Prenatal PM2.5 Exposure in Relation to Maternal and Newborn Telomere Length at Delivery

Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5) is a ubiquitous air pollutant that is increasingly threatening the health of adults and children worldwide. One health impact of elevated PM2.5 exposure is alterations in telomere length (TL)—protective caps on chromosome ends that shorten with each cell division. Few analyses involve prenatal PM2.5 exposure, and paired maternal and cord TL measurements. Here, we analyzed the association between average and trimester-specific prenatal PM2.5 exposure, and maternal and newborn relative leukocyte TL measured at birth among 193 mothers and their newborns enrolled in a New-York-City-based birth cohort. Results indicated an overall negative relationship between prenatal PM2.5 and maternal TL at delivery, with a significant association observed in the second trimester (β = −0.039, 95% CI: −0.074, −0.003). PM2.5 exposure in trimester two was also inversely related to cord TL; however, this result did not reach statistical significance (β = −0.037, 95% CI: −0.114, 0.039), and no clear pattern emerged between PM2.5 and cord TL across the different exposure periods. Our analysis contributes to a limited body of research on ambient air pollution and human telomeres, and emphasizes the need for continued investigation into how PM2.5 exposure during pregnancy influences maternal and newborn health.

Understanding the Pathways from Prenatal and Post-Birth PM2.5 Exposure to Infant Death: An Observational Analysis Using US Vital Records (2011–2013)

We studied the relationship of prenatal and post-birth exposure to particulate matter < 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5) with infant mortality for all births between 2011 and 2013 in the conterminous United States. Prenatal exposure was defined separately for each trimester, post-birth exposure was defined in the 12 months following the prenatal period, and infant mortality was defined as death in the first year of life. For the analysis, we merged over 10 million cohort-linked live birth–infant death records with daily, county-level PM2.5 concentration data and then fit a Structural Equation Model controlling for several individual- and county-level confounders. We estimated direct paths from the two exposures to infant death as well as indirect paths from the prenatal exposure to the outcome through preterm birth and low birth weight. Prenatal PM2.5 exposure was positively associated with infant death across all trimesters, although the relationship was strongest in the third trimester. The direct pathway from the prenatal exposure to the outcome accounted for most of this association. Estimates for the post-birth PM2.5–infant death relationship were less precise. The results from our study add to a growing literature that provides evidence in favor of the potential harmful effects on human health of low levels of air pollution.

Spatially and Temporally Resolved Ambient PM2.5 in Relation to Preterm Birth

Growing evidence suggests that maternal exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during pregnancy is associated with preterm birth; however, few studies have examined critical windows of exposure, which can help elucidate underlying biologic mechanisms and inform public health messaging for limiting exposure. Participants included 891 mother–newborn pairs enrolled in a U.S.-based pregnancy cohort study. Daily residential PM2.5 concentrations at a 1 × 1 km2 resolution were estimated using a satellite-based hybrid model. Gestational age at birth was abstracted from electronic medical records and preterm birth (PTB) was defined as <37 completed weeks of gestation. We used Critical Window Variable Selection to examine weekly PM2.5 exposure in relation to the odds of PTB and examined sex-specific associations using stratified models. The mean ± standard deviation PM2.5 level averaged across pregnancy was 8.13 ± 1.10 µg/m3. PM2.5 exposure was not associated with an increased odds of PTB during any gestational week. In sex-stratified models, we observed a marginal increase in the odds of PTB with exposure occurring during gestational week 16 among female infants only. This study does not provide strong evidence supporting an association between weekly exposure to PM2.5 and preterm birth.

Longitudinal Trends of the Annual Exposure to PM2.5 Particles in European Countries

Background. PM2.5 emission is known as a major challenge to environmental health and is the cause of approximately 7 million deaths annually. This study aimed at investigating the main patterns of PM2.5 trend changes among European countries. Methods. The annual exposure to PM2.5 pollutants was retrieved from the World Bank for 41 countries during 2010 to 2017, and a latent growth model was applied to identify the main patterns using Mplus 7.4 software. Results. Monitoring the overall mean annual exposure to PM2.5 in the Europe showed a downward pattern with an annual decrease of 2.48% during the study period. Turkey had the highest PM2.5 exposure with 43.82 μg/m3 in 2010, reaching 44.31 μg/m3 in 2017. Likewise, with 7.19 μg/m3 in 2010, Finland had the lowest exposure level which decreased to 5.86 μg/m3 in 2017. Two main patterns for the mean annual PM2.5 exposure were identified via the latent growth model. Countries in the first pattern, including Turkey and Ukraine, had experienced a slow annual increase in the mean exposure of PM2.5 pollutant. Likewise, the other 39 countries belonged to the second pattern with a moderate falling trend in the mean exposure to PM2.5. Conclusion. Although the trend changes of mean annual exposure to PM2.5 in Europe were falling, Turkey and Ukraine had experienced a slow annual increase. It is advisable to take appropriate measures to curb the current raising exposure to PM2.5 in Turkey and Ukraine.

PM2.5 Exposure Risk Analysis Around Mining Area Wolo District

Particulate measuring below 2.5 microns have a very large effect on the body and the atmospheric environment, and are harmful to the respiratory organs and can cause asthma and lung disorders. The objective of this study was to identify the risk of PM2.5 exposure to communities in residential areas around nickel mining in Wolo District, Kolaka Regency. This study uses a descriptive observational method with a total sample of 324 respondents. The results showed that the highest value of the PM2.5 concentration measurement was 68.8 g/Nm3. The measurement of PM2.5 concentration has normally distributed so that the mean value is used as the PM2.5 concentration value. The risk of health living in the vicinity of the PT. Ceria Nugraha Indotama due to PM2.5 exposure of 0.093 mg/kg/day for 5 years (RQ<1) and 3.59 mg/kg/day for 30 years (RQ>1). It is necessary to plant green trees around the mining area to reduce the concentration of particulates in the air and to control the distance of the population to at least 2 km from the industrial center.

Wildfire Smoke Exposure Worsens Learning Outcomes

Wildfires and associated smoke exposure have increased in frequency and severity over the past two decades, threatening to undo decades of air quality improvements. Our understanding of the impacts of these growing exposures on a range of societal outcomes remains incomplete. Building on emerging evidence that environmental exposures can negatively affect cognition, we investigate the effect of wildfire smoke exposure on learning outcomes across the US. We combine standardized test score data from 2009-2016 for nearly 11,700 public school districts across 6 grades with satellite-derived estimates of daily smoke exposure. We estimate that relative to a school year with no smoke, average cumulative daily smoke-attributable PM2.5 exposure during the school year (~35 ug/m^3) reduces both English language arts and math scores by ~0.16% of a standard deviation. These impacts are more pronounced among younger primary school students and are apparent across communities with differing levels of economic disadvantage and racial-ethnic composition. Using previous estimates of the relationship between test score performance and future earnings, we estimate that smoke PM2.5 exposure in 2016 reduced discounted future earnings by $117 per student, resulting in cumulative future earning losses of nearly $1.9 billion across the US. Roughly 80% of these costs are borne by disadvantaged districts. Our findings quantify a previously unaccounted for social cost of wildfire that is likely to worsen under a warming climate.