| Effects of Prenatal Exposure to Coal-Burning Pollutants on Children's Development in China Deliang Tang,1,2 Tin-yu Li,3 Jason J. Liu,1 Zhi-jun Zhou,4 Tao Yuan,5 Yu-hui Chen,1 Virginia A. Rauh,2 Jiang Xie,3 and Frederica Perera1,2 1Department of Environmental Health Sciences, and 2Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA; 3Chongqing Children Hospital, Chongqing University of Medical Sciences, Chongqing, China; 4School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; 5School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, China Abstract
Background: Environmental pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) , lead, and mercury are released by combustion of coal and other fossil fuels. Objectives: In the present study we evaluated the association between prenatal exposure to these pollutants and child development measured by the Gesell Developmental Schedules at 2 years of age. Methods: The study was conducted in Tongliang, Chongqing, China, where a seasonally operated coal-fired power plant was the major source of ambient PAHs and also contributed lead and mercury to the air. In a cohort of nonsmoking women and their newborns enrolled between March 2002 and June 2002, we measured levels of PAH–DNA adducts, lead, and mercury in umbilical cord blood. PAH–DNA adducts (specifically benzo[a]pyrene adducts) provided a biologically relevant measure of PAH exposure. We also obtained developmental quotients (DQs) in motor, adaptive, language, and social areas. Results: Decrements in one or more DQs were significantly associated with cord blood levels of PAH–DNA adducts and lead, but not mercury. Increased adduct levels were associated with decreased motor area DQ (p = 0.043) , language area DQ (p = 0.059) , and average DQ (p = 0.047) after adjusting for cord lead level, environmental tobacco smoke, sex, gestational age, and maternal education. In the same model, high cord blood lead level was significantly associated with decreased social area DQ (p = 0.009) and average DQ (p = 0.038) . Conclusion: The findings indicate that exposure to pollutants from the power plant adversely affected the development of children living in Tongliang ; these findings have implications for environmental health policy. Key words: China, coal burning, lead, mercury, neurodevelopment, PAH–DNA adducts, prenatal. Environ Health Perspect 116:674–679 (2008) . doi:10.1289/ehp.10471 available via http://dx.doi.org/ [Online 30 January 2008]
Address correspondence to D. Tang, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University, 630 W 168th St., P&S 19-407, New York, NY 10032 USA. Telephone: (212) 305-1704. Fax: (212) 305-0596. E-mail: dt14@columbia.edu We acknowledge L. Qu and C.-J. Lin, Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health ; Y. Li, Fudan University ; W. Wang, Jiaotong University. This research was supported by the V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation, Energy Foundation, Schmidt Family Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Porpoise Fund, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (5 P01 ES009600, 5 R01 ES008977) . The authors declare they have no competing financial interests. Received 5 May 2007 ; accepted 28 January 2008.
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