IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i14p7512-d594364.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Inequalities in Exposure to Ambient Air Neurotoxicants and Disparities in Markers of Neurodevelopment in Children by Maternal Nativity Status

Author

Listed:
  • Faven Araya

    (Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
    Current Address: Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health (AAIUH), Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA.)

  • Jeanette A. Stingone

    (Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
    Current Address: Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.)

  • Luz Claudio

    (Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA)

Abstract

Exposure levels to environmental pollutants vary significantly among different populations. These inequities in exposure to hazardous air pollutants (HAP) among different populations can contribute to disparities in neurodevelopmental outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine if exposure to HAP varies by maternal nativity status, a demographic marker often overlooked in the study of health disparities. We also assessed if those inequalities in exposure levels are associated with neurodevelopmental measures in young children. To do this, we obtained data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth cohort (ECLS-B), a nationally representative sample of children born in the U.S. in the year 2001 ( n = 4750). Bayley’s Short Form-Research Edition (BSF-R) was used to measure cognitive development at 2 years of age. Using residential location at nine months of age, participants were assigned exposures to ten HAPs identified as potentially neurotoxic. Linear regression models were used to assess the joint effect of maternal nativity status and HAP exposure on neurodevelopment. Results showed inequities in exposure levels to ten different HAPs among the populations, as approximately 32% of children of foreign-born mothers were exposed to high levels of HAPs, compared to 21% of children born to U.S.-born mothers. Adjusting for socioeconomic factors, both isophorone exposure (a marker of industrial pollution) (−0.04, 95% CI, −0.12, 0.04) and maternal nativity status (−0.17, 95% CI, −0.27, −0.06) were independently associated with lower standardized BSF-R mental scores in children. Interaction between nativity status and isophorone was not statistically significant, but the change in mental scores associated with isophorone exposure was greater in children of foreign-born mothers compared to children of U.S.-born mothers (−0.12, vs. −0.03, p = 0.2). In conclusion, exposure to HAPs within the highest quartile was more commonly found among children of foreign-born mothers as compared to children of US-born mothers, indicating inequities in pollutant exposure by nativity status within urban populations. Exposures associated with nativity status may negatively contribute to children’s neurodevelopment.

Suggested Citation

  • Faven Araya & Jeanette A. Stingone & Luz Claudio, 2021. "Inequalities in Exposure to Ambient Air Neurotoxicants and Disparities in Markers of Neurodevelopment in Children by Maternal Nativity Status," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-12, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:14:p:7512-:d:594364
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/14/7512/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/14/7512/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mohai, P. & Lantz, P.M. & Morenoff, J. & House, J.S. & Mero, R.P., 2009. "Racial and socioeconomic disparities in residential proximity to polluting industrial facilities: evidence from the Americans' Changing Lives Study," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 99(S3), pages 649-656.
    2. Subramanian, S.V. & Jun, H.-J. & Kawachi, I. & Wright, R.J., 2009. "Contribution of race/ethnicity and country of origin to variations in lifetime reported asthma: Evidence for a nativity advantage," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 99(4), pages 690-697.
    3. Elle Lett & Jeanette A. Stingone & Luz Claudio, 2017. "The Combined Influence of Air Pollution and Home Learning Environment on Early Cognitive Skills in Children," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-13, October.
    4. Jennifer Glick & Michael White, 2003. "academic trajectories of immigrant youths: Analysis within and across cohorts," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 40(4), pages 759-783, November.
    5. Mikati, I. & Benson, A.F. & Luben, T.J. & Sacks, J.D. & Richmond-Bryant, J., 2018. "Disparities in distribution of particulate matter emission sources by race and poverty status," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 108(4), pages 480-485.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Andre M. Eanes & Todd R. Lookingbill & Jeremy S. Hoffman & Kelly C. Saverino & Stephen S. Fong, 2020. "Assessing Inequitable Urban Heat Islands and Air Pollution Disparities with Low-Cost Sensors in Richmond, Virginia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-18, December.
    2. Yanelli Nunez & Jaime Benavides & Jenni A. Shearston & Elena M. Krieger & Misbath Daouda & Lucas R. F. Henneman & Erin E. McDuffie & Jeff Goldsmith & Joan A. Casey & Marianthi-Anna Kioumourtzoglou, 2024. "An environmental justice analysis of air pollution emissions in the United States from 1970 to 2010," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Hausman, Catherine & Stolper, Samuel, 2021. "Inequality, information failures, and air pollution," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    4. Ryan Johnson & Kim Ramsey-White & Christina H. Fuller, 2016. "Socio-demographic Differences in Toxic Release Inventory Siting and Emissions in Metro Atlanta," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-12, July.
    5. Cecilia Menjívar, 2008. "Educational Hopes, Documented Dreams: Guatemalan and Salvadoran Immigrants' Legality and Educational Prospects," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 620(1), pages 177-193, November.
    6. Marie C. Hull, 2023. "What divides the first and second generations? Family time of arrival and educational outcomes for immigrant youth," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 89(3), pages 754-787, January.
    7. Sukanya Basu, 2018. "Age-of-Arrival Effects on the Education of Immigrant Children: A Sibling Study," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 39(3), pages 474-493, September.
    8. Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. & Nguyen, Trong-Ha, 2010. "Immigration Background and the Intergenerational Correlation in Education," IZA Discussion Papers 4985, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Kristi Pullen Fedinick & Ilch Yiliqi & Yukyan Lam & David Lennett & Veena Singla & Miriam Rotkin-Ellman & Jennifer Sass, 2021. "A Cumulative Framework for Identifying Overburdened Populations under the Toxic Substances Control Act: Formaldehyde Case Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-13, June.
    10. Jayajit Chakraborty & Timothy W. Collins & Sara E. Grineski & Marilyn C. Montgomery & Maricarmen Hernandez, 2014. "Comparing Disproportionate Exposure to Acute and Chronic Pollution Risks: A Case Study in Houston, Texas," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 34(11), pages 2005-2020, November.
    11. Camille Salesse, 2022. "Inequality in exposure to air pollution in France: bringing pollutant cocktails into the picture," CEE-M Working Papers hal-03882438, CEE-M, Universtiy of Montpellier, CNRS, INRA, Montpellier SupAgro.
    12. Timothy M. Diette & Ruth Uwaifo Oyelere, 2017. "Do limited English students jeopardize the education of other students? Lessons from the North Carolina public school system," Education Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(5), pages 446-461, September.
    13. Emad Kazemzadeh & José Alberto Fuinhas & Narges Salehnia & Fariba Osmani, 2023. "The effect of economic complexity, fertility rate, and information and communication technology on ecological footprint in the emerging economies: a two-step stirpat model and panel quantile regressio," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(1), pages 737-763, February.
    14. Stephanie Potochnick, 2014. "The Academic Adaptation of Children of Immigrants in New and Established Settlement States: The Role of Family, Schools, and Neighborhoods," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 33(3), pages 335-364, June.
    15. Christian Dustmann, 2008. "Return Migration, Investment in Children, and Intergenerational Mobility: Comparing Sons of Foreign- and Native-Born Fathers," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 43(2), pages 299-324.
    16. Lara J. Cushing & Shiwen Li & Benjamin B. Steiger & Joan A. Casey, 2023. "Historical red-lining is associated with fossil fuel power plant siting and present-day inequalities in air pollutant emissions," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 52-61, January.
    17. Diette, Timothy M. & Uwaifo Oyelere, Ruth, 2012. "Do Significant Immigrant Inflows Create Negative Education Impacts? Lessons from the North Carolina Public School System," IZA Discussion Papers 6561, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    18. Lawrence A. Palinkas & Jessenia De Leon & Kexin Yu & Erika Salinas & Cecilia Fernandez & Jill Johnston & Md Mostafijur Rahman & Sam J. Silva & Michael Hurlburt & Rob S. McConnell & Erika Garcia, 2023. "Adaptation Resources and Responses to Wildfire Smoke and Other Forms of Air Pollution in Low-Income Urban Settings: A Mixed-Methods Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(7), pages 1-16, April.
    19. Grineski, Sara & Collins, Tim & Renteria, Roger & Rubio, Ricardo, 2021. "Multigenerational immigrant trajectories and children's unequal exposure to fine particulate matter in the US," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    20. Jill Furzer & Boriana Miloucheva, 2020. "The Long Arm of the Clean Air Act: Pollution Abatement and COVID-19 Racial Disparities," Working Papers tecipa-668, University of Toronto, Department of Economics.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:14:p:7512-:d:594364. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.