Air Pollution Exposures in Early Life and Brain Development in Children

ABSTRACT
It is increasingly clear that ambient and household sources of combustion derived air pollutants threaten healthy
neurodevelopment based on research conducted in high income settings. Advances describe the neurotoxic potential
of traffic-derived emissions, components such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and physical
characteristics such as ultrafine particulate (UFP) in experimental models, mechanistic studies, and observational
epidemiological studies of ADHD, autism, and cognitive performance. However, in low resourced settings such as
sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where exposure magnitudes are among the highest worldwide, data and capacity are
lacking.
We seek to extend a highly productive 30 plus year University of Washington – University of Nairobi maternal child
health research partnership to incorporate capacity building and research focused on air pollution and child
neurodevelopment in urban Kenya. We leverage a unique pre conception cohort and apply both biomarkers
(urinary PAH metabolites) and mobile monitoring approaches to understand air pollution exposure across the
early life continuum (pregnancy/infancy) as well as describe the impact of sources from ambient and household
origin. Follow up to age 3 years will determine the relationship between early life air pollution exposure and child
motor, cognitive, self-regulation, and executive function skills. The design and engagement reflects 2 pilot
projects awarded in the past year which yielded practical experience and extensive discussions with
environmental scientists and maternal child health experts in Nairobi. The project fills current gaps in child
neurodevelopmental assessments as well as exposure science and laboratory methods to promote maternal
child environmental health research in SSA. The project will advance lab capacity for neurotoxic biomarkers at
two key institutions, will establish innovative methods for ambient air pollution measurement, will develop a
unique pre conception cohort with a biospecimen archive and detailed neurodevelopmental outcome data – each
foundational components of long-term, well-executed studies of air pollution exposure and brain development
across the lifespan. Our overarching goal is to establish a sustained research to practice program that connects
high quality, regionally relevant research to program and policy to reduce modifiable environmental risks to
healthy child neurodevelopment.

Grant Number: 5R01ES032153-05
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: SARAH BENKI-NUGENT