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Meta-Analysis
. 2024 Nov 18;23(1):101.
doi: 10.1186/s12940-024-01122-x.

Quantifying the association between PM2.5 air pollution and IQ loss in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Naomi C Alter  1 , Ella M Whitman  2 , David C Bellinger  3 , Philip J Landrigan  1   4
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Quantifying the association between PM2.5 air pollution and IQ loss in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Naomi C Alter et al. Environ Health. .

Abstract

Background: A growing body of epidemiologic and toxicologic literature indicates that fine airborne particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution is neurotoxic and threatens children's neurobehavioral development, resulting in reduced cognitive function. Understanding the magnitude of this effect is critical for establishing public health policies that will protect children's health, preserve human capital, and support societal progress.

Objective: To quantify the association between ambient PM2.5 air pollution and loss of cognitive function in children, as measured by Intelligence Quotient (IQ) scores, through a systematic literature review and meta-analysis.

Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic literature search across seven databases: Agricultural and Environmental Science, BIOSIS Citation Index, Embase, GreenFILE, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify original scientific studies that investigated the impact of PM2.5 exposure during pre-and postnatal periods on IQ loss during childhood. Using data from studies included for final review, we conducted a meta-analysis, using a random effects model to compute a beta coefficient that quantifies the overall effect of PM2.5 exposure on Full-Scale IQ (FSIQ), Performance IQ (PIQ), and Verbal IQ (VIQ).

Findings: Of the 1,107 unique publications identified, six studies met the inclusion criteria for final review, representing 4,860 children across three continents (North America, Europe, and Asia). The mean PM2.5 concentration across all studies was 30.4 ± 24.4 µg/m3. Exposure timing ranged from the prenatal period to mid-childhood. Children were an average of 8.9 years old at the time of cognitive testing. We found that each 1 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 concentration is associated with a -0.27 point change in FSIQ (p < 0.001), 0.39 point change in PIQ (p = 0.003), and -0.24 point change in VIQ (p = 0.021).

Conclusion: Through a systematic review and meta-analysis, we identified a statistically significant relationship between increased exposure to PM2.5 air pollution and reduced cognitive function in children, with the most pronounced impact on PIQ. This analysis will enable estimation of the burden of adverse neurobehavioral development attributable to PM2.5 in pediatric populations and will inform local and global strategies for exposure prevention.

Keywords: Ambient air pollution; Burden of disease; Children’s environmental health; Cognitive function; IQ; PM2.5.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
IQ Types Included in Meta Analyses
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Flow Chart of Literature Search and Selection for Meta-Analysis
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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