Environmental Epidemiology最新文献

{"title":"Air pollution and respiratory outcomes in COPD above and below current environmental protection agency standards.","authors":"Laura C Myers, Sahithi Chimmula, David Schlessinger, Kathleen A Daly, Crystal A Hsiao, Joel Schwartz, Stephen K Van Den Eeden, Stephen Sidney, Kamala Deosaransingh, Stacey Alexeeff","doi":"10.1097/EE9.0000000000000491","DOIUrl":"10.1097/EE9.0000000000000491","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Rigorous studies are needed to defend the current National Ambient Air Quality Standards and prompt policymakers to acknowledge a dose-response relationship between air pollution and respiratory outcomes. In the most recent Environmental Protection Agency comprehensive review, scientists determined there was insufficient evidence to claim a causal relationship between chronic particulate matter air pollution (PM_2.5) and respiratory outcomes, despite acknowledging one for cardiovascular outcomes (Integrated Science Assessment, <i>Table 5-27</i>).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study examined the associations between chronic PM_2.5 levels and respiratory outcomes in 169,713 patients within Kaiser Permanente Northern California who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) between 2007 and 2016.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>For every 10 μg/m³ rise in average yearly PM_2.5, there was a statistically significant increase in relative risk of death (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.10, 1.20), respiratory-related death (HR = 1.22; 95% CI = 1.15, 1.30), COPD exacerbation (HR = 1.35; 95% CI = 1.29, 1.41), and the combined endpoint of COPD exacerbation or respiratory-related hospitalization with any-cause death as competing risk (HR = 1.30; 95% CI = 1.25, 1.35). We demonstrate a dose-response relationship between 1-year average PM_2.5 exposure and respiratory outcomes for key regulatory categories of PM_2.5.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings add rigorous evidence to support the continuation of the current annual PM_2.5 standard, which was lowered to 9 μg/m³ in 2024. Our <i>novel contribution</i> is documenting the dose-response relationship between chronic PM_2.5 and multiple respiratory outcomes in a longitudinal cohort with patients followed for up to 10 years.</p>","PeriodicalId":11713,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Epidemiology","volume":"10 3","pages":"e491"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13232900/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148162240","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Satellite and ground-level residential greenness and hair steroid hormones during pregnancy.","authors":"Sohini Bhattacharya, Yaron Michael, Nadezhda Sokolova, Noam David, Maya Levhar, Anat Schonblum, Liat Arnon, Liat Salzer Sheelo, Michal Eisner, Eran Hadar, Israel Meizner, Arnon Wiznitzer, Aron Weller, Lee Koren, Keren Agay-Shay","doi":"10.1097/EE9.0000000000000492","DOIUrl":"10.1097/EE9.0000000000000492","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Residential greenness, measured using satellite data, is associated with lower cortisol, but evidence for other hormones during pregnancy is limited. Google Street View (GSV) images provide pedestrian perspectives, allowing assessment of specific greenness features.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to evaluate associations between residential greenness and multiple hair steroid levels during pregnancy, using both satellite and ground-level greenness exposure.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Hair steroids (cortisol, cortisone, progesterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone) during the second trimester were quantified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in 385 pregnant individuals. We used first-trimester hair cortisol data. Based on geocoded birth addresses, mean residential greenness was calculated using satellite-based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data at 100-, 300-, and 500-m buffers in a cross-sectional approach. Deep learning algorithms were applied to 176,196 GSV images to estimate % total greenness, grass, plants, and trees within a 100-m buffer of participants' residences. Linear models and Generalized Estimating Equations were used to evaluate associations between greenness tertiles and hair steroids.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During the second trimester, in adjusted models, exposure to the highest compared with the lowest tertile of mean NDVI was associated with significantly lower mean z-cortisol levels within all buffers. Higher mean NDVI within the 500-m buffer was associated with significantly lower mean z-cortisone levels. For GSV images, higher % grass was associated with lower z-cortisol and z-cortisone levels. Using repeated measures of hair cortisol demonstrated similar results, with lower mean z-cortisol levels across the first and second trimesters.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Living in greener areas during the second trimester of pregnancy is associated with lower chronic stress markers, especially hair cortisol and cortisone.</p>","PeriodicalId":11713,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Epidemiology","volume":"10 3","pages":"e492"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13232905/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148162159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The use of race and ethnicity in air pollution epidemiology and methodological recommendations: A scoping review focusing on California.","authors":"Arnab K Dey, Chen Chen, Vivian Do, Shirley Kexin Zhou, Raul Gonzalez, Tarik Benmarhnia","doi":"10.1097/EE9.0000000000000485","DOIUrl":"10.1097/EE9.0000000000000485","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Air pollution remains a significant global health risk, and exposure to air pollutants can lead to multiple health issues across the life course. Air pollution is also an environmental justice issue and plays a crucial role in health disparities across racial and ethnic groups, through both differential exposure and differential vulnerability. Historical patterns of discriminatory siting of emission sources have led to differential exposure to air pollution among racial and ethnic groups. Differential vulnerability, influenced by social factors and community composition, further exacerbates health inequities. Given these complex mechanisms through which race and ethnicity (RE) influence both exposure and vulnerability to air pollution, it is important to understand how RE is operationalized in air pollution epidemiology and identify methodological opportunities. We conducted a scoping review to summarize the use of RE in air pollution epidemiology literature with a focus on California. From January 2000 to July 2025, we identified a total of 178 publications, excluding those that only used RE as a confounder. The number of studies exploring air pollution disparity across RE or RE as effect modifiers for the air pollution-outcome relationship increased over time, but the number of publications exploring the mediating role of air pollution in outcome disparity across RE remained low. We identified several methodological practices that warrant further consideration and provided corresponding methodological recommendations that can help researchers and policymakers better understand current practices for consideration of RE in air pollution-related health studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":11713,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Epidemiology","volume":"10 3","pages":"e485"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13232931/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148162282","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association between maternal organophosphate esters metabolite levels during pregnancy and internalizing and externalizing behaviors in children at 2-5 years.","authors":"Yaoyilian Cheng, Sarina Abrishamcar, Tszshan Ma, Stephanie M Eick, Dana Boyd Barr, Nadia Hoffman, Syam S Andra, Jasmin Chovatiya, Ravikumar Jagani, Robert O Wright, Heather J Zar, Dan J Stein, Anke Huels","doi":"10.1097/EE9.0000000000000488","DOIUrl":"10.1097/EE9.0000000000000488","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Organophosphate esters (OPEs) metabolites are frequently detected in human samples. Their structural similarity to organophosphate pesticides raises concerns about potential neurotoxicity. Animal and limited human studies suggest prenatal exposure to OPEs may affect offspring's neurobehaviors.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>We investigated the association between maternal OPE exposure and internalizing/externalizing behaviors in children age 2-5 years from the South African Drakenstein Child Health Study (N = 702).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We measured urinary metabolites of OPEs, bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCPP) and diphenyl phosphate, during the second trimester of pregnancy or at birth, using a targeted multiclass assay. Childhood behaviors were assessed at 24, 42, and 60 months using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). We used linear mixed-effects models with random intercepts and slopes to estimate associations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>BDCPP detection was associated with higher externalizing behavior scores at earlier ages, with attenuation over time (β = -1.57, 95% confidence interval: -2.74, -0.40 per 18-month increment). Age-specific estimates were 2.91 (1.08, 4.75) at 24 months, 1.34 (0.09, 2.59) at 42 months, and -0.23 (-1.81, 1.35) at 60 months. No consistent time-varying association was observed for internalizing behaviors, although a significant association was noted at 24 months (β = 2.28; 95% confidence interval: 0.20, 4.37). Diphenyl phosphate showed no associations with CBCL outcomes. Both metabolites were associated with higher CBCL scores among males, particularly for externalizing behaviors.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Prenatal OPE exposures, particularly BDCPP, were associated with worse behavior outcomes in early childhood with attenuation over time. Further research is needed to clarify exposure timing and sex-specific susceptibility in low- and middle-income countries settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":11713,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Epidemiology","volume":"10 3","pages":"e488"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13232915/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148162223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Air pollution and the risk of bronchiolitis-related hospital admission in a birth cohort of over 400,000 children born in London.","authors":"Amal Rammah, Bianca De Stavola, Samantha Hajna, Jonathon Taylor, Glory Atilola, Joana Cruz, Steve Cunningham, Alison Macfarlane, Ai Milojevic, Pia Hardelid","doi":"10.1097/EE9.0000000000000484","DOIUrl":"10.1097/EE9.0000000000000484","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Air pollution exposure in early life may be associated with an increased risk of bronchiolitis in children, but evidence for long-term exposures (over weeks or months) is limited. We estimated associations between fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) exposure during pregnancy and in the first year of life and bronchiolitis-related hospital admissions in a London birth cohort. We used a national birth cohort to identify London-resident mothers whose children were born in London from 2010 to 2013 and extracted information from birth and death registrations and maternal and child longitudinal Hospital Episode Statistics. We linked modeled PM_2.5 and NO₂ data to residential postcode histories during pregnancy and infancy. We applied a landmark approach with Cox proportional hazard models, adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and housing energy efficiency, to estimate associations between time-varying monthly PM_2.5 or NO₂ exposure and first bronchiolitis admission. Among 415,311 children, we found inconclusive evidence overall, with suggestive signals of increased risk associated with pregnancy and exposures in the final month of infancy to PM_2.5 and NO₂ and time to first bronchiolitis-related hospital admission. There were modest increases in risk in the first month after birth, corresponding to prenatal exposures, for PM_2.5 (adjusted Hazard ratio [HR_a] = 1.07, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.70, 1.61 per 5 ug/m³) and NO₂ (HR_a = 1.15, 95% CI: 0.98, 1.35 per 10 ug/m³). We found a similar estimated increased risk in the last month of follow-up (PM_2.5 HR_a = 1.12, 95% CI: 0.94, 1.34; NO₂ HR_a = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.71), corresponding to late infancy exposures. These findings highlight the uncertainty about critical windows of susceptibility during infancy. Future studies should examine the association between air pollution and bronchiolitis in emergency departments and primary care settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":11713,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Epidemiology","volume":"10 3","pages":"e484"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13221123/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148137189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cause-specific heat-related mortality in Rio de Janeiro city: Comparing exposure metrics and the role of exposure duration.","authors":"João Henrique de Araujo Morais, Débora Medeiros de Oliveira E Cruz, Valeria Saraceni, Caroline Dias Ferreira, Gislani Mateus Oliveira Aguilar, Oswaldo Gonçalves Cruz","doi":"10.1097/EE9.0000000000000473","DOIUrl":"10.1097/EE9.0000000000000473","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Under a climate change scenario, extreme heat episodes show an increase in frequency and intensity, with a scaling impact in Latin American cities. Recently, Rio de Janeiro City developed its heat protocol, using the amount of hours spent over specific heat thresholds as its trigger metric. This study gathers mortality data by 17 causes of death in Rio, over a 12.5-year period (2012-2024). We use Distributed Lag Nonlinear Models to assess the relationship between heat exposure and mortality among younger (0-64 years) and elderly (65+ years) age groups, comparing temperature and heat index as exposure metrics. Additionally, we evaluate whether including measures of exposure duration contributes to the explanation of heat-related mortality. In the study period, there were 466,121 deaths in the city from natural causes. Of the 17 causes of death, six showed a significant association with heat among the younger age group (0-64), while 13 were significant among the elderly. Particularly elevated relative risks were observed for deaths due to diabetes, Alzheimer's and dementia, hypertensive diseases, urinary tract infections, and deaths by undetermined causes. Even though no clear conclusion was reached on the temperature and heat index comparison, the inclusion of exposure duration showed a relevant additional effect for explaining mortality across broader cause groups. The results characterize cause-specific heat-related mortality in Rio and show potential on the use of exposure period metrics to better understand heat-mortality relationships and guide definitions for heat warning systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":11713,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Epidemiology","volume":"10 3","pages":"e473"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13221122/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148137196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Brevetoxins and emergency department visits among children: A case-crossover study of Florida red tides.","authors":"Erik M Rizzo, Bianca Irimia Dowling, Ananya Ranganagoudar, Justin K Arnold, Barbara Kirkpatrick, Catherine M Bulka","doi":"10.1097/EE9.0000000000000481","DOIUrl":"10.1097/EE9.0000000000000481","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Algal blooms of <i>Karenia brevis</i> (\"red tide\") produce brevetoxins that contaminate seawater, bioaccumulate in shellfish, and become aerosolized, exposing humans via ingestion and inhalation. While adult exposures are linked to respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms, children-who may be especially vulnerable-remain understudied. We investigated whether short-term brevetoxin exposures trigger emergency department (ED) visits among children.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed ED visits from coastal southwest Florida residents aged 0-18 years in the OneFlorida+ network (2012-2019) using a time-stratified case-crossover design with case and control days matched by week, day, month, and year. Two brevetoxin exposure indices were estimated for the prior 2 weeks (Lags_0-13): (1) waterborne, based on spatially interpolated <i>K. brevis</i> concentrations linked to residential ZIP codes, and (2) aerosolized, incorporating wind speed and direction. Conditional logistic regression models estimated odds ratios per interquartile range increases in exposure indices, adjusting for time-varying covariates. Models were fit overall and by diagnosis group, including among a negative control group consisting of primarily trauma-related diagnoses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Overall associations were null, as were associations for the negative controls. Stratified models showed: (1) same-day increases in waterborne and aerosolized exposures were associated with ~50% higher odds of respiratory visits (216 cases); (2) increases in waterborne exposures 12-13 days prior were modestly associated with ear, nose, throat, dental, and mouth diseases (321 cases); and (3) increases in aerosolized exposures 6-9 days prior were associated with ~50% higher odds of eye diseases (53 cases).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Brevetoxins may trigger ED visits for respiratory, eye, and ear-nose-throat complaints among children in coastal southwest Florida. As red tides in the Gulf increase, public health guidance tailored to children may be needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":11713,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Epidemiology","volume":"10 3","pages":"e481"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13189565/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147986907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Projecting climate change impacts on health: A tutorial integrating the latest climate and demographic scenarios.","authors":"Marcos Quijal-Zamorano, Pierre Masselot, Antonio Gasparrini, Ana M Vicedo-Cabrera","doi":"10.1097/EE9.0000000000000489","DOIUrl":"10.1097/EE9.0000000000000489","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Anthropogenic climate change has led to a widespread and substantial escalation of adverse health impacts, a trend that is expected to amplify in the coming decades under current climate change projections. Thus, it is imperative to generate reliable and robust estimates of climate-sensitive health impacts in future climate change scenarios. Yet, the integration of climate-demographic scenarios and the interpretation of impact projections remain methodologically complex, highlighting the need for more thorough guidance. We present a step-by-step tutorial for conducting health impact projection studies under climate and demographic scenarios. Using heat-related mortality in London as an illustrative example, the tutorial walks the reader through the entire process: from downloading and processing observed and projected climate and demographic data to addressing core methodological challenges, including temporal and spatial alignment, propagating epidemiological and climate uncertainty, and summarizing health impact outputs. To facilitate reproducibility, the tutorial uses an open-access dataset and R code, allowing users to replicate the complete analysis or adapt it to other settings. It serves as a valuable resource for researchers and policymakers by demonstrating how demographics and climate projections jointly influence future health risks, as suggested by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. By incorporating evolving demographic and climate conditions, it enables more realistic projections of health impacts and provides a stronger foundation for evidence-based adaptation and mitigation strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":11713,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Epidemiology","volume":"10 3","pages":"e489"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13189561/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147986885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Warm season hourly temperature and psychiatric emergencies: A case-crossover study of a vulnerable population in Boston, 2005-2019.","authors":"Kate Burrows, Flannery Black-Ingersoll, Nadav L Sprague, Stephanie Grady, Kaylin Vrkljan, Tasha Ferguson, Allan Just, Mary Willis, Rachel Oblath, Amruta Nori-Sarma","doi":"10.1097/EE9.0000000000000478","DOIUrl":"10.1097/EE9.0000000000000478","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Previous studies have demonstrated associations between extreme heat and mental health; however, the acute temporal dynamics of this relationship, including diurnal variation and lag, remain unexplored, particularly among high-risk groups such as those who are unstably housed. In this time-stratified case-crossover study, we investigated the association between hourly ambient temperature exposure and psychiatric emergency department (ED) visits in a vulnerable population in the United States.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using data from the Boston Emergency Services Team, we identified warm-season (May-September) psychiatric ED visits from 2005 through 2019, including publicly insured and uninsured individuals in Massachusetts. Hourly ambient temperature at 1 × 1 km spatial resolution was estimated for each individual's residential location for each of the 24 hours preceding each ED visit.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 63,691 psychiatric ED visits, cumulative hourly temperature increases were associated with elevated psychiatric emergency risk over 24 hours. At the 99th percentile (31.96°C), risk increased 1.13-fold (95% confidence interval: 1.03, 1.25) compared with the minimum morbidity temperature (8.57°C). Hyper-acute exposure (0-6 hours) showed imprecise protective associations, while delayed exposure (15-18 hours) demonstrated substantially increased risk. Notably, sustained extreme heat exposure was associated with stronger risk (e.g., 14 hours of extreme temperatures yielded a 1.43-fold increased risk [95% confidence interval: 1.05, 1.94]).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our results demonstrate that heat impacts are acute (i.e., within a single day) but not immediate, manifesting most strongly after several hours of sustained exposure. These findings suggest diurnal temporal patterns should be considered for heat-health interventions and provide insights for clinical resource allocation during extreme heat.</p>","PeriodicalId":11713,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Epidemiology","volume":"10 3","pages":"e478"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13155512/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147867273","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Untargeted metabolomic profiling of childhood asthma: An exploratory analysis of anthropogenic chemicals and the serum metabolome.","authors":"Max J Oosterwegel, Dorina Ibi, Ulrike Gehring, Gerard H Koppelman, Judith M Vonk, Jolanda M A Boer, Jelle Vlaanderen, Kathryn Dunn, Brismar Pinto-Pacheco, Douglas I Walker, Roel Vermeulen","doi":"10.1097/EE9.0000000000000480","DOIUrl":"10.1097/EE9.0000000000000480","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children, yet its causes, environmental links, and underlying mechanisms are still not well understood despite extensive research.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We examined the cross-sectional relationship between asthma and metabolic features in 628 serum samples (165 cases, 463 controls) from children aged 8, 12, and 16 years, in the Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy birth cohort. Metabolic features were assessed using liquid chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry. In a single-feature-at-a-time approach, asthma status (i.e., current asthma) was regressed against the measured intensity of each of the features; this approach alone was further extended to age-stratified analyses. Biological pathways were explored using Mummichog. In addition, we assessed the association of exogenous mixtures exhibiting substantial intercorrelations (i.e., for polyfluoroalkyl substances [PFAS] only) with asthma.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Liquid chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry detected 55,444 metabolic features, including 38 identified exogenous compounds (15 PFAS, 14 pesticides, 4 phenols, 4 phthalates, and 1 other compound) and 460 identified endogenous metabolites. Overall, we observed limited evidence of robust associations between individual environmental compounds and childhood asthma. Some age-specific signals were observed, including a positive association for monocyclohexyl phthalate and a negative association for monoethyl phosphate in age-stratified analyses, although these findings did not consistently meet multiple-testing thresholds. PFAS as a mixture was not associated with asthma (<i>P</i> = 0.67, odds ratio = 1.00). Pathway analyses indicated potential involvement of the tyrosine metabolism pathway in relation to asthma and several environmental compounds.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In this exploratory metabolomics analysis, we found limited evidence for strong associations between measured environmental compounds and childhood asthma. Nevertheless, several age-specific signals and pathway-level patterns, particularly involving tyrosine metabolism, were observed and may help guide future hypothesis-driven studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":11713,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Epidemiology","volume":"10 3","pages":"e480"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13155524/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147867316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}