Prenatal PAH Exposure Lowers IQ
Frederica Perera, Ph.D.
Columbia University
NIEHS Grant R01ES010165
New findings from a Columbia University study conducted in Krakow, Poland show that prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons reduces IQ in children at five years of age. The study results recapitulate an epidemiologic study done by the same researchers on a population of women and children from New York City.
Healthy, pregnant non-smoking women were recruited into the study from 2001 to 2006. While pregnant, the women completed a questionnaire and carried a personal air monitor for 48 hours to estimate their babies' exposure to air pollutants. They also provided a blood sample or cord blood sample at delivery. A total of 214 children were followed through 5 years of age. At that time the children were given a standardized intelligence exam called the Raven Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM) test.
The median prenatal exposure to PAHs was 17.96 nanograms per cubic meter of air. Children exposed to levels higher than this had an average decrease in IQ by 3.8 points. Adjusting for maternal intelligence, lead exposure or dietary intake of PAH did not alter the results. These finding cause concern because RCPM scores measured during the preschool period correlate with academic achievement later in life. The research team is continuing to follow these children to determine longer-term effects of PAH exposure.
Citation: Edwards SC, Jedrychowski W, Butscher M, Camann D, Kieltyka A, Mroz E, Flak E, Li Z, Wang S, Rauh V, Perera F. Prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and children's intelligence at 5 years of age in a prospective cohort study in Poland. Environ Health Perspect. 2010 Sep;118(9):1326-31.
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