Associations between Traffic-Related Black Carbon Exposure and Attention in a Prospective Birth Cohort of Urban Children

• DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1205940
• Publication Date: 2013-05-10T19:04:05Z
• Authors: Yueh-Hsiu Mathild...; David C. Bellinger; Brent A. Coull; Shawn Anderson; Rachel Barber; Robert O. Wright; Rosalind J. Wright
• Keywords: Quartile

Background: Ambient air pollution may have neurotoxic effects in children. Data examining associations between traffic-related and attention domains remain sparse.Objectives: We examined black carbon (BC), a marker of traffic particles, measures ascertained at 7–14 years age among 174 children birth cohort based the Boston, Massachusetts, area.Methods: estimated BC levels using validated spatial–temporal land-use regression model on residence during children’s lifetime. Children completed Conner’s Continuous Performance Test (CPT) measuring omission errors, commission hit reaction time (HRT), with higher scores indicating increased errors or slower time. Multivariable-adjusted linear analyses were used to examine each outcome.Results: primarily Hispanic (56%) Caucasian (41%); 53% boys. found positive association HRT, adjusting for child IQ, age, sex, blood lead level, maternal education, pre- postnatal tobacco smoke exposure, community-level social stress. Notably, was weaker, though still positive, highest quartile relative middle two quartiles. Sex-stratified analysis demonstrated statistically significant both HRT boys, but not significantly associated any CPT outcomes girls.Conclusions: In this population urban children, we exposure These overall more apparent boys than girls.