AbstractChipboard production is a source of ambient air pollution. We assessed the spatial variability of outdoor pollutants and residential exposure of children living in proximity to the largest chipboard industry in Italy and evaluated the reliability of exposure estimates obtained from a number of available models. We obtained passive sampling data on NO2 and formaldehyde collected by the Environmental Protection Agency of Lombardy region at 25 sites in the municipality of Viadana during 10 weeks (2017–2018) and compared NO2 measurements with average weekly concentrations from continuous monitors. We compared interpolated NO2 and formaldehyde surfaces with previous maps for 2010. We assessed the relationship between residential proximity to the industry and pollutant exposures assigned using these maps, as well as other available countrywide/continental models based on routine data on NO2, PM10, and PM2.5. The correlation between NO2 concentrations from continuous and passive sampling was high (Pearson's r = 0.89), although passive sampling underestimated NO2 especially during winter. For both 2010 and 2017–2018, we observed higher NO2 and formaldehyde concentrations in the south of Viadana, with hot-spots in proximity to the industry. PM10 and PM2.5 exposures were higher for children at < 1 km compared to the children living at > 3.5 km to the industry, whereas NO2 exposure was higher at 1–1.7 km to the industry. Road and population densities were also higher close to the industry. Findings from a variety of exposure models suggest that children living in proximity to the chipboard industry in Viadana are more exposed to air pollution and that exposure gradients are relatively stable over time.
Background: Prenatal exposure to air pollutants has been suggested as a possible etiologic factor for the occurrence of autism spectrum disorder. Objectives: We aimed to assess whether prenatal air pollution exposure is associated with childhood autistic traits in the general population. Methods: Ours was a collaborative study of four European population-based birth/child cohorts—CATSS (Sweden), Generation R (the Netherlands), GASPII (Italy), and INMA (Spain). Nitrogen oxides (NO2, NOx) and particulate matter (PM) with diameters of ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5), ≤ 10 μm (PM10), and between 2.5 and 10 μm (PMcoarse), and PM2.5 absorbance were estimated for birth addresses by land-use regression models based on monitoring campaigns performed between 2008 and 2011. Levels were extrapolated back in time to exact pregnancy periods. We quantitatively assessed autistic traits when the child was between 4 and 10 years of age. Children were classified with autistic traits within the borderline/clinical range and within the clinical range using validated cut-offs. Adjusted cohort-specific effect estimates were combined using random-effects meta-analysis. Results: A total of 8,079 children were included. Prenatal air pollution exposure was not associated with autistic traits within the borderline/clinical range (odds ratio = 0.94; 95% CI: 0.81, 1.10 per each 10-μg/m3 increase in NO2 pregnancy levels). Similar results were observed in the different cohorts, for the other pollutants, and in assessments of children with autistic traits within the clinical range or children with autistic traits as a quantitative score. Conclusions: Prenatal exposure to NO2 and PM was not associated with autistic traits in children from 4 to 10 years of age in four European population-based birth/child cohort studies. ; Funding was provided as follows: ESCAPE Project— European Community's Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2011-GA#211250). CATSS, Sweden— Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (FORTE), Swedish Research Council (VR) Formas, in partner hip with FORTE and VINNOVA (cross-disciplinary research program concerning children's and young people's mental health); VR through the Swedish Initiative for Research on Microdata in the Social And Medical Sciences (SIMSAM) framework grant 340-2013-5867; HKH Kronprinsessan Lovisas förening för barnasjukvård; and the Strategic Research Program in Epidemiology at Karolinska Institutet. Generation R, the Netherlands—The Generation R Study is conducted by the Erasmus University Medical Center in close collaboration with the School of Law and Faculty of Social Sciences of the Erasmus University Rotterdam; the Municipal Health Service Rotterdam area, Rotterdam; the Rotterdam Homecare foundation, Rotterdam; and the Stichting Trombosedienst & Artsenlaboratorium Rijnmond (STAR-MDC), Rotterdam. The general design of the Generation R Study is made possible by financial support from the Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam; the Erasmus University Rotterdam; the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw); the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO); and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) received funding from the Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment to support exposure assessment. GASPII, Italy—grant from the Italian Ministry of Health (ex art.12, 2001). INMA, Spain— grants from Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Red INMA G03/176 and CB06/02/0041 FIS-FEDER 03/1615, 04/1509, 04/1112, 04/1931, 05/1079, 05/1052, 06/1213, 07/0314, 09/02647, 11/01007, 11/02591, CP11/00178, FIS-PI041436, FIS-PI081151, FIS-PI06/0867, FIS-PS09/00090), PI13/1944, PI13_02032, PI14/0891, PI14/1687, MS13/00054, UE (FP7-ENV-2011 cod 282957, and HEALTH.2010.2.4.5-1); Generalitat de Catalunya-CIRIT 1999SGR 00241; La Fundació La Marató de TV3 (090430); Conselleria de Sanitat Generalitat Valenciana; Department of Health of the Basque Government (2005111093 and 2009111069); and Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa (DFG06/004 and DFG08/001). V.W.V.J. received an additional grant from the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw 90700303, 916.10159). A.G.'s work was supported by a research grant from the European Community's 7th Framework Programme (FP7/2008–2013-GA#212652). A full roster of the INMA project investigators can be found online (http://www. proyectoinma.org/presentacion-inma/listado-investigadores/ en_listado-investigadores.html).
