -0.02, p < 0.05). A 1μgm3 increase in PM2.5 was significantly associated with lower verbal fluency by -0.05 words (p = 0.01) and a decrease in executive function task performance of -0.02 points (p < 0.001). DISCUSSION Evidence was found in support of some exposure-outcome associations, however more good quality research is required, particularly with older teenagers and young adults (14-40 years), using multi-exposure modelling, incorporating mechanistic investigation, and in South America, Africa, South Asia and Australasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhiannon Thompson
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Rachel B Smith
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; Mohn Centre for Children's Health and Wellbeing, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Yasmin Bou Karim
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Chen Shen
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Kayleigh Drummond
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Chloe Teng
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Mireille B Toledano
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; Mohn Centre for Children's Health and Wellbeing, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (NIHR HPRU) in Environmental Exposures and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK; National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (NIHR HPRU) in Chemical and Radiation Threats and Hazards, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, UK.
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14
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Wylie AC, Short SJ. Environmental Toxicants and the Developing Brain. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:921-933. [PMID: 36906498 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Early life represents the most rapid and foundational period of brain development and a time of vulnerability to environmental insults. Evidence indicates that greater exposure to ubiquitous toxicants like fine particulate matter (PM2.5), manganese, and many phthalates is associated with altered developmental, physical health, and mental health trajectories across the lifespan. Whereas animal models offer evidence of their mechanistic effects on neurological development, there is little research that evaluates how these environmental toxicants are associated with human neurodevelopment using neuroimaging measures in infant and pediatric populations. This review provides an overview of 3 environmental toxicants of interest in neurodevelopment that are prevalent worldwide in the air, soil, food, water, and/or products of everyday life: fine particulate matter (PM2.5), manganese, and phthalates. We summarize mechanistic evidence from animal models for their roles in neurodevelopment, highlight prior research that has examined these toxicants with pediatric developmental and psychiatric outcomes, and provide a narrative review of the limited number of studies that have examined these toxicants using neuroimaging with pediatric populations. We conclude with a discussion of suggested directions that will move this field forward, including the incorporation of environmental toxicant assessment in large, longitudinal, multimodal neuroimaging studies; the use of multidimensional data analysis strategies; and the importance of studying the combined effects of environmental and psychosocial stressors and buffers on neurodevelopment. Collectively, these strategies will improve ecological validity and our understanding of how environmental toxicants affect long-term sequelae via alterations to brain structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda C Wylie
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Sarah J Short
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin; Center for Health Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
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15
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Humphreys J, Valdés Hernández MDC. Impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure on cognitive function and neurodegeneration in humans: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Neurol 2023; 13:1052333. [PMID: 36703634 PMCID: PMC9871581 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.1052333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction This article documents an emerging body of evidence concerning the neurological effect of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure with regard to cognitive function and increased risk of neurodegeneration. Methods Two electronic databases, PubMed and Web of Science, were systematically searched. Results The 37/428 studies selected included outcomes measuring cognitive function, neurobehavioral symptoms of impaired cognition, and pathologies associated with neurodegeneration from pre-natal (21/37 studies), childhood (14/37 studies), and adult (8/37 studies) PAH exposure. Sufficient evidence was found surrounding pre-natal exposure negatively impacting child intelligence, mental development, average overall development, verbal IQ, and memory; externalizing, internalizing, anxious, and depressed behaviors; and behavioral development and child attentiveness. Evidence concerning exposure during childhood and as an adult was scarce and highly heterogeneous; however, the presence of neurodegenerative biomarkers and increased concentrations of cryptic "self" antigens in serum and cerebrospinal fluid samples suggest a higher risk of neurodegenerative disease. Associations with lowered cognitive ability and impaired attentiveness were found in children and memory disturbances, specifically auditory memory, verbal learning, and general memory in adults. Discussion Although evidence is not yet conclusive and further research is needed, the studies included supported the hypothesis that PAH exposure negatively impacts cognitive function and increases the risk of neurodegeneration in humans, and recommends considering the introduction of a variable "rural vs. urban" as covariate for adjusting analyses, where the neurological functions affected (as result of our review) are outcome variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Humphreys
- College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Maria del C. Valdés Hernández
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,*Correspondence: Maria del C. Valdés Hernández ✉
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16
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Essers E, Binter AC, Neumann A, White T, Alemany S, Guxens M. Air pollution exposure during pregnancy and childhood, APOE ε4 status and Alzheimer polygenic risk score, and brain structural morphology in preadolescents. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 216:114595. [PMID: 36257450 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air pollution exposure is associated with impaired neurodevelopment, altered structural brain morphology in children, and neurodegenerative disorders. Differential susceptibility to air pollution may be influenced by genetic features. OBJECTIVES To evaluate whether the apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype or the polygenic risk score (PRS) for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) modify the association between air pollution exposure during pregnancy and childhood and structural brain morphology in preadolescents. METHODS We included 1186 children from the Generation R Study. Concentrations of fourteen air pollutants were calculated at participants' home addresses during pregnancy and childhood using land-use-regression models. Structural brain images were collected at age 9-12 years to assess cortical and subcortical brain volumes. APOE status and PRS for AD were examined as genetic modifiers. Linear regression models were used to conduct single-pollutant and multi-pollutant (using the Deletion/Substitution/Addition algorithm) analyses with a two-way interaction between air pollution and each genetic modifier. RESULTS Higher pregnancy coarse particulate matter (PMcoarse) and childhood polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons exposure was differentially associated with larger cerebral white matter volume in APOE ε4 carriers compared to non-carriers (29,485 mm3 (95% CI 6,189; 52,781) and 18,663 mm3 (469; 36,856), respectively). Higher pregnancy PMcoarse exposure was differentially associated with larger cortical grey matter volume in children with higher compared to lower PRS for AD (19436 mm3 (825, 38,046)). DISCUSSION APOE status and PRS for AD possibly modify the association between air pollution exposure and brain structural morphology in preadolescents. Higher air pollution exposure is associated with larger cortical volumes in APOE ε4 carriers and children with a high PRS for AD. This is in line with typical brain development, suggesting an antagonistic pleiotropic effect of these genetic features (i.e., protective effect in early-life, but neurodegenerative effect in adulthood). However, we cannot discard chance findings. Future studies should evaluate trajectorial brain development using a longitudinal design.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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.
| | - Anne-Claire Binter
- 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.
| | - Alexander Neumann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Complex Genetics of Alzheimer's Disease Group, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Tonya White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Silvia Alemany
- Psychiatric Genetics Unit, Group of Psychiatry, Mental Health, and Addiction, Vall d'Hebron Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain; Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Psychiatry and Forensic Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Mònica Guxens
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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17
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Fowler CH, Bagdasarov A, Camacho NL, Reuben A, Gaffrey MS. Toxicant exposure and the developing brain: A systematic review of the structural and functional MRI literature. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 144:105006. [PMID: 36535373 PMCID: PMC9922521 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.105006] [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: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Youth worldwide are regularly exposed to pollutants and chemicals (i.e., toxicants) that may interfere with healthy brain development, and a surge in MRI research has begun to characterize the neurobiological consequences of these exposures. Here, a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted on developmental MRI studies of toxicants with known or suspected neurobiological impact. Associations were reviewed for 9 toxicant classes, including metals, air pollution, and flame retardants. Of 1264 identified studies, 46 met inclusion criteria. Qualitative synthesis revealed that most studies: (1) investigated air pollutants or metals, (2) assessed exposures prenatally, (3) assessed the brain in late middle childhood, (4) took place in North America or Western Europe, (5) drew samples from existing cohort studies, and (6) have been published since 2017. Given substantial heterogeneity in MRI measures, toxicant measures, and age groups assessed, more research is needed on all toxicants reviewed here. Future studies should also include larger samples, employ personal exposure monitoring, study independent samples in diverse world regions, and assess toxicant mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Aaron Reuben
- Duke University, 417 Chapel Drive, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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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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19
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Margolis AE, Liu R, Conceição VA, Ramphal B, Pagliaccio D, DeSerisy ML, Koe E, Selmanovic E, Raudales A, Emanet N, Quinn AE, Beebe B, Pearson BL, Herbstman JB, Rauh VA, Fifer WP, Fox NA, Champagne FA. Convergent neural correlates of prenatal exposure to air pollution and behavioral phenotypes of risk for internalizing and externalizing problems: Potential biological and cognitive pathways. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 137:104645. [PMID: 35367513 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Humans are ubiquitously exposed to neurotoxicants in air pollution, causing increased risk for psychiatric outcomes. Effects of prenatal exposure to air pollution on early emerging behavioral phenotypes that increase risk of psychopathology remain understudied. We review animal models that represent analogues of human behavioral phenotypes that are risk markers for internalizing and externalizing problems (behavioral inhibition, behavioral exuberance, irritability), and identify commonalities among the neural mechanisms underlying these behavioral phenotypes and the neural targets of three types of air pollutants (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, traffic-related air pollutants, fine particulate matter < 2.5 µm). We conclude that prenatal exposure to air pollutants increases risk for behavioral inhibition and irritability through distinct mechanisms, including altered dopaminergic signaling and hippocampal morphology, neuroinflammation, and decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression. Future studies should investigate these effects in human longitudinal studies incorporating complex exposure measurement methods, neuroimaging, and behavioral characterization of temperament phenotypes and neurocognitive processing to facilitate efforts aimed at improving long-lasting developmental benefits for children, particularly those living in areas with high levels of exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E Margolis
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Ran Liu
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Vasco A Conceição
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Bruce Ramphal
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - David Pagliaccio
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mariah L DeSerisy
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA; Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emily Koe
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ena Selmanovic
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amarelis Raudales
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nur Emanet
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aurabelle E Quinn
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Beatrice Beebe
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brandon L Pearson
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Julie B Herbstman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Virginia A Rauh
- Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Heilbrunn Department of Population & Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - William P Fifer
- Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nathan A Fox
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
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Castagna A, Mascheroni E, Fustinoni S, Montirosso R. Air pollution and neurodevelopmental skills in preschool- and school-aged children: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 136:104623. [PMID: 35331818 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Early life exposure to air pollution has been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Emerging evidence are highlighting a possible impact of air pollution on typically developing children. Thirty papers were included in this review to systematically evaluate the association between air pollutants exposure in prenatal and/or postnatal periods and specific neurodevelopmental skills (i.e. intellective functioning, memory and learning, attention and executive functions, verbal language, numeric ability and motor and/or sensorimotor functions) in preschool- and school-age children. Detrimental effects of air pollutants on children's neurodevelopmental skills were observed, although they do not show clinically relevant performance deficits. The most affected domains were global intellective functioning and attention/executive functions. The pollutants that seem to represent the greatest risk are PM2.5, NO₂ and PAHs. Prenatal exposure is primarily associated with child neurodevelopment at pre-school and school ages. Early exposure to air pollutants is related to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in the general population of children. Further research is needed to support stronger conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Castagna
- 0-3 Center for the at-Risk Infant, Scientific Institute IRCCS "Eugenio Medea", Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | - Eleonora Mascheroni
- 0-3 Center for the at-Risk Infant, Scientific Institute IRCCS "Eugenio Medea", Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | - Silvia Fustinoni
- EPIGET - Epidemiology, Epigenetics, and Toxicology Lab, Department of Clinical Sciences and Com-munity Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy; Environmental and Industrial Toxicology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Italy
| | - Rosario Montirosso
- 0-3 Center for the at-Risk Infant, Scientific Institute IRCCS "Eugenio Medea", Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.
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21
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Kim YT, Kim W, Bae MJ, Choi JE, Kim MJ, Oh SS, Park KS, Park S, Lee SK, Koh SB, Kim C. The effect of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on changes in the brain structure of firefighters: An analysis using data from the Firefighters Research on Enhancement of Safety & Health study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 816:151655. [PMID: 34785224 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are formed during incomplete combustion of organic matter, and firefighters are highly exposed to these toxic compounds at fire sites. Exposure to PAHs can cause cognitive decline and neurodegeneration; however, to date, few studies have examined the potential effects of PAH exposure on structural changes in the brain. We aimed to investigate the association between the four types of PAH metabolites and the corresponding changes in neuroimaging markers based on smoking status and hypertension in male firefighters. For this, we utilized the 2-year follow-up data of 301 Korean male firefighters aged over 40 years. The concentrations of four PAH metabolites in urine were measured. Subcortical volume and cortical thickness were estimated using 3 T magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. A generalized linear model was used to investigate the effects of PAHs on changes in the subcortical volume and cortical thickness. We found an association between 1-hydroxyphenathrene (1-OHPHE) and 2-hydroxyfluorene (2-OHF) and changes in several brain regions in all the study participants. Individuals who had never smoked showed significantly thinner frontal (p < 0.001), parietal (p < 0.001), temporal (p < 0.001), and cingulate lobes (p < 0.001) with 1% increase each in the urinary concentration of 1-OHPHE. Hypertension interacted with the concentration of 1-OHPHE to reduce the volume of gray matter and cause cortical thinning in the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes. Exposure to PAHs may reduce cortical thickness and subcortical volume, which are definitive markers of neurodegeneration. Notably, hypertension can accelerate the degenerative effects of PAHs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Tae Kim
- Department of Public Health, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Woojin Kim
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Mun-Joo Bae
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Yonsei University Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jee Eun Choi
- Department of Public Health, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi-Ji Kim
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Soo Oh
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Ki Soo Park
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Institute of Health Science, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungha Park
- Division of Cardiology, Yonsei Cardiovascular Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Koo Lee
- Department of Radiology, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Baek Koh
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Changsoo Kim
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Institute of Human Complexity and Systems Science, Yonsei University, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
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22
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Balboni E, Filippini T, Crous-Bou M, Guxens M, Erickson LD, Vinceti M. The association between air pollutants and hippocampal volume from magnetic resonance imaging: A systematic review and meta-analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 204:111976. [PMID: 34478724 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Growing epidemiological evidence suggests that air pollution may increase the risk of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disease. A hallmark of neurodegeneration and an important diagnostic biomarker is volume reduction of a key brain structure, the hippocampus. We aimed to investigate the possibility that outdoor air nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter with diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) and ≤10 μm (PM10) adversely affect hippocampal volume, through a meta-analysis. We considered studies that assessed the relation between outdoor air pollution and hippocampal volume by structural magnetic resonance imaging in adults and children, searching in Pubmed and Scopus databases from inception through July 13, 2021. For inclusion, studies had to report the correlation coefficient along with its standard error or 95% confidence interval (CI) between air pollutant exposure and hippocampal volume, to use standard space for neuroimages, and to consider at least age, sex and intracranial volume as covariates or effect modifiers. We meta-analyzed the data with a random-effects model, considering separately adult and child populations. We retrieved four eligible studies in adults and two in children. In adults, the pooled summary β regression coefficients of the association of PM2.5, PM10 and NO2 with hippocampal volume showed respectively a stronger association (summary β -7.59, 95% CI -14.08 to -1.11), a weaker association (summary β -2.02, 95% CI -4.50 to 0.47), and no association (summary β -0.44, 95% CI -1.27 to 0.40). The two studies available for children, both carried out in preadolescents, did not show an association between PM2.5 and hippocampal volume. The inverse association between PM2.5 and hippocampal volume in adults appeared to be stronger at higher mean PM2.5 levels. Our results suggest that outdoor PM2.5 and less strongly PM10 could adversely affect hippocampal volume in adults, a phenomenon that may explain why air pollution has been related to memory loss, cognitive decline, and dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Balboni
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN); Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; Medical Physics Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Tommaso Filippini
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN); Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Marta Crous-Bou
- Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain; Unit of Nutrition and Cancer, Cancer Epidemiology Research Program, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) - Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL). L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mònica Guxens
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lance D Erickson
- Department of Sociology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Marco Vinceti
- Environmental, Genetic and Nutritional Epidemiology Research Center (CREAGEN); Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
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23
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Guxens M, Lubczynska MJ, Perez-Crespo L, Muetzel RL, El Marroun H, Basagana X, Hoek G, Tiemeier H. Associations of Air Pollution on the Brain in Children: A Brain Imaging Study. Res Rep Health Eff Inst 2022; 2022:1-61. [PMID: 36106707 PMCID: PMC9476146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Epidemiological studies are highlighting the negative effects of the exposure to air pollution on children's neurodevelopment. However, most studies assessed children's neurodevelopment using neuropsychological tests or questionnaires. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to precisely measure global and region-specific brain development would provide details of brain morphology and connectivity. This would help us understand the observed cognitive and behavioral changes related to air pollution exposure. Moreover, most studies assessed only a few air pollutants. This project investigates whether air pollution exposure to many pollutants during pregnancy and childhood is associated with the morphology and connectivity of the brain in school-age children and pre-adolescents. Methods We used data from the Generation R Study, a population-based birth cohort set up in Rotterdam, the Netherlands in 2002-2006 (n = 9,610). We used land-use regression (LUR) models to estimate the levels of 14 air pollutants at participant's homes during pregnancy and childhood: nitrogen oxides (NOx), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm (PM10) or ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5), PM between 10 μm and 2.5 μm (PMCOARSE), absorbance of the PM2.5 fraction - a measure of soot (PM2.5absorbance), the composition of PM2.5 such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organic carbon (OC), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), silicon (Si), zinc (Zn), and the oxidative potential of PM2.5 evaluated using two acellular methods: dithiothreitol (OPDTT) and electron spin resonance (OPESR). We performed MRI measurements of structural morphology (i.e., brain volumes, cortical thickness, and cortical surface area) using T1-weighted images in 6- to 10-year-old school-age children and 9- to 12-year-old pre-adolescents, structural connectivity (i.e., white matter microstructure) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in pre-adolescents, and functional connectivity (i.e., connectivity score between brain areas) using resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) in pre-adolescents. We assessed cognitive function using the Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment test (NEPSY-II) in school-age children. For each outcome, we ran regression analysis adjusted for several socioeconomic and lifestyle characteristics. We performed single-pollutant analyses followed by multipollutant analyses using the deletion/substitution/addition (DSA) approach. Results The project has air pollution and brain MRI data for 783 school-age children and 3,857 pre-adolescents. First, exposure to air pollution during pregnancy or childhood was not associated with global brain volumes (e.g., total brain, cortical gray matter, and cortical white matter) in school-age children or pre-adolescents. However, higher pregnancy or childhood exposure to several air pollutants was associated with a smaller corpus callosum and hippocampus, and a larger amygdala, nucleus accumbens, and cerebellum in pre-adolescents, but not in school-age children. Second, higher exposure to several air pollutants during pregnancy was associated with a thinner cortex in various regions of the brain in both school-age children and pre-adolescents. Higher exposure to air pollution during childhood was also associated with a thinner cortex in a single region in pre-adolescents. A thinner cortex in two regions mediated the association between higher exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and an impaired inhibitory control in school-age children. Third, higher exposure to air pollution during childhood was associated with smaller cortical surface areas in various regions of the brain except in a region where we observed a larger cortical surface area in pre-adolescents. In relation to brain structural connectivity, higher exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and childhood was associated with an alteration in white matter microstructure in pre-adolescents. In relation to brain functional connectivity, a higher exposure to air pollution, mainly during pregnancy and early childhood, was associated with a higher brain functional connectivity among several brain regions in pre-adolescents. Overall, we identified several air pollutants associated with brain structural morphology, structural connectivity, and functional connectivity, such as NOx, NO2, PM of various size fractions (i.e., PM10, PMCOARSE, and PM2.5), PM2.5absorbance, PAHs, OC, three elemental components of PM2.5 (i.e., Cu, Si, Zn), and the oxidative potential of PM2.5. Conclusions The results of this project suggest that exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and childhood play an adverse role in brain development. We observed this relationship even at levels of exposure that were below the European Union legislations. We acknowledge that identifying the independent effects of specific pollutants was particularly challenging. Most of our conclusions generally refer to traffic-related air pollutants. However, we did identify pollutants specifically originating from brake linings, tire wear, and tailpipe emissions from diesel combustion. The current direction toward innovative solutions for cleaner energy vehicles is a step in the right direction. However, our findings indicate that these measures might not be completely adequate to mitigate health problems attributable to traffic-related air pollution, as we also observed associations with markers of brake linings and tire wear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Guxens
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Malgorzata J Lubczynska
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Laura Perez-Crespo
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ryan L Muetzel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hanan El Marroun
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Xavier Basagana
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gerard Hoek
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Social and Behavioral Science, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
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24
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Gartland N, Aljofi HE, Dienes K, Munford LA, Theakston AL, van Tongeren M. The Effects of Traffic Air Pollution in and around Schools on Executive Function and Academic Performance in Children: A Rapid Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19020749. [PMID: 35055570 PMCID: PMC8776123 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19020749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
This review summarises the extant literature investigating the relation between traffic-related air pollution levels in and around schools and executive functioning in primary-school-aged children. An electronic search was conducted using Web of Science, Scopus, and Education Literature Datasets databases (February 2020). Review articles were also searched, and forwards and backwards searches of identified studies were performed. Included papers were assessed for quality. We included 9 separate studies (published in 13 papers). Findings suggest that indoor and outdoor particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5) negatively influences executive function and academic achievement and that indoor and outdoor nitrogen dioxide (NO2) adversely affects working memory. Evidence for the effects of particulate matter with a diameter of 10 μm or less (PM10) is limited but suggests potential wide-ranging negative effects on attention, reasoning, and academic test scores. Air pollution in and around schools influences executive function and appears to impede the developmental trajectory of working memory. Further research is required to establish the extent of these effects, reproducibility, consequences for future attainment, and place within the wider context of cognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Gartland
- School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; (H.E.A.); (L.A.M.); (A.L.T.); (M.v.T.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Halah E. Aljofi
- School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; (H.E.A.); (L.A.M.); (A.L.T.); (M.v.T.)
| | - Kimberly Dienes
- School of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK;
| | - Luke Aaron Munford
- School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; (H.E.A.); (L.A.M.); (A.L.T.); (M.v.T.)
| | - Anna L. Theakston
- School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; (H.E.A.); (L.A.M.); (A.L.T.); (M.v.T.)
| | - Martie van Tongeren
- School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK; (H.E.A.); (L.A.M.); (A.L.T.); (M.v.T.)
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25
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Zhang M, Wang C, Zhang X, Song H, Li Y. Association between exposure to air pollutants and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH 2022; 32:207-219. [PMID: 32248699 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2020.1745764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have reached mixed conclusions regarding the association between exposure to air pollutants and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We performed systematic review and meta-analysis to determine whether air pollutants were risk factors for the development of ADHD in children. We systematically searched databases for all relevant studies up to 2 July 2019. Together, the studies indicated that exposure to PAHs (risk ratio (RR): 0.98, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.82-1.17), NOx (RR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.94-1.15), and PM (RR: 1.11, 95% CI: 0.93-1.33) did not have any material relationship with an increased risk of ADHD. Heterogeneity of study data was low (I2: 2.7%, P = 0.409) for studies examining PAHs, but was substantial for NOx and PM (I2: 68.4%, P = 0.007 and I2: 60.1%, P = 0.014, respectively). However, these results should be interpreted with caution since the number of epidemiological studies investigating this issue were limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjie Zhang
- Department of Children, Adolescents and Women Health, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Changhong Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan, China
| | - Xinxin Zhang
- Department of Children, Adolescents and Women Health, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Huiling Song
- Department of Children, Adolescents and Women Health, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Children, Adolescents and Women Health, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
- School of Physical Education (Main Campus), Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
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Zhu YD, Li X, Fan L, Li L, Wang J, Yang WJ, Wang L, Yao XY, Wang XL. Indoor air quality in the primary school of China-results from CIEHS 2018 study. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 291:118094. [PMID: 34517175 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Indoor air quality ((IAQ) in classrooms was associated with the daily exposure of school-age children who are particularly vulnerable to air pollutants exposure, while few data exist to evaluate classroom indoor air quality nationwide in China. The subsample of the CIEHS 2018 study was performed in 66 classrooms of 22 primary schools nationwide in China. Temperature, relative humidity, PM2.5, PM10, CO2, CO, formaldehyde concentrations, bacteria and fungi were detected in all classrooms by using the instruments that meet the specified accuracy. The ratios of indoor to outdoor (I/O) of PM2.5 were calculated in each classroom to identify whether the indoor environment the pollutants comes from outdoors. The indoor PM2.5, PM10, CO, HCHO, bacteria and fungi GM concentration are 47.40 μg/m3, 72.91 μg/m3, 0.37 mg/m3, 0.02 mg/m3, 347.51 CFU/m3 and 362.76 CFU/m3, respectively. We observed that there were 66.5%, 52.6%, 22.4%, 1.8%, and 9.6% of the classrooms that exceeded the guideline values of PM2.5, PM10, CO2, HCHO, and bacteria, respectively. It should be attention that all of the classroom's PM2.5 concentrations in Shijiazhuang and Nanning, PM10 concentrations in Nanning, CO2 concentration in Lanzhou were exceeded the suggested values. Bacteria contamination in Shijiazhuang's classrooms is also serious. All classroom CO concentrations meet the requirement. The results indicated that classroom indoor PM2.5 was significantly positively correlated with indoor PM10 and CO2, while was negative correlated with temperature, CO, and fungi. Our results suggest that indoor air pollution in classrooms was a severe problem in Chinese primary schools. It is necessary to strengthen ventilation in the classroom to improve indoor air quality. What's more, a healthy learning environment should be created for primary school students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Duo Zhu
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Xu Li
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Lin Fan
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Li Li
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Jiao Wang
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Wen-Jing Yang
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Lin Wang
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Xiao-Yuan Yao
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100021, China
| | - Xian-Liang Wang
- China CDC Key Laboratory of Environment and Population Health, National Institute of Environmental Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 100021, China.
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Tran PTM, Adam MG, Balasubramanian R. Assessment and mitigation of toddlers' personal exposure to black carbon before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case study in Singapore. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 202:111711. [PMID: 34280416 PMCID: PMC9749899 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111711] [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: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Black carbon (BC), an important indicator of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) in urban environments, is receiving increased attention because of its adverse health effects. Personal exposure (PE) of adults to BC has been widely studied, but little is known about the exposure of young children (toddlers) to BC in cities. We carried out a pilot study to investigate the integrated daily PE of toddlers to BC in a city-state with a high population density (Singapore). We studied the impact of urban traffic on the PE of toddlers to BC by comparing and contrasting on-road traffic flow (i.e., volume and composition) in Singapore in 2019 (before the COVID-19 pandemic) and in 2020 (during the COVID-19 pandemic). Our observations indicate that the daily BC exposure levels and inhaled doses increased by about 25% in 2020 (2.9 ± 0.3 μg m-3 and 35.5 μg day-1) compared to that in 2019 (2.3 ± 0.4 μg m-3 and 28.5 μg day-1 for exposure concentration and inhaled dose, respectively). The increased BC levels were associated with the increased traffic volume on both weekdays and weekends in 2020 compared to the same time period in 2019. Specifically, we observed an increase in the number of trucks as well as cars/taxis and motorcycles (private transport) and a decline in the number of buses (public transport) in 2020. The implementation of lockdown measures in 2020 resulted in significant changes in the time, place and duration of PE of toddlers to BC. The recorded daily time-activity patterns indicated that toddlers spent almost all the time in indoor environments during the measurement period in 2020. When we compared different ventilation options (natural ventilation (NV), air conditioning (AC), and portable air cleaner (PAC)) for mitigation of PE to BC in the home environment, we found a significant decrease (>30%) in daily BC exposure levels while using the PAC compared to the NV scenario. Our case study shows that the PE of toddlers to BC is of health concern in indoor environments in 2020 because of the migration of the increased TRAP into naturally ventilated residential homes and more time spent indoors than outdoors. Since toddlers' immune system is weak, technological intervention is necessary to protect their health against inhalation exposure to air pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phuong T M Tran
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117576, Singapore; Faculty of Environment, University of Science and Technology, The University of Danang, 54 Nguyen Luong Bang Street, Lien Chieu District, Danang City, Viet Nam
| | - Max G Adam
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117576, Singapore
| | - Rajasekhar Balasubramanian
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117576, Singapore.
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Araya F, Stingone JA, Claudio L. Inequalities in Exposure to Ambient Air Neurotoxicants and Disparities in Markers of Neurodevelopment in Children by Maternal Nativity Status. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18147512. [PMID: 34299963 PMCID: PMC8304619 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18147512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Exposure levels to environmental pollutants vary significantly among different populations. These inequities in exposure to hazardous air pollutants (HAP) among different populations can contribute to disparities in neurodevelopmental outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine if exposure to HAP varies by maternal nativity status, a demographic marker often overlooked in the study of health disparities. We also assessed if those inequalities in exposure levels are associated with neurodevelopmental measures in young children. To do this, we obtained data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth cohort (ECLS-B), a nationally representative sample of children born in the U.S. in the year 2001 (n = 4750). Bayley’s Short Form-Research Edition (BSF-R) was used to measure cognitive development at 2 years of age. Using residential location at nine months of age, participants were assigned exposures to ten HAPs identified as potentially neurotoxic. Linear regression models were used to assess the joint effect of maternal nativity status and HAP exposure on neurodevelopment. Results showed inequities in exposure levels to ten different HAPs among the populations, as approximately 32% of children of foreign-born mothers were exposed to high levels of HAPs, compared to 21% of children born to U.S.-born mothers. Adjusting for socioeconomic factors, both isophorone exposure (a marker of industrial pollution) (−0.04, 95% CI, −0.12, 0.04) and maternal nativity status (−0.17, 95% CI, −0.27, −0.06) were independently associated with lower standardized BSF-R mental scores in children. Interaction between nativity status and isophorone was not statistically significant, but the change in mental scores associated with isophorone exposure was greater in children of foreign-born mothers compared to children of U.S.-born mothers (−0.12, vs. −0.03, p = 0.2). In conclusion, exposure to HAPs within the highest quartile was more commonly found among children of foreign-born mothers as compared to children of US-born mothers, indicating inequities in pollutant exposure by nativity status within urban populations. Exposures associated with nativity status may negatively contribute to children’s neurodevelopment.
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Piersson AD, Mohamad M, Suppiah S, Rajab NF. Topographical patterns of whole-brain structural alterations in association with genetic risk, cerebrospinal fluid, positron emission tomography biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease, and neuropsychological measures. Clin Transl Imaging 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40336-021-00440-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Liu RM, Chong Z, Chen JC. Ozone and Particulate Matter Exposure and Alzheimer's Disease: A Review of Human and Animal Studies. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 76:807-824. [PMID: 32568209 DOI: 10.3233/jad-200435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), an aging-related neurodegenerative disease, is a major cause of dementia in the elderly. Although the early-onset (familial) AD is attributed to mutations in the genes coding for amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP) and presenilin1/presenilin 2 (PS1/PS2), the cause for the late-onset AD (LOAD), which accounts for more than 95% of AD cases, remains unclear. Aging is the greatest risk factor for LOAD, whereas the apolipo protein E4 allele (APOEɛ4) is believed to be a major genetic risk factor in acquiring LOAD, with female APOEɛ4 carriers at highest risk. Nonetheless, not all the elderly, even older female APOEɛ4 carriers, develop LOAD, suggesting that other factors, including environmental exposure, must play a role. This review summarizes recent studies that show a potential role of environmental exposure, especially ozone and particulate matter exposure, in the development of AD. Interactions between environmental exposure, genetic risk factor (APOEɛ4), and sex in AD pathophysiology are also discussed briefly. Identification of environmental risk factor(s) and elucidation of the complex interactions between genetic and environmental risk factors plus aging and female sex in the onset of AD will be a key to our understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of AD and the development of the strategies for its prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Ming Liu
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Zechen Chong
- Department of Genetics, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jiu-Chiuan Chen
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, The University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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31
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Abstract
Pregnancy and early childhood are periods with high plasticity in neurological development. Environmental perturbations during these sensitive windows can have lifelong developmental consequences. This review summarizes key findings relevant to the effects of air pollution on neurological development. Mounting evidence suggests that exposure to air pollution, both during pregnancy and childhood, is associated with childhood developmental outcomes ranging from changes in brain structures to subclinical deficits in developmental test scores, and, ultimately, developmental disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders or autism spectrum disorders. Although the biological mechanisms of effects remain to be elucidated, multiple pathways are probably involved and include oxidative stress, inflammation, and/or endocrine disruption. Given the alarming global increase in developmental disorders in recent years, and increased human exposures to pollution, it is critical to reduce personal and community-level exposures through tight collaboration of interdisciplinary and multi-level bodies including community partners, physicians, industry partners, policy makers, public health practitioners, and researchers. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: Exposure to air pollution is associated with a range of childhood developmental complications. Biological mechanisms may include oxidative stress, inflammation, and endocrine disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandie Ha
- Department of Public Health, School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, Health Science Research Institute, University of California, Merced, CA, USA
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32
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The Relationship Between Air Pollution and Cognitive Functions in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. Cogn Behav Neurol 2020; 33:157-178. [PMID: 32889949 DOI: 10.1097/wnn.0000000000000235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Air pollution has a negative impact on one's health and on the central nervous system. We decided to assess studies that evaluated the relationship between air pollution and cognitive functions in children and adolescents by reviewing studies that had been published between January 2009 and May 2019. We searched three major databases for original works (26 studies) and for studies using brain imaging methods based on MRI (six studies). Adverse effects of air pollutants on selected cognitive or psychomotor functions were found in all of the studies. Exposure to nitrogen dioxide, for example, was linked to impaired working memory, general cognitive functions, and psychomotor functions; particulate matter 2.5 was linked to difficulties in working memory, short-term memory, attention, processing speed, and fine motor function; black carbon was linked to poor verbal intelligence, nonverbal intelligence, and working memory; airborne copper was linked to impaired attentiveness and fine motor skills; isophorone was linked to lower mathematical skills; and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in fetal life were linked to lower intelligence scores. The studies using MRI showed that high concentrations of air pollutants were linked to changes in the brain's white matter or lower functional integration and segregation in children's brain networks. In view of the global increase in air pollution, there is a need for further research to elucidate the relationship between air pollution and cognitive and motor development in children. According to some studies, neuroinflammation, the e4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene, and gutathione-S-transferase gene polymorphism processes may play a role.
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33
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Air Pollution-Related Brain Metal Dyshomeostasis as a Potential Risk Factor for Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Neurodegenerative Diseases. ATMOSPHERE 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos11101098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence links air pollution (AP) exposure to effects on the central nervous system structure and function. Particulate matter AP, especially the ultrafine (nanoparticle) components, can carry numerous metal and trace element contaminants that can reach the brain in utero and after birth. Excess brain exposure to either essential or non-essential elements can result in brain dyshomeostasis, which has been implicated in both neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs; autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and neurodegenerative diseases (NDGDs; Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). This review summarizes the current understanding of the extent to which the inhalational or intranasal instillation of metals reproduces in vivo the shared features of NDDs and NDGDs, including enlarged lateral ventricles, alterations in myelination, glutamatergic dysfunction, neuronal cell death, inflammation, microglial activation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, altered social behaviors, cognitive dysfunction, and impulsivity. Although evidence is limited to date, neuronal cell death, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction are reproduced by numerous metals. Understanding the specific contribution of metals/trace elements to this neurotoxicity can guide the development of more realistic animal exposure models of human AP exposure and consequently lead to a more meaningful approach to mechanistic studies, potential intervention strategies, and regulatory requirements.
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Miller MR, Newby DE. Air pollution and cardiovascular disease: car sick. Cardiovasc Res 2020; 116:279-294. [PMID: 31583404 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvz228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The cardiovascular effects of inhaled particle matter (PM) are responsible for a substantial morbidity and mortality attributed to air pollution. Ultrafine particles, like those in diesel exhaust emissions, are a major source of nanoparticles in urban environments, and it is these particles that have the capacity to induce the most significant health effects. Research has shown that diesel exhaust exposure can have many detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system both acutely and chronically. This review provides an overview of the cardiovascular effects on PM in air pollution, with an emphasis on ultrafine particles in vehicle exhaust. We consider the biological mechanisms underlying these cardiovascular effects of PM and postulate that cardiovascular dysfunction may be implicated in the effects of PM in other organ systems. The employment of multiple strategies to tackle air pollution, and especially ultrafine particles from vehicles, is likely to be accompanied by improvements in cardiovascular health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark R Miller
- University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queens Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH4 3RL, UK
| | - David E Newby
- University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queens Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH4 3RL, UK
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35
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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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36
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Hollander JA, Cory-Slechta DA, Jacka FN, Szabo ST, Guilarte TR, Bilbo SD, Mattingly CJ, Moy SS, Haroon E, Hornig M, Levin ED, Pletnikov MV, Zehr JL, McAllister KA, Dzierlenga AL, Garton AE, Lawler CP, Ladd-Acosta C. Beyond the looking glass: recent advances in understanding the impact of environmental exposures on neuropsychiatric disease. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1086-1096. [PMID: 32109936 PMCID: PMC7234981 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0648-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The etiologic pathways leading to neuropsychiatric diseases remain poorly defined. As genomic technologies have advanced over the past several decades, considerable progress has been made linking neuropsychiatric disorders to genetic underpinnings. Interest and consideration of nongenetic risk factors (e.g., lead exposure and schizophrenia) have, in contrast, lagged behind heritable frameworks of explanation. Thus, the association of neuropsychiatric illness to environmental chemical exposure, and their potential interactions with genetic susceptibility, are largely unexplored. In this review, we describe emerging approaches for considering the impact of chemical risk factors acting alone and in concert with genetic risk, and point to the potential role of epigenetics in mediating exposure effects on transcription of genes implicated in mental disorders. We highlight recent examples of research in nongenetic risk factors in psychiatric disorders that point to potential shared biological mechanisms-synaptic dysfunction, immune alterations, and gut-brain interactions. We outline new tools and resources that can be harnessed for the study of environmental factors in psychiatric disorders. These tools, combined with emerging experimental evidence, suggest that there is a need to broadly incorporate environmental exposures in psychiatric research, with the ultimate goal of identifying modifiable risk factors and informing new treatment strategies for neuropsychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan A Hollander
- Genes, Environment and Health Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
| | - Deborah A Cory-Slechta
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Box EHSC, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Felice N Jacka
- Food & Mood Centre, IMPACT SRC, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
- iMPACT (the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation), Food & Mood Centre, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Black Dog Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Steven T Szabo
- Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Tomás R Guilarte
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Staci D Bilbo
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Carolyn J Mattingly
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Sheryl S Moy
- Department of Psychiatry and Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Ebrahim Haroon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mady Hornig
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Edward D Levin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Mikhail V Pletnikov
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Julia L Zehr
- Developmental Mechanisms and Trajectories of Psychopathology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Kimberly A McAllister
- Genes, Environment and Health Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Anika L Dzierlenga
- Genes, Environment and Health Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Amanda E Garton
- Genes, Environment and Health Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Cindy P Lawler
- Genes, Environment and Health Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Christine Ladd-Acosta
- Department of Epidemiology and Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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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: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.5] [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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van Drooge BL, Rivas I, Querol X, Sunyer J, Grimalt JO. Organic Air Quality Markers of Indoor and Outdoor PM 2.5 Aerosols in Primary Schools from Barcelona. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E3685. [PMID: 32456201 PMCID: PMC7277704 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17103685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Airborne particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 µg, PM2.5 was regularly sampled in classrooms (indoor) and playgrounds (outdoor) of primary schools from Barcelona. Three of these schools were located downtown and three in the periphery, representing areas with high and low traffic intensities. These aerosols were analyzed for organic molecular tracers and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to identify the main sources of these airborne particles and evaluate the air quality in the urban location of the schools. Traffic emissions were the main contributors of PAHs to the atmospheres in all schools, with higher average concentrations in those located downtown (1800-2700 pg/m3) than in the periphery (760-1000 pg/m3). The similarity of the indoor and outdoor concentrations of the PAH is consistent with a transfer of outdoor traffic emissions to the indoor classrooms. This observation was supported by the hopane and elemental carbon concentrations in PM2.5, markers of motorized vehicles, that were correlated with PAHs. The concentrations of food-related markers, such as glucoses, sucrose, malic, azelaic and fatty acids, were correlated and were higher in the indoor atmospheres. These compounds were also correlated with plastic additives, such as phthalic acid and diisobutyl, dibutyl and dicyclohexyl phthalates. Clothing constituents, e.g., adipic acid, and fragrances, galaxolide and methyl dihydrojasmonate were also correlated with these indoor air compounds. All these organic tracers were correlated with the organic carbon of PM2.5, which was present in higher concentrations in the indoor than in the outdoor atmospheres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barend L. van Drooge
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; (I.R.); (X.Q.); (J.O.G.)
| | - Ioar Rivas
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; (I.R.); (X.Q.); (J.O.G.)
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Xavier Querol
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; (I.R.); (X.Q.); (J.O.G.)
| | - Jordi Sunyer
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - Joan O. Grimalt
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; (I.R.); (X.Q.); (J.O.G.)
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39
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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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40
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Herting MM, Younan D, Campbell CE, Chen JC. Outdoor Air Pollution and Brain Structure and Function From Across Childhood to Young Adulthood: A Methodological Review of Brain MRI Studies. Front Public Health 2019; 7:332. [PMID: 31867298 PMCID: PMC6908886 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2019.00332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Outdoor air pollution has been recognized as a novel environmental neurotoxin. Studies have begun to use brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to investigate how air pollution may adversely impact developing brains. A systematic review was conducted to evaluate and synthesize the reported evidence from MRI studies on how early-life exposure to outdoor air pollution affects neurodevelopment. Using PubMed and Web of Knowledge, we conducted a systematic search, followed by structural review of original articles with individual-level exposure data and that met other inclusion criteria. Six studies were identified, each sampled from 3 cohorts of children in Spain, The Netherlands, and the United States. All studies included a one-time assessment of brain MRI when children were 6–12 years old. Air pollutants from traffic and/or regional sources, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), nitrogen dioxide, elemental carbon, particulate matter (<2.5 or <10 μm), and copper, were estimated prenatally (n = 1), during childhood (n = 3), or both (n = 2), using personal monitoring and urinary biomarkers (n = 1), air sampling at schools (n = 4), or a land-use regression (LUR) modeling based on residences (n = 2). Associations between exposure and brain were noted, including: smaller white matter surface area (n = 1) and microstructure (n = 1); region-specific patterns of cortical thinness (n = 1) and smaller volumes and/or less density within the caudate (n = 3); altered resting-state functional connectivity (n = 2) and brain activity to sensory stimuli (n = 1). Preliminary findings suggest that outdoor air pollutants may impact MRI brain structure and function, but limitations highlight that the design of future air pollution-neuroimaging studies needs to incorporate a developmental neurosciences perspective, considering the exposure timing, age of study population, and the most appropriate neurodevelopmental milestones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Herting
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Diana Younan
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Claire E Campbell
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jiu-Chiuan Chen
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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41
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Costa LG, Cole TB, Dao K, Chang YC, Garrick JM. Developmental impact of air pollution on brain function. Neurochem Int 2019; 131:104580. [PMID: 31626830 PMCID: PMC6892600 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2019.104580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Air pollution is an important contributor to the global burden of disease, particularly to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. In recent years, evidence is accumulating that air pollution may adversely affect the nervous system as shown by human epidemiological studies and by animal models. Age appears to play a relevant role in air pollution-induced neurotoxicity, with growing evidence suggesting that air pollution may contribute to neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. Traffic-related air pollution (e.g. diesel exhaust) is an important contributor to urban air pollution, and fine and ultrafine particulate matter (PM) may possibly be its more relevant component. Air pollution is associated with increased oxidative stress and inflammation both in the periphery and in the nervous system, and fine and ultrafine PM can directly access the central nervous system. This short review focuses on the adverse effects of air pollution on the developing brain; it discusses some characteristics that make the developing brain more susceptible to toxic effects, and summarizes the animal and human evidence suggesting that exposure to elevated air pollution is associated with a number of behavioral and biochemical adverse effects. It also discusses more in detail the emerging evidence of an association between perinatal exposure to air pollution and increased risk of autism spectrum disorder. Some of the common mechanisms that may underlie the neurotoxicity and developmental neurotoxicity of air pollution are also discussed. Considering the evidence presented in this review, any policy and legislative effort aimed at reducing air pollution would be protective of children's well-being.
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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
| | - Jacqueline M Garrick
- Dept. of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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42
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Brines M, Dall'Osto M, Amato F, Minguillón MC, Karanasiou A, Grimalt JO, Alastuey A, Querol X, van Drooge BL. Source apportionment of urban PM 1 in Barcelona during SAPUSS using organic and inorganic components. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 26:32114-32127. [PMID: 31494852 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-06199-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Source apportionment of atmospheric PM1 is important for air quality control, especially in urban areas where high mass concentrations are often observed. Chemical analysis of molecular inorganic and organic tracer compounds and subsequently data analysis with receptor models give insight on the origin of the PM1 sources. In the present study, four source apportionment approaches were compared with an extended database containing inorganic and organic compounds that were measured during an intensive sampling campaign at urban traffic and urban background sites in Barcelona. Source apportionment of the combined database, containing both inorganic and organic compounds, was compared with more conventional approaches using inorganic and organic databases separately. Traffic emission sources were identified in all models for the two sites. The combined inorganic and organic databases provided higher discrimination capacity of emission sources. It identified aerosols generated by regional recirculation of biomass burning, secondary biogenic organic aerosols, harbor emissions, and specific industrial emissions. In this respect, this approach identified a relevant industrial source situated at NE Barcelona in which a waste incinerator plant, a combined-cycle power plant, and an industrial glass complex are located. Models using both inorganic and organic molecular tracer compounds improve the source apportionment of urban PM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariola Brines
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA) Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), C/ Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Astronomy and Meteorology, Faculty of Physics, University of Barcelona, C/ Martí i Franquès 1, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manuel Dall'Osto
- Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM) Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fulvio Amato
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA) Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), C/ Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Cruz Minguillón
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA) Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), C/ Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Angeliki Karanasiou
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA) Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), C/ Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan O Grimalt
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA) Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), C/ Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrés Alastuey
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA) Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), C/ Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xavier Querol
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA) Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), C/ Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Barend L van Drooge
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA) Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), C/ Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034, Barcelona, Spain.
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43
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Cory-Slechta DA, Sobolewski M, Marvin E, Conrad K, Merrill A, Anderson T, Jackson BP, Oberdorster G. The Impact of Inhaled Ambient Ultrafine Particulate Matter on Developing Brain: Potential Importance of Elemental Contaminants. Toxicol Pathol 2019; 47:976-992. [PMID: 31610749 DOI: 10.1177/0192623319878400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies report associations between air pollution (AP) exposures and several neurodevelopmental disorders including autism, attention deficit disorder, and cognitive delays. Our studies in mice of postnatal (human third trimester brain equivalent) exposures to concentrated ambient ultrafine particles (CAPs) provide biological plausibility for these associations, producing numerous neuropathological and behavioral features of these disorders, including male-biased vulnerability. These findings raise questions about the specific components of AP that underlie its neurotoxicity, which our studies suggest could involve trace elements as candidate neurotoxicants. X-ray fluorescence analyses of CAP chamber filters confirm contamination of AP exposures by multiple elements, including iron (Fe) and sulfur (S). Correspondingly, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry of brains of male mice indicates marked postexposure elevations of Fe and S and other elements. Elevations of brain Fe and S in particular are consistent with potential ferroptotic, oxidative stress, and altered antioxidant capacity-based mechanisms of CAPs-induced neurotoxicity, supported by observations of increased serum oxidized glutathione and increased neuronal cell death in nucleus accumbens with no corresponding significant increase in caspase-3, in male brains following postnatal CAP exposures. Understanding the role of trace element contaminants of particulate matter AP as a source of neurotoxicity is critical for public health protection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marissa Sobolewski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, USA
| | - Elena Marvin
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, USA
| | - Katherine Conrad
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, USA
| | - Alyssa Merrill
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, USA
| | - Tim Anderson
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, USA
| | - Brian P Jackson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Gunter Oberdorster
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, USA
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Calderón-Garcidueñas L, González-Maciel A, Kulesza RJ, González-González LO, Reynoso-Robles R, Mukherjee PS, Torres-Jardón R. Air Pollution, Combustion and Friction Derived Nanoparticles, and Alzheimer’s Disease in Urban Children and Young Adults. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 70:343-360. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-190331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Randy J. Kulesza
- Department of Anatomy, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Erie, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Ricardo Torres-Jardón
- Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico
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45
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Barrett JR. Air Pollution and Risk of Neurobehavioral Problems: Is [Formula: see text] Status a Factor? ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2019; 127:024002. [PMID: 30757915 PMCID: PMC6752942 DOI: 10.1289/ehp4810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
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46
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Rivas I, Querol X, Wright J, Sunyer J. How to protect school children from the neurodevelopmental harms of air pollution by interventions in the school environment in the urban context. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2018; 121:199-206. [PMID: 30216772 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.08.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Recently, there has been a flurry of publications assessing the effect of air pollution on neurodevelopment. Here we present a summary of the results obtained within the BRain dEvelopment and Air polluTion ultrafine particles in scHool childrEn (BREATHE) Project, which aimed to evaluate the effects of the exposure to traffic related air pollutants in schoolchildren in Barcelona. To this end, we comprehensively characterised air quality in 39 urban schools from Barcelona and identified the main determinants of children's increased exposure. We propose a series of measures to be implemented to improve air quality in schools within the urban context and, consequently, minimise the negative effects on children's neurodevelopment that we found to be associated with the exposure to air pollution. We also aimed to list some of the actions pushed by governments and the society (including school managers, parents, and children) that have been taking place around Europe for promoting better high quality in the school and its surroundings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioar Rivas
- ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), C/Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDAEA-CSIC, C/Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, Environmental Research Group, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, UK.
| | - Xavier Querol
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDAEA-CSIC, C/Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - John Wright
- Bradford Institute for Health Research, Duckworth Lane, Bradford, BD9 6RJ, UK
| | - Jordi Sunyer
- ISGlobal, Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), C/Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, C/Dr. Aiguader 88, 08003, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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