title: Elemental Constituents of Particulate Matter and Newborn's Size in Eight European Cohorts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The health effects of suspended particulate matter (PM) may depend on its chemical composition. Associations between maternal exposure to chemical constituents of PM and newborn's size have been little examined.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to investigate the associations of exposure to elemental constituents of PM with term low birth weight (LBW; weight < 2,500 g among births after 37 weeks of gestation), mean birth weight, and head circumference, relying on standardized fine-scale exposure assessment and with extensive control for potential confounders.
  
  
  METHODS
  We pooled data from eight European cohorts comprising 34,923 singleton births in 1994-2008. Annual average concentrations of elemental constituents of PM ≤ 2.5 and ≤ 10 μm (PM2.5 and PM10) at maternal home addresses during pregnancy were estimated using land-use regression models. Adjusted associations between each birth measurement and concentrations of eight elements (copper, iron, potassium, nickel, sulfur, silicon, vanadium, and zinc) were calculated using random-effects regression on pooled data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A 200-ng/m3 increase in sulfur in PM2.5 was associated with an increased risk of LBW (adjusted odds ratio = 1.36; 95% confidence interval: 1.17, 1.58). Increased nickel and zinc in PM2.5 concentrations were also associated with an increased risk of LBW. Head circumference was reduced at higher exposure to all elements except potassium. All associations with sulfur were most robust to adjustment for PM2.5 mass concentration. All results were similar for PM10.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sulfur, reflecting secondary combustion particles in this study, may adversely affect LBW and head circumference, independently of particle mass.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Pedersen M, Gehring U, Beelen R, Wang M, Giorgis-Allemand L, Andersen AM, Basagaña X, Bernard C, Cirach M, Forastiere F, de Hoogh K, Gražulevičienė R, Gruzieva O, Hoek G, Jedynska A, Klümper C, Kooter IM, Krämer U, Kukkonen J, Porta D, Postma DS, Raaschou-Nielsen O, van Rossem L, Sunyer J, Sørensen M, Tsai MY, Vrijkotte TG, Wilhelm M, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, Pershagen G, Brunekreef B, Kogevinas M, Slama R. 2016. Elemental constituents of particulate matter and newborn's size in eight European cohorts. Environ Health Perspect 124:141-150; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1409546.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gehring
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Beelen
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giorgis-Allemand
authors.forename: Anne-Marie Nybo
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Basagaña
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cirach
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Forastiere
authors.forename: Kees
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: de Hoogh
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gražulevičvienė
authors.forename: Olena
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gruzieva
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hoek
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jedynska
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Klümper
authors.forename: Ingeborg M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Kooter
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Krämer
authors.forename: Jaakko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kukkonen
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Porta
authors.forename: Dirkje S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Postma
authors.forename: Ole
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Raaschou-Nielsen
authors.forename: Lenie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van Rossem
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sunyer
authors.forename: Mette
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sørensen
authors.forename: Ming-Yi
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Tanja G M
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Vrijkotte
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Nieuwenhuijsen
authors.forename: Göran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pershagen
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brunekreef
authors.forename: Manolis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kogevinas
authors.forename: Rémy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Slama
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003300:Copper / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007501:Iron / Q000633:toxicity; D009532:Nickel / Q000633:toxicity; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000633:toxicity*; D012825:Silicon / Q000633:toxicity; D013455:Sulfur / Q000633:toxicity; D015032:Zinc / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter; D013455:Sulfur; D003300:Copper; D009532:Nickel; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc; D012825:Silicon