Reduced gray matter volume and cortical thickness associated with traffic-related air pollution in a longitudinally studied pediatric cohort.

Early life exposure to air pollution poses a significant risk to brain development from direct exposure to toxicants or via indirect mechanisms involving the circulatory, pulmonary or gastrointestinal systems. In children, exposure to traffic related air pollution has been associated with adverse effects on cognitive, behavioral and psychomotor development. We aimed to determine whether childhood exposure to traffic related air pollution is associated with regional differences in brain volume and cortical thickness among children enrolled in a longitudinal cohort study of traffic related air pollution and child health.

Effects of smoking on pulmonary function and symptomatology in occupationally exposed groups.

Records of 3006 employees of nine companies in southeast Texas screened by a local lung association during the years 1974-1975 were examined to assess the effect of smoking, age, and occupational and residential ambient air pollution exposure. The effects of smoking and occupational exposure were strong when tested against a respiratory morbidity response questionnaire considered to be diagnostic for early-stage bronchitis. Occupational exposure lost statistical significance after place of residence was controlled in the analysis.

Air quality correlates of chronic disease mortality: Harris County, Texas 1969--1971.

Air quality correlates of chronic disease mortality in 180 census tracts of Harris County, Texas, were studied using 3 years mortality for 1969--1971. This study was designed to test with a different data base the universality of several study results which have reported significant correlations between heart disease and air pollutants. Air quality data (suspended particulates, benzene solubles, sulfur dioxide, and metals associated with particulates: copper, mercury, manganese, lead, nickel, zinc, chromium, and cadmium) were related to both sex and age adjusted crude death rates, and cause-specific death rates for age cohorts for 7 categories of heart disease, and pneumonia, asthma, cancer, tuberculosis, and accident deaths.