LA air toxics, especially PAHs, track preterm birth

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In Los Angeles, entire-pregnancy PAHs associated with ~30% higher preterm-birth odds; ammonium nitrate PM2.5 and several traffic markers also raised odds.

Source

Traffic-related air toxics and preterm birth: a population-based case-control study in Los Angeles County, California

Wilhelm M, Ghosh JK, Su J, et al. · Environmental health : a global access science source · 2011

doi.org/10.1186/1476-069x-10-89 Read the full paper ↗98 citationscc by

Study at a glance

Design: Case-control — Population-based case-control of LA preterm birth near MATES monitors with traffic toxics
N: N=241415 · 241,415 births after exclusions from 276,891 birth records; analyses often restricted nearer monitors
Population: Births in Los Angeles County near MATES air-toxics monitors
Outcome: Preterm birth odds related to PAHs, traffic markers, and source-apportioned PM2.5

Structured fields used in claim comparison tables when every cited study has a complete layer.

What they did

Population-based case-control of births near MATES monitors used three exposure sources (stations, LUR, source-apportioned PM) in conditional logistic models of preterm birth.

What they found

Preterm prevalence 9.2%. Total PAHs and several PAH species ~30% odds increases (benzo(a)pyrene 13%) but small PAH samples. IQR increases in ammonium nitrate PM2.5 and 9–13% odds rises for benzene, diesel/EC/OC, and biomass-burning PM2.5.

The limits

What it doesn't show

PAHs were measured at only two stations for shorter periods; residual SES confounding and spatial monitor coverage limit causal claims for a single toxin.

Key terms

Preterm birth: Delivery before 37 weeks, here 9.2% of the study population.
PAHs: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from fuel combustion.
MATES: Multiple Air Toxics Exposure Study monitoring in Los Angeles.
Ammonium nitrate PM2.5: Secondary fine-particle component implicated besides primary traffic.
IQR odds ratio: Change in preterm odds per interquartile-range exposure increment.

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Study preterm prevalence was:

Common questions

Preterm prevalence?

9.2% in the study population.

Which toxics stood out?

PAHs (~30% odds increases).

Only traffic?

No—PAH sources besides traffic and ammonium nitrate PM2.5 also mattered.

Births source?

California Department of Health records (n = 276,891 before exclusions).