Associations between PM2.5 exposure and birth outcomes and effect modification by extreme heat events during pregnancy in a North Carolina cohort

IF 3.7 2区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Atmospheric Environment Pub Date : 2025-08-30 DOI:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121500

Alison K. Krajewski , Breanna L. Alman , Ambarish Vaidyanathan , Joshua L. Warren , Thomas J. Luben , Kristen M. Rappazzo

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background and aim

Adverse birth outcomes, like term low birth weight (TLBW) and preterm birth (PTB), can be indicators for poor health outcomes, including neonatal mortality, and may be caused by environmental exposures. Previously, exposure to high ambient temperatures was linked with increased odds of TLBW, while results looking at fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) exposure have been mixed. A growing body of studies report associations between PTB and air pollution. We evaluated the relationship between PM_2.5 exposure during pregnancy and TLBW and PTB, and potential modification by concurrent exposure to extreme heat events (EHEs).

Methods

We used North Carolina birth registry data linked to exposure data using geocoded addresses obtained from the birth records (2006–2015) for live, singleton births (n = 1,280,064). TLBW was defined as births delivered at ≥37 weeks gestation and weighing <2,500g. PTB was defined as births delivered at <37 weeks gestation. PM_2.5 concentrations were obtained using EPA's fused CMAQ model and were averaged over trimester and entire pregnancy. EHEs were defined as a census-tract specific daily maximum heat index >95th percentile for at least two consecutive days. The 95th percentile threshold for the EHE indicator variable were based on a 40-yr (1981–2020) historical distribution and specific to each census tract. For inclusion in a trimester analysis for summer months, portions of that trimester had to occur between May–September. We estimated risk differences with interaction terms for total number of EHEs during the corresponding exposure period.

Results

We observed generally null relationships between PM_2.5 and TLBW and PTB for all trimesters. Results remained null when extreme heat events were included as an interaction term and no interaction on the multiplicative scale was observed.

Conclusions

Analyses did not indicate substantial relationships between PM_2.5 and TLBW or PTB, or effect measure modification by EHEs in this study.

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在北卡罗来纳州的一项队列研究中，PM2.5暴露与出生结果之间的关系以及怀孕期间极端高温事件对影响的改变

背景和目的不良出生结局，如足月低出生体重（TLBW）和早产（PTB），可能是不良健康结局（包括新生儿死亡率）的指标，并可能由环境暴露引起。此前，暴露在高温环境中与TLBW的几率增加有关，而细颗粒物（PM2.5）暴露的结果则好坏参半。越来越多的研究报告了肺结核和空气污染之间的联系。我们评估了怀孕期间PM2.5暴露与TLBW和PTB之间的关系，以及同时暴露于极端高温事件（EHEs）可能导致的改变。方法：我们将北卡罗来纳州出生登记数据与暴露数据联系起来，使用从出生记录（2006-2015年）中获得的地理编码地址，用于活胎、单胎出生（n = 1,280,064）。TLBW定义为≥37周妊娠分娩，体重2500克。PTB被定义为妊娠37周分娩。使用EPA的融合CMAQ模型获得PM2.5浓度，并在三个月和整个妊娠期间取平均值。EHEs被定义为至少连续两天的人口普查区特定的每日最高热指数（95%）。EHE指标变量的第95百分位阈值基于40年（1981-2020年）的历史分布，并针对每个人口普查区。为了纳入夏季三个月的三个月分析，该三个月的部分时间必须发生在5月至9月之间。在相应的暴露期间，我们估计了EHEs总数与相互作用项的风险差异。结果在所有妊娠期，PM2.5与TLBW和PTB之间的关系基本为零。当极端高温事件作为一个相互作用项包括在内时，结果仍然无效，并且在乘法尺度上没有观察到相互作用。结论：在本研究中，分析未显示PM2.5与TLBW或PTB之间存在实质性关系，也未显示EHEs对效应测量的修改。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Atmospheric Environment 环境科学-环境科学

CiteScore

9.40

自引率

8.00%

发文量

458

审稿时长

53 days

期刊介绍： Atmospheric Environment has an open access mirror journal Atmospheric Environment: X, sharing the same aims and scope, editorial team, submission system and rigorous peer review. Atmospheric Environment is the international journal for scientists in different disciplines related to atmospheric composition and its impacts. The journal publishes scientific articles with atmospheric relevance of emissions and depositions of gaseous and particulate compounds, chemical processes and physical effects in the atmosphere, as well as impacts of the changing atmospheric composition on human health, air quality, climate change, and ecosystems.