Environmental pollutants in New York City — including combustion by-products and a commonly used pesticide — may increase the risk of low birth weight babies and babies with smaller heads, both which may be linked to lower I.Q. and poorer school performance, new research suggests. But the good news is that making smart choices about pesticides, washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating them and joining clean air campaigns can make profound differences in the air we breathe and the lives we lead. Columbia University researchers recently released the results of a study involving more than 250 non-smoking African American and Dominican women in Washington Heights, Central Harlem and the South Bronx. The study found that when pregnant moms were exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), infants were born at lower birth weights and with smaller head circumferences, compared with infants whose mothers were not exposed to PAH. PAH enters the environment when combustion occurs through auto exhaust, incineration, power plants or tobacco smoke. A common pollutant, PAH is produced when anything organic is burned, such as heating fuel and charcoal-broiled foods. What’s more, the study found that prenatal exposure to the pesticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) — which until recently was widely used to control termites and roaches in homes, in flea collars, and in lawns and gardens — was linked to decreased birth weight and birth length in both African Americans and Dominicans. Researchers measured CPF levels in umbilical cord blood from the newborns. “We found that both of these pollutants were, in fact, linked to decreased birth weight, birth length and head circumference in one or both of our ethnic groups,” says lead researcher Frederica Perera, Dr.P.H., director of the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health and professor of environmental health sciences at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. Due to the risks that CPF poses to children’s health, in June 2000, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began a phase-out of chlorpyrifos for use in homes, outdoor areas where children may be exposed, and some agricultural uses. Chlorpyrifos products intended for home use, including on home lawns, as indoor crack and crevice (roach) treatments and whole-house termite treatments (post-construction), can no longer be sold to consumers. Parents should be aware that children could still be exposed to products purchased before December 31, 2001. CPF is also applied to many fruits, vegetables and other food crops. The study, published in February in Environmental Health Perspectives, used personal air monitors worn by the women during pregnancy to gauge the effects of prenatal exposure on birth outcomes. Among African Americans, high PAH was associated with a 9 percent reduction in birth weight and with a 2 percent decline in head circumference. This is of potential concern because several lines of evidence suggest an association across race/ethnic groups between these kinds of outcomes and lower I.Q. as well as poorer cognitive functioning, Dr. Perera says. “Fortunately, residential use of CPF has been phased out, and our research results show the exposures have been dropping dramatically,” she says. “However, until recently, chlorpyrifos was one of the most heavily applied pesticides throughout New York State and in Manhattan.” Rather than panic about the findings, Dr. Perera suggests parents become proactive and work toward reducing exposures. “There are some things that we know are prudent to do, such as avoiding toxic pesticides,” she suggests. “Rather than using sprays, fogs or aerosol bombs that linger in the air and can be inhaled or deposited on surfaces, use gel bait, bait stations and sticky traps to eliminate pests.” Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating, she urges, and use mass transportation as an alternative to driving whenever possible. “Individuals can also participate in community efforts to work for clean air by joining clean air campaigns,” Dr. Perera says. Elizabeth Hauge Sword, executive director of the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition in Princeton, N.J., lauds the new research and what it will mean to children in New York City and elsewhere.“The significance of this study is that these pregnant women were exposed to very common environmental pollutants and the resulting reduction in head circumference at birth has been shown to correlate with lower I.Q. and poorer cognitive functioning and school performance in childhood,” Sword says. Gil Ross, M.D., medical director of the American Council on Science in Health, a New York City-based public health advocacy group, says, “There is no question that air pollution in this city as well as others has been declining over the years and we expect that trend to continue.” Dr. Ross says that rather than blowing the new findings out of proportion, pregnant women should focus their energy on the factors that are known to affect pregnancy and birth outcomes. He urges pregnant woman not to smoke, to try to be exposed to as little secondhand smoke as possible, to seek prenatal care, to eat a balanced diet and wear seatbelts. To join a clean air campaign in your community, such as West Harlem Environmental Action (WE ACT), call (212) 961-1000 or visit www.weact.org, or call the South Bronx Clean Air Coalition (SBCAC) at (718) 742-5770.
