Maternal exposure to ambient air pollution and risk of early childhood cancers: A population-based study in Ontario, Canada

Éric Lavigne; Marc-André Bélair; Minh T. Do; David M. Stieb; Perry Hystad; Aaron van Donkelaar; Randall V. Martin; Daniel L. Crouse; Eric Crighton; Hong Chen; Jeffrey R. Brook; Richard T. Burnett; Scott Weichenthal; Paul J. Villeneuve; Teresa To; Sabit Cakmak; Markey Johnson; Abdool S. Yasseen, III; Kenneth C. Johnson; Marianna Ofner; Lin Xie; Mark Walker

Environment International (Mar 2017)

Maternal exposure to ambient air pollution and risk of early childhood cancers: A population-based study in Ontario, Canada

Éric Lavigne,
Marc-André Bélair,
Minh T. Do,
David M. Stieb,
Perry Hystad,
Aaron van Donkelaar,
Randall V. Martin,
Daniel L. Crouse,
Eric Crighton,
Hong Chen,
Jeffrey R. Brook,
Richard T. Burnett,
Scott Weichenthal,
Paul J. Villeneuve,
Teresa To,
Sabit Cakmak,
Markey Johnson,
Abdool S. Yasseen, III,
Kenneth C. Johnson,
Marianna Ofner,
Lin Xie,
Mark Walker

Affiliations

Éric Lavigne: Air Health Science Division, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; School of Epidemiology, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Corresponding author at: Air Health Science Division, Health Canada, 269 Laurier Avenue West, Mail stop 4903B, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9, Canada.
Marc-André Bélair: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Minh T. Do: Surveillance and Epidemiology Division, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
David M. Stieb: School of Epidemiology, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Population Studies Division, Health Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Perry Hystad: College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
Aaron van Donkelaar: Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Randall V. Martin: Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Daniel L. Crouse: Department of Sociology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Eric Crighton: Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Hong Chen: Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Jeffrey R. Brook: Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Air Quality Research Division, Environment Canada, Downsview, Ontario, Canada
Richard T. Burnett: Population Studies Division, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Scott Weichenthal: Air Health Science Division, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Paul J. Villeneuve: Department of Health Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Teresa To: Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Sabit Cakmak: Population Studies Division, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Markey Johnson: Air Health Science Division, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Abdool S. Yasseen, III: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Better Outcomes Registry and Network Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Kenneth C. Johnson: School of Epidemiology, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Marianna Ofner: Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Global Health and Guideline Division, Public Health Agency of Canada, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Lin Xie: Surveillance and Epidemiology Division, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Mark Walker: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Better Outcomes Registry and Network Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 100
pp. 139 – 147

Abstract

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Background: There are increasing concerns regarding the role of exposure to ambient air pollution during pregnancy in the development of early childhood cancers. Objective: This population based study examined whether prenatal and early life (<1 year of age) exposures to ambient air pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5), were associated with selected common early childhood cancers in Canada. Methods: 2,350,898 singleton live births occurring between 1988 and 2012 were identified in the province of Ontario, Canada. We assigned temporally varying satellite-derived estimates of PM2.5 and land-use regression model estimates of NO2 to maternal residences during pregnancy. Incident cases of 13 subtypes of pediatric cancers among children up to age 6 until 2013 were ascertained through administrative health data linkages. Associations of trimester-specific, overall pregnancy and first year of life exposures were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: A total of 2044 childhood cancers were identified. Exposure to PM2.5, per interquartile range increase, over the entire pregnancy, and during the first trimester was associated with an increased risk of astrocytoma (hazard ratio (HR) per 3.9 μg/m3 = 1.38 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.88) and, HR per 4.0 μg/m3 = 1.40 (95% CI: 1.05–1.86), respectively). We also found a positive association between first trimester NO2 and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (HR = 1.20 (95% CI: 1.02–1.41) per IQR (13.3 ppb)). Conclusions: In this population-based study in the largest province of Canada, results suggest an association between exposure to ambient air pollution during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester and an increased risk of astrocytoma and ALL. Further studies are required to replicate the findings of this study with adjustment for important individual-level confounders. Keywords: Prenatal, Air pollution, Childhood cancer, Maternal

Published in Environment International

ISSN: 0160-4120 (Print)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Geography. Anthropology. Recreation: Environmental sciences
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/environment-international

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