You are here:
Reduced forced vital capacity in childhood associated with exposures to petroleum-related compounds at birth residence
Citation:
NEAS, L. M., S. MUKERJEE, A. H. WILLIAMS, AND L. Smith. Reduced forced vital capacity in childhood associated with exposures to petroleum-related compounds at birth residence. Presented at American Thoracic Society 2010 International conference, New Orleans, CA, May 14 - 19, 2010.
Impact/Purpose:
From a general clinic population in Detroit and Dearborn, MI in the fall of 2007, we examined children aged 7 to 13 years with reproducible spirometry using a case-cohort approach to enrich the cohort with asthma: 241 with asthma and 365 without asthma. In a clinical setting, we collected pulmonary function and exhaled nitric oxide measurements using standard ATSIERS protocols.
Description:
Rationale: Previous studies have reported associations of ambient air pollutant exposures with childhood decrements in lung volumes. While the current study was designed primarily to examine traffic exposures, we also examined the impact of other early life exposures on pulmonary function in childhood. Methods: From a general clinic population in Detroit and Dearborn, MI in the fall of 2007, we examined children aged 7 to 13 years with reproducible spirometry using a case-cohort approach to enrich the cohort with asthma: 241 with asthma and 365 without asthma. In a clinical setting, we collected pulmonary function and exhaled nitric oxide measurements using standard ATSIERS protocols. Using existing information on traffic and local point sources coupled with passive monitoring of nitrogen dioxide and petroleum-related volatile organic compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes), we developed land-use regression models to estimate the long-term, outdoor exposures of these children at their current residence and at their birth residence. Pulmonary function was modeled as the natural logarithm adjusted for a random neighborhood effect; sex; race; the natural logarithms of weight, height and the interaction of height and sex; parental education; home ownership; and environmental tobacco smoke in the home. Results: In this population, 43 percent ofthe children had different residences at birth. Based on their birth residence, modeled outdoor exposures to petroleum-related volatile organic compounds were linearly associated with decrements in forced vital capacity: a 2.9 percent decrement in FVC (95% CI -5.3, -0.6) for a 100-ppt increment in o-xylene and a 2.7 percent decrement in FVC (95%CI -4.5, -1.0) for a 300-ppt increment in toluene. This FVC decrement was stronger among the 365 children without asthma (-3.9 percent, 95% CI -6.6, -1.2 for a 100ppt increment in o-xylene). Other estimated petroleum-related compounds at birth residence showed similar associations, but weaker associations at their current residence. Conclusions: Early life exposures as indexed by modeled outdoor concentrations of petroleumrelated compounds for the residence at birth appear to be associated with persistent decrements in lung volumes. This abstract of a proposed presentation does not necessarily represent EPA policy.