Assessing effects of prenatal PAH exposure on birth outcomes and neurocognitive development among a cohort of Polish mothers and newborns.

Ulka Bawle*, Wieslaw Jedrychowski**, Robin Whyatt*,David Camann***, John Spengler***, Tom Dumyahn***, Frederica Perera*

*/ Center for Children’s Environmental Health,Columbia University, New York, USA**/Chair of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Coll.Med.. Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland***/

What is the role of early life exposures to PAH?

D - Developmental C - Cancer G - Genetic damage

Vulnerability of the Fetus and Child

Lead (Needleman et al.,1979) D

Radiation (Shimizu et al., 1991) C

Pestic ides (NAS, 1993) D,C

PCBs (J acobsen and J acobsen, 1996) D

Polycyc lic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) D,G(Perera, Whyatt et al., 1998)

Exposure Effect

D - Developmental C - Cancer G - Genetic damage

PAHs Epoxides

Macromolecules

DNA

Biotransformation

Mixed-function oxidasesP-450 enzymesAryl hydrocarbon hydrolase (AHH)

HEALTH HAZARDS DUE TO PAH COMPONENTS

Impairment of fetaland early childhoodgrowth and development

A. SPECIFIC AIMS OF THE STUDY

1.To test the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to airbornepolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) adversely affects fetalgrowth, after controlling for non-PAH components of particulatematter < 2.5 m (PM2.5), environmental tobacco smoke ( ETS),nutritional status and other potential confounders.

2. To test the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to airborne PAHadversely affects early childhood growth and development, aftercontrolling for non-PAH components of PM2.5, ETS and otherpotential confounders

3. To explore whether non-PAH components of PM2.5, and ETS haveindependent effects on birth outcomes and childhood growth anddevelopment, after controlling for PAH, and to explore possibleinteractions between PAH, PM2.5 and ETS.

4. To estimate the relative contribution of ambient PAH pollution vs.ETS and other indoor PAH sources to a) personal PAH exposure andPAH-DNA adducts; and b) impairment of fetal growth and early childdevelopment

1. Questionnaires: a. Prenatal I, II Trimester (mother)

b. Dietary (FFQ)

c. Dietary (24-Hour Recall)

d. 48-Hour Exposure Assessment

e. Prenatal III Trimester

f. Health /Asthma (in child)

2. Air monitoring exposure: personal

indoor/ outdoor

3. Infant cord blood

4. Maternal blood

5. Birth outcomes: Mother’s Med. Chart ReviewNewborn’s Med. Chart Review

6. Neurodevelopmental test of infant: Fagan test

Bayley Scale

Research Design of study “Vulnerability of the Fetus/Infantto PAH, PM2.5 and ETS”

Recruitmentin Pregnancy

I tri. II tri. III tri. Deli- 3 m 6 m 9 m 12 m n=96 n=400 very

32,4%

48,6%19,0%

36,7%

43,3% 20,0%

Age group:<=25 >25 and <=30 >30

Characteristics of recruited pregnant women:

age of women

N = 30 N = 105

6,7%

10,0%26,7%

13,3%

43,3%

2,9%

9,5%

9,5%22,9%

14,3%

41,0%

Education level:Primary

Occupational

Technical

College

High school

University

76,7%

23,3%

88,6%

11,4%

Marital status:Married

Single

Characteristics of recruited pregnant women:

by educational level and marital status

N = 30 N = 105

49,5%

40,0%

6,7%

2,9%1,0%

56,7%

33,3%

6,7%

3,3%

Number of pregnancies:1 2 3 4 5

Characteristics of recruited pregnant women:

number of pregnancies

N = 30 N = 105

Benzo(a)pyrene

Benz(a)anthracene

Benzo(b)fluoranthene

Benzo(k)fluoranthene

Benzo(g,h,i)perylene

Chrysene

Dibenz(a,h)anthracene

Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Low polluted area

High polluted area

PAH concentrations in low and high polluted areas of Krakow (N=30). Air monitoring over 48 hours.

ng/m3

PM2.5 concentration in KrakowN = 30

14,652(Q3-Q1)/2

26,181Standard deviation

56,758Median

56,729Mean

Benzo(a)pyrene

Benz(a)anthracene

Benzo(b)fluoranthene

Benzo(k)fluoranthene

Benzo(g,h,i)perylene

Chyrsene

Dibenz(a,h)anthracene

Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene

0 5 10 15 20 25

Krakow

New York City

PAH concentrations in Krakow and New York City

ng/m3

11,2 %

15,8 %

23,6 %

7,7 %

11,2 %13,5 %

2,5 %

14,4 %

12,5 %

7,5 %15,0 %

5,0 %

32,5 %

10,0 %2,5 %

15,0 %

Benzo(a)pyrene Benz(a)anthracene Benzo(b)fluoranthene

Benzo(b)fluoranthene Benzo(g,h,i)perylene Chrysene

Dibenz(a,h)anthracene Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene

Contribution of various chemical substances (in %) in the total PAH concentration in Krakow and New York City

Krakow New York City