Environmental Exposure Disparities and Neurodevelopmental Risk: a Review

Aisha S Dickerson; Seth Frndak; Melissa DeSantiago; Ankita Mohan; Genee S Smith

doi:10.1007/s40572-023-00396-6

Environmental Exposure Disparities and Neurodevelopmental Risk: a Review

Curr Environ Health Rep. 2023 Jun;10(2):73-83. doi: 10.1007/s40572-023-00396-6. Epub 2023 Apr 1.

Authors

Aisha S Dickerson^{1

2

3}, Seth Frndak⁴, Melissa DeSantiago⁵, Ankita Mohan⁶, Genee S Smith^{7

5}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. adicke10@jhu.edu.
² Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. adicke10@jhu.edu.
³ Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solution, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA. adicke10@jhu.edu.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
⁵ Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
⁶ Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
⁷ Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solution, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.

PMID: 37002432
DOI: 10.1007/s40572-023-00396-6

Abstract

Purpose of review: Neurotoxicant exposures are of particular concern in historically marginalized communities. Often a consequence of structural racism, low-income minoritized populations experience a disproportionate burden of hazardous exposures through proximity to industrial facilities, high traffic roads, and suboptimal housing. Here, we summarize reports on exposures and neurodevelopment focused on differences by education, income, race/ethnicity, or immigration status from 2015 to 2022, discuss the importance of such investigations in overburdened communities, and recommend areas for future research.

Recent findings: We found 20 studies that investigated exposure disparities and neurodevelopment in children. Most were conducted in the USA, and many focused on air pollution, followed by metal exposures and water contamination. Although several studies showed differences in exposure-outcome associations by income and education, many examining differences by race/ethnicity did not report notable disparities between groups. However, measures of individual race and ethnicity are not reliable measures of discrimination experienced as a consequence of structural racism. Our review supports scientific evidence that the reduction of individual and widespread municipal exposures will improve child development and overall public health. Identified research gaps include the use of better indicators of economic status and structural racism, evaluations of effect modification and attributable fraction of outcomes by these factors, and considerations of multidimensional neighborhood factors that could be protective against environmental insults. Considering that vulnerable populations have disparities in access to and quality of care, greater burden of exposure, and fewer resources to incur associated expenses, such populations should be prioritized.

Keywords: Behavioral problems; Cognitive function; Environmental justice; Environmental pollutants; Exposure disparities; Neurodevelopment.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Air Pollution*
Child
Environmental Exposure* / adverse effects
Environmental Exposure* / analysis
Humans
Poverty
Socioeconomic Factors
Systemic Racism

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding