Pregnant women’s exposure to 1-hydroxypyrene predicted by airport-related source indicators in an area with low ambient air pollution

BACKGROUND: Gestational exposures to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are associated with adverse health effects among mothers and infants. Although outdoor air pollution is a known contributor to the general population’s exposures to PAHs, it is unclear whether residential proximity to local pollution sources predict PAH exposure in pregnant women, especially in areas with low-level pollution. AIM: To determine the associations of residential proximity to vehicular traffic and a nearby airport with urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) among pregnant women living in Rochester, New York. METHODS: We used 743 urine samples measured for 1-OHP (once per trimester) from a pregnancy cohort study of 313 women. We calculated the distance between participants’ residences and the Rochester Airport and annual average daily traffic volumes (AADT) within different buffer distances from the residence (100m increments). Associations between 1-OHP and these proximity measures were examined using linear regressions, adjusting for age, body mass index, and smoking status. RESULTS: Residential proximity to the airport and AADT within a 300m buffer distance were associated with 1-OHP concentrations. One IQR increase in log-distance (i.e., from 6.3 to 14.0 km) was associated with an 11.0% increase in 1-OHP concentration (95%CI: 4.4%, 17.2%), while each IQR increase in the square root of AADT was associated with an 8.3% increase in 1-OHP concentration (95%CI: 1.41%, 15.73%). We found greater increases in 1-OHP levels associated with IQR increases in residential proximity to the airport when participants lived downwind (15%) than upwind (12%) of the airport, suggesting a substantial contribution of airport-related sources to PAH exposures. CONCLUSIONS: Emissions from an airport and local traffic activities likely contributed to increased PAH exposures among pregnant women living in a Northeastern US city with low air pollution levels (average participant exposure PM2.5 = 6.1 µg/m3). KEYWORDS: PAH, 1-hydroxypyrene, pregnant women exposure