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Interaction and Intersection: The Effects of Environmental Exposures on Children's...
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Interaction and Intersection: The Effects of Environmental Exposures on Children's Health

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Human Toxicology and Epidemiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 16670

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Katarzyna Kordas

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Guest Editor
Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14214, USA
Interests: environmental epidemiology; global health; toxic metals and child development; health effects of metal mixtures; nutrient-metal interactions; dietary predictors of toxicant exposure; gene-environment interactions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jose Suarez

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Guest Editor
Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
Interests: pesticides; persistent pollutants; mental health; metabolism; respiratory; inflammation; metabolomics; cohort; clinical trial

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental toxicants harm children’s health and because they rarely occur in isolation, there is a risk of potentiated adverse effects from exposures co-occurring in the environment. Increasingly, there is evidence that children are exposed to mixtures of not only “like” chemicals (ex., metals) but to a slew of legacy and emerging pollutants in the places where they live and spend time, from schools, to play spaces, to places of worship. We are only beginning to understand how those diverse chemicals interact together, as well as with children’s genetic make-up and nutritional status, to affect their growth and development.

At the same time, environmental exposures intersect with other aspects of children’s beings and lives: their race and ethnicity; sex; the activities they engage in; the socioeconomic status of their families and communities; the strength of their community’s voice or level of marginalization within society; the places where they live and the socio-cultural and political structures they encounter; etc. These intersections produce conditions in which exposure types and levels differ across communities, where exposures could be ignored or exacerbated, and where a given exposure could result in more harm to children’s physical or mental health and to their futures.

The aim of this special issue is to explore the biological interactions and socio-economic intersections through which environmental toxicants affect the health of children up to 18 years of age. Original research and reviews from around the world are welcome. Submissions considering complex exposures (more than two chemicals and more than one class of chemical) are particularly encouraged.

Toxics is an open access journal; authors can inquire about discounts. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Katarzyna Kordas
Dr. Jose Suarez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • child
  • environmental exposure
  • chemical, mixture
  • social environment
  • susceptibility factor
  • development
  • growth

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

8 pages, 490 KiB  
Article
Blood Lead Level and Handgrip Strength in Preadolescent Polish Schoolchildren
by Natalia Nowak-Szczepanska, Aleksandra Gomula, Anna Sebastjan, Zofia Ignasiak, Robert M. Malina and Sławomir Kozieł
Toxics 2022, 10(11), 646; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10110646 - 27 Oct 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1305
Abstract
Environmental pollutions, particularly toxic elements such as lead, are among the most significant factors affecting the growth and functional development of children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of blood lead levels on handgrip strength (HGS) in urban children [...] Read more.
Environmental pollutions, particularly toxic elements such as lead, are among the most significant factors affecting the growth and functional development of children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of blood lead levels on handgrip strength (HGS) in urban children resident in the Copper Basin of Lower Silesia, Poland, controlling for the effects of chronological age, body size and socioeconomic status. The study included 165 boys (9–11 years of age) and 79 girls (9–10 years of age) from Polkowice town. Anthropometric measurements involved height, body mass and grip strength of the left and right hands. Maternal education was a proxy for socioeconomic status. Based on the median value of blood lead level (3.10 µg/dL), the two groups-below and above/equal median value-were defined. Analysis of covariance revealed that age (all p < 0.001), sex (at least p < 0.01), BMI (all p < 0.001), and blood lead level (at least p < 0.05) had a significant effect on the three indicators of HGS (right hand, left hand, average), while the level of maternal education did not significantly affect HGS (p > 0.05). The results of this study indicate a potentially negative effect of elevated blood lead level on grip strength in preadolescent children, irrespective of sex. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction and Intersection: The Effects of Environmental Exposures on Children's Health)
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11 pages, 266 KiB  
Article
Child Tobacco Smoke Exposure, Indoor Home Characteristics, and Housing Stability among a National Sample of U.S. Children
by E. Melinda Mahabee-Gittens, Gang Han and Ashley L. Merianos
Toxics 2022, 10(11), 639; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10110639 - 25 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1454
Abstract
(1) Objectives: To examine the associations of child tobacco smoke exposure (TSE) with home quality and housing instability. (2) Methods. A secondary analysis of 32,066 U.S. 0–11-year-old children from the 2018–2019 National Survey of Children’s Health was conducted. Child home TSE status was [...] Read more.
(1) Objectives: To examine the associations of child tobacco smoke exposure (TSE) with home quality and housing instability. (2) Methods. A secondary analysis of 32,066 U.S. 0–11-year-old children from the 2018–2019 National Survey of Children’s Health was conducted. Child home TSE status was defined as: no TSE: child lived with no smokers; thirdhand smoke (THS) exposure only: child lived with a smoker(s) who did not smoke indoors; and secondhand smoke (SHS) and THS exposure: child lived with a smoker(s) who smoked indoors. Home quality was assessed by the presence of mold or pesticide use and housing instability was assessed by home ownership, frequency of moves, and number of household members. We conducted weighted multivariable logistic regression and linear regression models while adjusting for important child covariates. (3) Results: In total, 12.3% had home THS exposure only and 1.6% had home SHS and THS exposure. Compared to children with no home TSE, children with home SHS and THS exposure were 2.60 times more likely (95%CI = 1.73, 3.92) to have mold inside their homes; 1.57 times more likely (95%CI = 1.09, 2.26) to live in homes where pesticides were used ≥1 time during the past 12-months; and more likely to have more frequent moves (β = 1.06, 95%CI = 0.62, 1.50). (4) Conclusions: Children with home TSE have higher rates of mold, pesticide use, frequent moves, and household members compared to children with no home TSE. Children with TSE should also be screened for home quality and housing instability and provided with appropriate interventions and resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction and Intersection: The Effects of Environmental Exposures on Children's Health)
8 pages, 297 KiB  
Article
Urinary Arsenic Concentration and Its Relationship with Bronchial Asthma in Children from Arica, Chile
by María Pía Muñoz, Verónica Iglesias, Marta Saavedra, Gina Saavedra, Karla Yohannessen and Paulina Pino
Toxics 2022, 10(10), 625; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10100625 - 19 Oct 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1876
Abstract
In the city of Arica, northern Chile, the population has been involuntarily exposed to arsenic of natural and anthropogenic origin. This study aims to evaluate the association between urinary arsenic concentration and bronchial asthma diagnosis in the children of Arica. A cross-sectional analysis [...] Read more.
In the city of Arica, northern Chile, the population has been involuntarily exposed to arsenic of natural and anthropogenic origin. This study aims to evaluate the association between urinary arsenic concentration and bronchial asthma diagnosis in the children of Arica. A cross-sectional analysis of a database of 1892 subjects under 18 years of age enrolled in the Environmental Health Centre between 2009 and 2021 was carried out. Arsenic exposure was obtained from a urine sample and bronchial asthma diagnosis from the database of the system for the management of explicit health guarantees. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association between inorganic arsenic and asthma. The median inorganic arsenic was 15 μg/L, and the prevalence of asthma was 7.4%. After adjusting for sex, age, ethnicity, and urinary creatinine, children with the highest tertile of urinary arsenic concentration (≥21.4 μg/L) had a greater chance of developing asthma (odds ratio (OR) 1.90; 95% confidence interval (CI) [1.13–3.18]). When exploring the modifying effect of ethnicity, the association increased among children belonging to any ethnic group (OR 3.51, 95%CI [1.43–8.65]). These findings suggest a relationship between arsenic exposure and bronchial asthma in children. While further studies are needed to assess the impact of arsenic on respiratory health, mitigation efforts to reduce arsenic exposure should be maintained. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction and Intersection: The Effects of Environmental Exposures on Children's Health)
13 pages, 647 KiB  
Article
Lead Exposure in Infancy and Subsequent Growth in Beninese Children
by Shukrullah Ahmadi, Jérémie Botton, Roméo Zoumenou, Pierre Ayotte, Nadine Fievet, Achille Massougbodji, Maroufou Jules Alao, Michel Cot, Philippe Glorennec and Florence Bodeau-Livinec
Toxics 2022, 10(10), 595; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10100595 - 8 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1757
Abstract
Studies suggest that elevated postnatal blood lead levels (BLLs) are negatively associated with child growth. This study aimed to investigate the associations of childhood BLLs at age one year and growth outcomes at age six years (n = 661) in a cohort [...] Read more.
Studies suggest that elevated postnatal blood lead levels (BLLs) are negatively associated with child growth. This study aimed to investigate the associations of childhood BLLs at age one year and growth outcomes at age six years (n = 661) in a cohort of children in Allada, Benin. The growth outcomes studied are weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ), height-for-age Z-score (HAZ), BMI-for-age Z-score (BMIZ), weight-for-height Z-score (WHZ), head circumference (HC), growth velocities, underweight, stunting, and wasting. Multivariable regression models examined the associations between BLLs and growth outcomes, with adjustment for potential confounders. The geometric mean BLLs was 59.3 μg/L and 82% of children had BLLs >35 μg/L at the age of 12.8 months. After adjusting for confounding factors, no overall association was found between BLL quartiles and HAZ, WAZ, BMIZ, WHZ, growth velocities, wasting, and underweight. However, boys in the highest quartile had a 1.02 cm lower HC (95% CI: [−1.81, −0.24]) as compared to the lowest quartile. Furthermore, an increased odds of being stunted was observed in children in the highest quartile of exposure compared to the first (OR: 2.43; 95% CI: [1.11–5.33]) which remained statistically significant only among girls in sex-specific strata. Blood lead was found to be associated with an increased risk of childhood stunting and a lower head circumference in a resource-limited setting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction and Intersection: The Effects of Environmental Exposures on Children's Health)
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19 pages, 949 KiB  
Article
Do Neighborhood Factors Modify the Effects of Lead Exposure on Child Behavior?
by Seth Frndak, Gabriel Barg, Elena I. Queirolo, Nelly Mañay, Craig Colder, Guan Yu, Zia Ahmed and Katarzyna Kordas
Toxics 2022, 10(9), 517; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10090517 - 31 Aug 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5435
Abstract
Lead exposure and neighborhoods can affect children’s behavior, but it is unclear if neighborhood characteristics modify the effects of lead on behavior. Understanding these modifications has important intervention implications. Blood lead levels (BLLs) in children (~7 years) from Montevideo, Uruguay, were categorized at [...] Read more.
Lead exposure and neighborhoods can affect children’s behavior, but it is unclear if neighborhood characteristics modify the effects of lead on behavior. Understanding these modifications has important intervention implications. Blood lead levels (BLLs) in children (~7 years) from Montevideo, Uruguay, were categorized at 2 µg/dL. Teachers completed two behavior rating scales (n = 455). At one-year follow-up (n = 380), caregivers reported child tantrums and parenting conflicts. Multilevel generalized linear models tested associations between BLLs and behavior, with neighborhood disadvantage, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and distance to nearest greenspace as effect modifiers. No effect modification was noted for neighborhood disadvantage or NDVI. Children living nearest to greenspace with BLLs < 2 µg/dL were lower on behavior problem scales compared to children with BLLs ≥ 2 µg/dL. When furthest from greenspace, children were similar on behavior problems regardless of BLL. The probability of daily tantrums and conflicts was ~20% among children with BLLs < 2 µg/dL compared to ~45% among children with BLLs ≥ 2 µg/dL when closest to greenspace. Furthest from greenspace, BLLs were not associated with tantrums and conflicts. Effect modification of BLL on child behavior by distance to greenspace suggests that interventions should consider both greenspace access and lead exposure prevention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction and Intersection: The Effects of Environmental Exposures on Children's Health)
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13 pages, 303 KiB  
Article
Exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in Canada: Population-Based Estimates of Disease Burden and Economic Costs
by Julia Malits, Mrudula Naidu and Leonardo Trasande
Toxics 2022, 10(3), 146; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10030146 - 19 Mar 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3959
Abstract
Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) contributes to substantial disease burden worldwide. We aim to quantify the disease burden and costs of EDC exposure in Canada and to compare these results with previously published findings in the European Union (EU) and United States (US). [...] Read more.
Exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) contributes to substantial disease burden worldwide. We aim to quantify the disease burden and costs of EDC exposure in Canada and to compare these results with previously published findings in the European Union (EU) and United States (US). EDC biomonitoring data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey (2007–2011) was applied to 15 exposure–response relationships, and population and cost estimates were based on the 2010 general Canadian population. EDC exposure in Canada (CAD 24.6 billion) resulted in substantially lower costs than the US (USD 340 billion) and EU (USD 217 billion). Nonetheless, our findings suggest that EDC exposure contributes to substantial and costly disease burden in Canada, amounting to 1.25% of the annual Canadian gross domestic product. As in the US, exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers was the greatest contributor of costs (8.8 billion for 374,395 lost IQ points and 2.6 billion for 1610 cases of intellectual disability). In the EU, organophosphate pesticides were the largest contributor to costs (USD 121 billion). While the burden of EDC exposure is greater in the US and EU, there remains a similar need for stronger EDC regulatory action in Canada beyond the current framework of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act of 1999. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interaction and Intersection: The Effects of Environmental Exposures on Children's Health)
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