Journal Article

Surrounding Greenness and Exposure to Air Pollution During Pregnancy: An Analysis of Personal Monitoring Data

Cirach, Marta, Amoly, Elmira, de Nazelle, Audrey, Ostro, Bart, Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark, Basagaña, Xavier, Dadvand, Payam, Schembari, Anna, Figueras, Francesc, Triguero-Mas, Margarita

2012

Overview

Background: Green spaces are reported to improve health status, including beneficial effects on pregnancy outcomes. Despite the suggestions of air pollution-related health benefits of green spaces, there is no available evidence on the impact of greenness on personal exposure to air pollution. Objectives: We investigated the association between surrounding greenness and personal exposure to air pollution among pregnant women and to explore the potential mechanisms, if any, behind this association. Methods: In total, 65 rounds of sampling were carried out for 54 pregnant women who resided in Barcelona during 2008-2009. Each round consisted of a 2-day measurement of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM₂.₅) and a 1-week measurement of nitric oxides collected simultaneously at both the personal and microenvironmental levels. The study participants were also asked to fill out a time-microenvironment-activity diary during the sampling period. We used satellite retrievals to determine the surrounding greenness as the average of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in a buffer of 100 m around each maternal residential address. We estimated the impact of surrounding greenness on personal exposure levels, home-outdoor and homeindoor pollutant levels, and maternal time-activity. Results: Higher residential surrounding greenness was associated with lower personal, homeindoor, and home-outdoor PM₂.₅ levels, and more time spent at home-outdoor. Conclusions: We found lower levels of personal exposure to air pollution among pregnant women residing in greener areas. This finding may be partly explained by lower home-indoor pollutant levels and more time spent in less polluted home-outdoor environment by pregnant women in greener areas.

• Publisher: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,US Department of Health and Human Services
• Subject: Adult / Air / Air pollutants / Air Pollutants - analysis / Air pollution / Air Pollution - analysis / Analysis / Arithmetic mean / Biological and medical sciences / Buffer storage / Cities / Climate / Environment / Environment. Living conditions / Environmental aspects / Environmental Exposure / Environmental health / Environmental Monitoring / Environmental pollutants toxicology / Exposure / Female / Green infrastructure / Green spaces / Health aspects / Household appliances / Humans / Indoor air pollution / Medical sciences / Nitric oxide / Nitrogen Oxides - analysis / Particulate matter / Particulate Matter - analysis / Pollutants / Pollution levels / Pregnancy / Public health. Hygiene / Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine / Seasons / Spain / Sustainable cities / Toxicology