Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong, China; University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, the Netherlands.
Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Developmental Toxicology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, School of Environment, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, Guangdong, China.
Environ Int. 2020 May;138:105660. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105660. Epub 2020 Mar 18.
Exposure to atmospheric fine particle matter (PM) pollution and the absorbed pollutants is known to contribute to numerous adverse health effects in children including to growth.
The aim of this study was to evaluate exposure levels of atmospheric PM-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in an electronic waste (e-waste) polluted town, Guiyu, and to investigate the associations between PM-PAH exposure, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels and child growth.
This study recruited 238 preschool children (3-6 years of age), from November to December 2017, of which 125 were from Guiyu (an e-waste area) and 113 were from Haojiang (a reference area). Levels of daily PM and PM-bound ∑16 PAHs were assessed to calculate individual chronic daily intakes (CDIs). IGF-1 and IGF-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) concentrations in child plasma were also measured. The associations and further mediation effects between exposure to PM and PM-bound PAHs, child plasma IGF-1 concentration, and child height were explored by multiple linear regression models and mediation effect analysis.
Elevated atmospheric PM-bound ∑16 PAHs and PM levels were observed in Guiyu, and this led to more individual CDIs of the exposed children than the reference (all P < 0.001). The median level of plasma IGF-1 in the exposed group was lower than in the reference group (91.42 ng/mL vs. 103.59 ng/mL, P < 0.01). IGF-1 levels were negatively correlated with CDIs of PM, but not with CDIs of PM-bound ∑16 PAHs after adjustment. An increase of 1 μg/kg of PM intake per day was associated with a 0.012 cm reduction of child height (95% CI: -0.014, -0.009), and similarly, an elevation of 1 ng/kg of PM-bound ∑16 PAHs intake per day was associated with a 0.022 cm decrease of child height (95% CI: -0.029, -0.015), both after adjustment of several potential confounders (age, gender, family cooking oil, picky eater, eating sweet food, eating fruits or vegetables, parental education level and monthly household income). The decreased plasma IGF-1 concentration mediated 15.8% of the whole effect associated with PM exposure and 23.9% of the whole effect associated with PM-bound ∑16 PAHs exposure on child height.
Exposure to atmospheric PM-bound ∑16 PAHs and PM is negatively associated with child height, and is linked to reduced IGF-1 levels in plasma. This may suggest a causative negative role of atmospheric PM-bound exposures in child growth.
大气细颗粒物（PM）污染及其所吸附的污染物暴露已知会对儿童健康造成许多不良影响，包括生长。
本研究旨在评估电子废物（e-waste）污染城镇贵屿大气 PM 结合多环芳烃（PAHs）的暴露水平，并探讨 PM-PAH 暴露、胰岛素样生长因子 1（IGF-1）水平与儿童生长之间的关系。
本研究于 2017 年 11 月至 12 月招募了 238 名学龄前儿童（3-6 岁），其中 125 名来自贵屿（电子废物区），113 名来自濠江（对照区）。评估了每日 PM 和 PM 结合的∑16 PAHs 的水平，以计算个体慢性每日摄入量（CDI）。还测量了儿童血浆中的 IGF-1 和 IGF 结合蛋白 3（IGFBP-3）浓度。通过多元线性回归模型和中介效应分析探讨了 PM 和 PM 结合的 PAHs 暴露、儿童血浆 IGF-1 浓度与儿童身高之间的关联及进一步的中介效应。
贵屿大气中 PM 结合的∑16 PAHs 和 PM 水平升高，暴露组儿童的个体 CDI 高于对照组（均 P<0.001）。暴露组儿童血浆 IGF-1 水平中位数低于对照组（91.42ng/mL 比 103.59ng/mL，P<0.01）。IGF-1 水平与 PM 的 CDI 呈负相关，但与 PM 结合的∑16 PAHs 的 CDI 无关，调整后亦然。每日 PM 摄入量增加 1μg/kg 与儿童身高降低 0.012cm（95%CI：-0.014，-0.009）相关，同样，每日 PM 结合的∑16 PAHs 摄入量增加 1ng/kg 与儿童身高降低 0.022cm（95%CI：-0.029，-0.015）相关，这两者均调整了多个潜在混杂因素（年龄、性别、家庭食用油、挑食、吃甜食、吃水果或蔬菜、父母教育水平和家庭月收入）。血浆 IGF-1 浓度降低可解释与 PM 暴露相关的总效应的 15.8%和与 PM 结合的∑16 PAHs 暴露相关的总效应的 23.9%，与儿童身高相关。
大气 PM 结合的∑16 PAHs 和 PM 暴露与儿童身高呈负相关，与血浆 IGF-1 水平降低有关。这可能提示大气 PM 结合暴露对儿童生长有因果性的负面作用。
