Maternal Exposure to Air Pollution Lowers Children’s IQ
Frederica P. Perera, Dr.P.H. and Robin Whyatt, Dr.P.H.
Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
NIEHS Grants P01ES009600, R01ES008977, R01ES11158, R01ES012468, and P30ES009069
Public health experts at Columbia University report that a mother’s exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can lower her child’s IQ. PAHs are widely found in urban air and result from the combustion of coal and automotive fuel. They are also found in tobacco smoke.
Non-smoking pregnant women of African-American or Dominican-American descent living in the South Bronx or Harlem were enrolled in the study. They wore personal air monitors during pregnancy and provided additional information about their work and home environments. The women were split into high- and low-exposure groups based on whether their PAH exposure was above or below the median of 2.26 nanograms per cubic meter of air. Their children were monitored from the perinatal period until age five when they were given a standard intelligence exam. On average, the IQ scores of children in the high exposure group was about four points lower than children in the low exposure group.
IQ deficits in the range of four points are believed to affect how well children perform in school and how well they score on standardized tests. These deficits are similar to those seen in children with significant lead exposure.