Prenatal Household Air Pollution Exposure and Cord Blood Mononuclear Cell Telomere Length

Background: Associations between prenatal household air pollution exposure (HAP), newborn telomere length and early childhood blood pressure are unknown. Methods: Pregnant women were randomized to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stove, improved biomass stove or control (traditional, open fire cook stove). HAP was measured by personal carbon monoxide (CO) (n = 97) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) (n = 60). At birth, cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMCs) were collected for telomere length (TL) analyses. At child age four years, we measured resting blood pressure (BP) (n = 97). We employed multivariable linear regression to determine associations between prenatal HAP and cookstove arm and assessed CBMC relative to TL separately. We then examined associations between CBMC TL and resting BP. Results: Higher prenatal PM2.5 exposure was associated with reduced TL (β = −4.9% (95% CI −8.6, −0.4), p = 0.03, per 10 ug/m3 increase in PM2.5). Infants born to mothers randomized to the LPG cookstove had longer TL (β = 55.3% (95% CI 16.2, 109.6), p < 0.01)) compared with control. In all children, shorter TL was associated with higher systolic BP (SBP) (β = 0.35 mmHg (95% CI 0.001, 0.71), p = 0.05, per 10% decrease in TL). Conclusions: Increased prenatal HAP exposure is associated with shorter TL at birth. Shorter TL at birth is associated with higher age four BP, suggesting that TL at birth may be a biomarker of HAP-associated disease risk.

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Association between prenatal particulate air pollution exposure and telomere length in cord blood: Effect modification by fetal sex

Environmental Research ◽

10.1016/j.envres.2019.03.003 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 172 ◽

pp. 495-501 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Maria José Rosa ◽

Hsiao-Hsien Leon Hsu ◽

Allan C. Just ◽

Kasey J. Brennan ◽

Tessa Bloomquist ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Cord Blood ◽

Telomere Length ◽

Effect Modification ◽

Fetal Sex ◽

Particulate Air Pollution ◽

Air Pollution Exposure ◽

Pollution Exposure

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Prenatal Household Air Pollution Alters Cord Blood Mononuclear Cell Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number: Sex-Specific Associations

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16010026 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 26 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Seyram Kaali ◽

Darby Jack ◽

Rupert Delimini ◽

Lisa Hu ◽

Katrin Burkart ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Cord Blood ◽

Mononuclear Cell ◽

Birth Outcomes ◽

Copy Number ◽

Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction ◽

Household Air Pollution ◽

Stress Injury ◽

Cord Blood Mononuclear Cell

Background: Associations between prenatal household air pollution (HAP) exposure or cookstove intervention to reduce HAP and cord blood mononuclear cell (CBMC) mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid copy number (mtDNAcn), an oxidative stress biomarker, are unknown. Materials and Methods: Pregnant women were recruited and randomized to one of two cookstove interventions, including a clean-burning liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stove, or control. Prenatal HAP exposure was determined by serial, personal carbon monoxide (CO) measurements. CBMC mtDNAcn was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Multivariable linear regression determined associations between prenatal CO and cookstove arm on mtDNAcn. Associations between mtDNAcn and birth outcomes and effect modification by infant sex were explored. Results: LPG users had the lowest CO exposures (p = 0.02 by ANOVA). In boys only, average prenatal CO was inversely associated with mtDNAcn (β = -14.84, SE = 6.41, p = 0.03, per 1ppm increase in CO). When examined by study arm, LPG cookstove had the opposite effect in all children (LPG β = 19.34, SE = 9.72, p = 0.049), but especially boys (β = 30.65, SE = 14.46, p = 0.04), as compared to Control. Increased mtDNAcn was associated with improved birth outcomes. Conclusions: Increased prenatal HAP exposure reduces CBMC mtDNAcn, suggesting cumulative prenatal oxidative stress injury. An LPG stove intervention may reverse this effect. Boys appear most susceptible.

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Shorter telomere length in cord blood associated with prenatal air pollution exposure: Benefits of intervention

Environment International ◽

10.1016/j.envint.2018.01.005 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 113 ◽

pp. 335-340 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Frederica Perera ◽

Chia-jung Lin ◽

Lirong Qu ◽

Deliang Tang

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Cord Blood ◽

Telomere Length ◽

Air Pollution Exposure ◽

Pollution Exposure

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Identifying Sensitive Windows for Prenatal Particulate Air Pollution Exposure and Relative Leukocyte Telomere Length in Cord Blood

ISEE Conference Abstracts ◽

10.1289/isesisee.2018.p02.1230 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Maria Jose Rosa ◽

Kasey J Brennan ◽

Allan Just ◽

Ivan Pantic ◽

Itai Kloog ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Cord Blood ◽

Telomere Length ◽

Leukocyte Telomere Length ◽

Particulate Air Pollution ◽

Air Pollution Exposure ◽

Pollution Exposure

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Air Pollution and Urban Green Space: Evidence of Environmental Injustice in Adama, Ethiopia

Frontiers in Sustainable Cities ◽

10.3389/frsc.2021.728384 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

Author(s):

Erin Flanagan ◽

Kristoffer Mattisson ◽

John Walles ◽

Asmamaw Abera ◽

Axel Eriksson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Green Space ◽

Urban Green Space ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Household Air Pollution ◽

Environmental Injustice ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Urban Green ◽

Air Pollution Exposure ◽

Pollution Exposure

While air pollution data in Ethiopia is limited, existing studies indicate high levels of both ambient and household air pollution; rapid urbanization also threatens the preservation of urban green spaces. In this study, environmental injustice, or the disproportionate burden of environmental exposures on persons of lower socioeconomic status (SES), was explored among women in Ethiopia using a mother and child cohort from the city of Adama. Land-use regression models were previously developed for modeling ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) throughout Adama, while household air pollution (cooking fuel type) and the presence of green space were assessed through questionnaires and home visits, respectively. The odds of being exposed to these environmental factors were analyzed in association with two SES indicators, education and occupation, using logistic regression. Our results indicate the presence of environmental injustice in Adama, as women with lower SES shouldered a higher burden of air pollution exposure and enjoyed less urban green space than their higher SES counterparts. These findings encourage the prioritization of air quality control and urban planning resources toward policy action within lower SES areas. From a societal perspective, our results also support more upstream interventions, including investment in educational and occupational opportunities. Still, a human rights approach is emphasized, as governments are responsible for protecting the right to a clean environment, especially for those disproportionately exposed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on environmental injustice in Ethiopia, and the first in Sub-Saharan Africa to investigate the inequalities of ambient and household air pollution exposure as well as urban green space access in the same cohort.

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