Neurodevelopmental Deceleration by Urban Fine Particles from Different Emission Sources: A Longitudinal Observational Study

• Published in: Environmental health perspectives Vol. 124; no. 10; pp. 1630 - 1636
• Main Authors: Basagaña, Xavier, Esnaola, Mikel, Rivas, Ioar, Amato, Fulvio, Alvarez-Pedrerol, Mar, Forns, Joan, López-Vicente, Mònica, Pujol, Jesús, Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark, Querol, Xavier, Sunyer, Jordi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 01-10-2016
• Subjects: Air pollution; Air pollution control; Airborne particulates; Aire; Animal cognition; Apportionment; Atoms & subatomic particles; Brain; Carbon; Children's Health; Cognition & reasoning; Cognitive development; Combustion; Contaminació; Desenvolupament; Dust; Elementary school students; False alarms; Families & family life; Health aspects; Infants; Longitudinal studies; Memory; Metallurgy; Nitrogen dioxide; Observational studies; Outdoor air quality; Particulate matter; Schools; Scientific imaging; Socioeconomic factors; Studies; Traffic; Spain; MED, Spain, Cataluna, Barcelona
• ISSN: 0091-6765; 1552-9924
• DOI: 10.1289/EHP209

A few studies have reported associations between traffic-related air pollution exposure at schools and cognitive development. The role of PM components or sources other than traffic on cognitive development has been little explored.
We aimed to explore the role of PM sources in school air on cognitive development.
A cohort of 2,618 schoolchildren (average age, 8.5 years) belonging to 39 schools in Barcelona (Spain) was followed up for a year. Children completed computerized tests assessing working memory, superior working memory, and inattentiveness during four visits. Particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) was measured during two 1-week campaigns in each school, both outdoors and in the classroom. Source apportionment resulted in nine sources: mineral, organic/textile/chalk, traffic, secondary sulfate and organics, secondary nitrate, road dust, metallurgy, sea spray, and heavy oil combustion. Differences in cognitive growth trajectories were assessed with mixed models with age-by-source interaction terms.
An interquartile range increase in indoor traffic-related PM2.5 was associated with reductions in cognitive growth equivalent to 22% (95% CI: 2%, 42%) of the annual change in working memory, 30% (95% CI: 6%, 54%) of the annual change in superior working memory, and 11% (95% CI: 0%, 22%) of the annual change in the inattentiveness scale. None of the other PM2.5 sources was associated with adverse effects on cognitive development.
Traffic was the only source of fine particles associated with a reduction in cognitive development. Reducing air pollution from traffic at primary schools may result in beneficial effects on cognition.
Basagaña X, Esnaola M, Rivas I, Amato F, Alvarez-Pedrerol M, Forns J, López-Vicente M, Pujol J, Nieuwenhuijsen M, Querol X, Sunyer J. 2016. Neurodevelopmental deceleration by urban fine particles from different emission sources: a longitudinal observational study. Environ Health Perspect 124:1630-1636; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/EHP209.