Prenatal Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Exposure and Child Behavior at Age 6–7 Years

Abstract

Background: Airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are widespread urban air pollutants from fossil fuel burning and other combustion sources. We previously reported that a broad spectrum of combustion-related DNA adducts in cord blood was associated with attention problems at 6–7 years of age in the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) longitudinal cohort study.Objectives: We evaluated the relationship between behavioral problems and two different measures of prenatal exposure—both specific to PAH—in the same cohort.Methods: Children of nonsmoking African-American and Dominican women in New York City (NYC) were followed from in utero to 6–7 years. Prenatal PAH exposure was estimated by personal air monitoring of the mothers during pregnancy as well as by the measurement of DNA adducts specific to benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a representative PAH, in maternal and cord blood. At 6–7 years of age, child behavior was assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) (n = 253). Generalized linear models were used to test the association between prenatal PAH exposure and behavioral outcomes.Results: In multivariate analyses, high prenatal PAH exposure, whether characterized by personal air monitoring (greater than the median of 2.27 ng/m3) or maternal and cord adducts (detectable or higher), was positively associated with symptoms of Anxious/Depressed and Attention Problems (p ≤ 0.05).Conclusion: These results provide additional evidence that environmental levels of PAH encountered in NYC air can adversely affect child behavior.

The Toxic Effects BPA on Fetuses, Infants, and Children

“…Investigations on humans have shown the connection between urine, feces, or blood concentrations of BPA (total/free) and a diversity of health measures including mutation in fetuses, miscarriage, obesity and fertility in women, efect on the uterus lining ("endometrium"), certain hormones that support the control of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage to reproduction markers, length of gestation, polycystic ovary syndrome, and birth outcomes [42]. Only a small number of studies have summarized the relations between BPA exposure and disorders of reproduction or developmental efects in humans.…”

Toxicity of Bisphenol a on Humans: A Review

“…BPA has also been found to induce apoptosis International Letters of Natural Sciences Vol. 27and cell arrest in cultured ovarian granulosa cells, suggesting that BPA may also impact the adult ovary. Many of the physiological effects of BPA have been described in the context of its ability to interact with classic ER (nuclear hormone receptor activity).…”

“…27been questioned. Kinetics also varies markedly with route of administration, dose, age and even gender.…”

“…endometrial hyperplasia 27 , recurrent miscarriages 28 and polycystic ovary syndrome 29,30 . Hardin (1981) previously reported that intra peritoneal injection of BPA to mated female rats at dose levels of 85 and 125 mg/kg during gestational days (GD) 1-15 showed decreased number of live fetuses per litter and suppressed fetal body weight and crown-rump length.…”

Prenatal Exposure to Air Pollution, Maternal Psychological Distress, and Child Behavior

“…[20][21][22][23][24][25][26] Our previous research in a New York City birth cohort and in the present Krakow birth cohort revealed that prenatal exposure to PAH was associated with adverse cognitive outcomes at age 5 years 27,28 and with behavioral problems, including anxiety and depression, at ages 6 to 7 years in New York City. 29 Although there is some previous human evidence of interactions between socioeconomic factors and pollutants, [30][31][32][33][34] this is the first study assessing the interaction of PAHs and maternal psychological distress on neurobehavioral outcomes. [30][31][32][33] …”