Associations between Traffic-Related Black Carbon Exposure and Attention in a Prospective Birth Cohort of Urban Children

Abstract

Background: Ambient air pollution may have neurotoxic effects in children. Data examining associations between traffic-related air pollution and attention domains remain sparse.Objectives: We examined associations between black carbon (BC), a marker of traffic particles, and attention measures ascertained at 7–14 years of age among 174 children in a birth cohort based in the Boston, Massachusetts, area.Methods: We estimated BC levels using a validated spatial–temporal land-use regression model based on residence during children’s lifetime. Children completed the Conner’s Continuous Performance Test (CPT) measuring omission errors, commission errors, and hit reaction time (HRT), with higher scores indicating increased errors or slower reaction time. Multivariable-adjusted linear regression analyses were used to examine associations between BC and each attention outcome.Results: Children were primarily Hispanic (56%) and Caucasian (41%); 53% were boys. We found a positive association between higher BC levels with increased commission errors and slower HRT, adjusting for child IQ, age, sex, blood lead level, maternal education, pre- and postnatal tobacco smoke exposure, and community-level social stress. Notably, the association was weaker, though still positive, for the highest BC quartile relative to the middle two quartiles. Sex-stratified analysis demonstrated statistically significant associations between BC and both commission errors and HRT in boys, but BC was not significantly associated with any of the CPT outcomes in girls.Conclusions: In this population of urban children, we found associations between BC exposure and higher commission errors and slower reaction time. These associations were overall more apparent in boys than girls.

Association between prenatal exposure to ambient diesel particulate matter and perchloroethylene with children's 3rd grade standardized test scores

“…Analysis of other birth cohorts has produced similar results when examining air pollutants and children's neurodevelopment. (Chiu et al, 2013; Freire et al, 2010; Guxens et al, 2012; Harris et al., 2015; Jedrychowski et al, 2015; Kim et al, 2014)…”

Air Pollution and Neuropsychological Development: A Review of the Latest Evidence

“…Five studies investigated the effects of postnatal exposure to different air pollutants (NO 2 , EC, BC, and ultrafine particle [UFP]) and executive functions (attention and working memory); 4 of them reported adverse health effects of these pollutants (27)(28)(29)(30), although in Chiu et al (27), the association was only observed in boys. One cross-sectional study did not find any association between NO 2 and working memory (31).…”

Public health and components of particulate matter: The changing assessment of black carbon

“…Four of the studies link cognitive impairment in the elderly to either higher BC concentrations, or higher levels of pollution in Mexico City versus in relatively clean cities, or residence in close proximity to major roads. The other eight studies are of young children, either those whose mothers were exposed to higher levels of PAHs during pregnancy (the Perera et al studies; Edwards et al, 2010) or those who were exposed to higher levels of BC modeled to residences in the Boston area (Suglia et al, 2008;Chiu et al, 2013). Various deficits are associated with higher levels of the vehicular emissions tested, whether in learning (IQ, nonverbal reasoning, cognitive development), emotion (anxiety, depression, attention), or behavior.…”