Early Childhood Exposure to Endocrine Disrupting and Neurotoxic Chemicals: Associations with Internalizing and Externalizing Difficulties from Childhood to Adolescence in the Rhea Cohort, Crete, Greece

Data Availability Statement: Data supporting these findings are available upon request from the corresponding author K.K.Many common chemicals are known or suspected to harm brain development, and children are particularly vulnerable, yet research on their long-term effects on mental health is limited. This study investigated the associations of early childhood exposure to endocrine disrupting and neurotoxic chemicals with the development of internalizing, externalizing, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms from early childhood through adolescence in 387 children from the Rhea cohort in Crete, Greece. At age 4, serum concentrations of 3 organochlorine pesticides and 14 polychlorinated biphenyls, and urinary concentrations of 7 phthalate metabolites and 6 dialkyl phosphate metabolites were measured. Children’s symptoms were assessed via maternal reports at ages 4, 6, 11 and 15 years. Using generalized estimating equation models, the study found that early exposure to hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) was associated with increased externalizing symptoms across ages in girls [beta (95% CI): 0.20 (0.04, 0.37) and 0.11 (0.01, 0.21), respectively]. Among girls, low molecular weight (LMW) phthalates were also linked to elevated internalizing and externalizing symptoms, as well as ADHD-related difficulties [beta (95% CI): 0.15 (0.04, 0.26), 0.13 (0.01, 0.25), and 0.13 (0.02, 0.24), respectively]. Additionally, exposure to organophosphate pesticides was associated with increased externalizing and ADHD symptoms [beta (95% CI): 0.13 (0.04, 0.22) and 0.12 (0.04, 0.20), respectively]. The findings suggest that early childhood exposure to environmental chemicals may have long-term effects on emotional and behavioral development, with pronounced effects observed only in girls.The Rhea project was financially supported by European projects (EU FP6-2003-Food-3-NewGeneris, EU FP6. STREP Hiwate, EU FP7 ENV.2007.1.2.2.2. Project No 211250 Escape, EU FP7-2008-ENV-1.2.1.4 Envirogenomarkers, EU FP7-HEALTH-2009-single stage CHICOS, EU FP7 ENV.2008.1.2.1.6. Proposal No 226285 ENRIECO, EUFP7-HEALTH-2012 Proposal No 308333 HELIX, FP7 European Union project, No. 264357 MeDALL), the Greek Ministry of Health (Program of Prevention of obesity and neurodevelopmental disorders in preschool children, in Heraklion district, Crete, Greece: 2011–2014; Rhea Plus: Primary Prevention Program of Environmental Risk Factors for Reproductive Health, and Child Health: 2012-15), the Hellenic Ministry of Health and the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation. The research project entitled “Developmental Trajectories of Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms from Early Childhood to Adolescence: The Role of Psychosocial and Environmental Factors—IntExt Trajectories” was supported by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (H.F.R.I.) under the “2nd Call for H.F.R.I. Research Projects to support Faculty Members & Researchers” (Project Number: 4397)

The urban exposome during pregnancy and its socioeconomic determinants

Background: The urban exposome is the set of environmental factors that are experienced in the outdoor urban environment and that may influence child development. Objective: The authors’ goal was to describe the urban exposome among European pregnant women and understand its socioeconomic determinants. Methods: Using geographic information systems, remote sensing and spatio-temporal modeling we estimated exposure during pregnancy to 28 environmental indicators in almost 30,000 women from six population-based birth cohorts, in nine urban areas from across Europe. Exposures included meteorological factors, air pollutants, traffic noise, traffic indicators, natural space, the built environment, public transport, facilities, and walkability. Socioeconomic position (SEP), assessed at both the area and individual level, was related to the exposome through an exposome-wide association study and principal component (PC) analysis. Results: Mean±standard deviation (SD) NO2 levels ranged from 13.6±5.1 μg/m3 (in Heraklion, Crete) to 43.2±11 μg/m3 (in Sabadell, Spain), mean±SD walkability score ranged from 0.22±0.04 (Kaunas, Lithuania) to 0.32±0.07 (Valencia, Spain) and mean±SD Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ranged from 0.21±0.05 in Heraklion to 0.51±0.1 in Oslo, Norway. Four PCs explained more than half of variation in the urban exposome. There was considerable heterogeneity in social patterning of the urban exposome across cities. For example, high-SEP (based on family education) women lived in greener, less noisy, and less polluted areas in Bradford, UK (0.39 higher PC1 score, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.31, 0.47), but the reverse was observed in Oslo (−0.57 PC1 score, 95% CI: −0.73, −0.41). For most cities, effects were stronger when SEP was assessed at the area level: In Bradford, women living in high SEP areas had a 1.34 higher average PC1 score (95% CI: 1.21, 1.48). Conclusions: The urban exposome showed considerable variability across Europe. Pregnant women of low SEP were exposed to higher levels of environmental hazards in some cities, but not others, which may contribute to inequities in child health and development.The research leading to these results received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no 308333 – the HELIX project

Cohort profile: Pregnancy and childhood epigenetics (PACE) consortium

No description availabl