Early-life Exposure to Widespread Environmental Toxicants and Health Risk: A Focus on the Immune and Respiratory Systems

Abstract

Evidence has accumulated that exposure to widespread environmental toxicants, such as heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, and tobacco smoke adversely affect fetal development and organ maturation, even after birth. The developing immune and respiratory systems are more sensitive to environmental toxicants due to their long-term physical development, starting from the early embryonic stage and persisting into early postnatal life, which requires complex signaling pathways that control proliferation and differentiation of highly heterogeneous cell types. In this review, we summarize the effect of early-life exposure to several widespread environmental toxicants on immune and lung development before and after birth, including the effects on immune cell counts, baseline characteristics of cell-mediated and humoral immunity, and alteration of lung structure and function in offspring. We also review evidence supporting the association between early-life exposure to environmental toxicants and risk for immune-related diseases and lung dysfunction in offspring in later life.

Children’s white blood cell counts in relation to developmental exposures to methylmercury and persistent organic pollutants

“…Moreover, early-life environmental PCB exposure was associated with fluctuations in major lymphocyte subsets [26], and affected the dynamics of cell surface lymphocyte receptor expression [27]. Overall, previous studies provide compelling evidence of the detrimental effects of exposure to environmental toxicants on the immune system, including immune cell counts, cytokine responses, and levels of specific antibodies [28]. However, most of the human studies on immunotoxicity of POPs and mercury lack a prospective design with age-related exposure profiles, and no study has so far attempted to examine the potential joint effect of different POPs on the immune system development.…”

Assessment of health risk of trace metal pollution in surface soil and road dust from e-waste recycling area in China

“…In particular, the ingestion of dust and soil has been widely regarded as one of the key pathways by which children are exposed to heavy metals and metalloids from paint, leaded gasoline, traffic exhaust and local industrial processes (Rasmussen et al, 2001). Recent study that focused on ambient air heavy metals in PM2.5 from informal electronic-waste recycling sites in China revealed higher level of Pb and Cd compared with reference area and possibility of their effects on the health of local residents, especially children (Zheng et al, 2015; Zhang et al 2016 Cao et al 2016). Trace metal pollutants such as cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb) have cumulative effects, causing growth retardation in children, kidney disease, cancer and many other adverse health effects (Xu et al, 2012; Xu et al, 2015, Zeng et al 2016).…”

Current Trends in the Process of Risk Assessment of Exposure to Xenobiotics Including Dietary Intake

“…V súčasnej dobe sa obrovské množstvo environmentálnych kontaminantov rýchlo akumuluje v priemyselných krajinách. Rozšírené environmentálne kontaminanty, ako sú ťažké kovy, perzistentné organické xenobiotiká (Persistent Organic Pollutants -POPs) a niektoré súčasti tabakového dymu a ich metabolity, je možné zistiť v materskej a pupočníkovej krvi v rôznych oblastiach sveta (18). Malé deti sú vystavené mnohým zlúče-ninám, najmä endokrinným modulátorom (19).…”