Socioeconomic inequalities and ambient air pollution exposure in school-aged children living in an affluent society: an analysis on individual and aggregated data in Belgium.

Background: Individuals with lower socioeconomic status (SES) are at a higher risk of being exposed to adverse environmental factors. Children are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of air pollutants. Therefore, this study examined socioeconomic inequalities in air pollution exposure among children in Flanders, Belgium.

Prenatal particulate matter exposure is linked with neurobehavioural development in early life.

Background: Early life exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) may negatively affect neurobehavioral development in children, influencing their cognitive, emotional, and social functioning. Here, we report a study on prenatal PM exposure and neurobehavioral development focusing on different time points in the first years of life.

Methods: This study was part of the ENVIRONAGE birth cohort that follows mother-child pairs longitudinally.

Impact of short-term exposure to air pollution on natural mortality and vulnerable populations: a multi-city case-crossover analysis in Belgium.

Background: The adverse effect of air pollution on mortality is well documented worldwide but the identification of more vulnerable populations at higher risk of death is still limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between natural mortality (overall and cause-specific) and short-term exposure to five air pollutants (PM, PM, NO, O and black carbon) and identify potential vulnerable populations in Belgium.

Methods: We used a time-stratified case-crossover design with conditional logistic regressions to assess the relationship between mortality and air pollution in the nine largest Belgian agglomerations.

Are air quality perception and PM exposure differently associated with cardiovascular and respiratory disease mortality in Brussels? Findings from a census-based study.

Background: There is ample evidence that air pollution increases mortality risk, but most studies are based on modelled estimates of air pollution, while the subjective perception of air quality is scarcely assessed. We aimed to compare the effects of objective and subjective exposure to air pollution on cardiorespiratory mortality in Brussels, Belgium.

Methods: Data consisted of the 2001 Belgian census linked to registry-based mortality data for the follow-up period 2001-2014.

Exposure to Air Pollutants and Mitochondrial Heteroplasmy in Neonates.

Mitochondria are sensitive to oxidative stress, which can be caused by traffic-related air pollution. Placental mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations have been previously linked with air pollution. However, the relationship between prenatal air pollution and cord-blood mtDNA mutations has been poorly understood.

Long-term exposure to residential green spaces and site-specific cancer mortality in urban Belgium: A 13-year follow-up cohort study.

Background: Residing in greener areas may decrease the burden of chronic diseases, but the association with cancer is unclear. We studied the associations between residential green spaces and site-specific cancer mortality in urban Belgium.

Methodology: We linked the 2001 Belgian census, register mortality data for 2001-2014, and environmental information (green spaces and air pollution) at baseline residence (2001).

In utero particulate matter exposure in association with newborn mitochondrial ND4L heteroplasmy and its role in overweight during early childhood.

Background: Mitochondria play an important role in the energy metabolism and are susceptible to environmental pollution. Prenatal air pollution exposure has been linked with childhood obesity. Placental mtDNA mutations have been associated with prenatal particulate matter exposure and MT-ND4L heteroplasmy has been associated with BMI in adults.

Long-term exposure to residential greenness and neurodegenerative disease mortality among older adults: a 13-year follow-up cohort study.

Background: Living in greener areas is associated with slower cognitive decline and reduced dementia risk among older adults, but the evidence with neurodegenerative disease mortality is scarce. We studied the association between residential surrounding greenness and neurodegenerative disease mortality in older adults.

Methods: We used data from the 2001 Belgian census linked to mortality register data during 2001-2014.

Long-term exposure to objective and perceived residential greenness and diabetes mortality: A census-based cohort study.

Background: Residing close to green spaces might reduce diabetes mellitus (DM) risk; however, evidence for diabetes mortality is limited. Moreover, individual and neighbourhood social factors may determine DM risk. Exposure to green spaces may also depend on socioeconomic position (SEP).

Variability in the association between long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and mortality by exposure assessment method and covariate adjustment: A census-based country-wide cohort study.

Background: Ambient air pollution exposure has been associated with higher mortality risk in numerous studies. We assessed potential variability in the magnitude of this association for non-accidental, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and lung cancer mortality in a country-wide administrative cohort by exposure assessment method and by adjustment for geographic subdivisions.

Methods: We used the Belgian 2001 census linked to population and mortality register including nearly 5.

Dynamics of skin microvascular blood flow in 4-6-year-old children in association with pre- and postnatal black carbon and particulate air pollution exposure.

Background: A growing body of evidence indicates that cardiovascular health in adulthood, particularly that of the microcirculation, could find its roots during prenatal development. In this study, we investigated the association between pre- and postnatal air pollution exposure on heat-induced skin hyperemia as a dynamic marker of the microvasculature.

Methods: In 139 children between the ages of 4 and 6 who are followed longitudinally within the ENVIRONAGE birth cohort, we measured skin perfusion by Laser Doppler probes using the Periflux6000.

Social inequalities in the associations between urban green spaces, self-perceived health and mortality in Brussels: Results from a census-based cohort study.

This study examines the associations between residential urban green spaces (UGS) and self-perceived health and natural cause mortality, applying an intersectional approach across gender, education and migrant background. We used data from the 2001 Belgian census linked to register data on emigration and mortality for the period 2001-2014, including 571,558 individuals aged 16-80 residing in Brussels (80% response rate). Residential UGS were assessed with the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) within a 300 m buffer from the residential address and perceived neighbourhood greenness.

Residential exposure to air pollution and access to neighborhood greenspace in relation to hair cortisol concentrations during the second and third trimester of pregnancy.

Background: Exposure to air pollution during pregnancy has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in studies worldwide, other studies have described beneficial effects of residential greenspace on pregnancy outcomes. The biological mechanisms that underlie these associations are incompletely understood. A biological stress response, which implies release of cortisol, may underlie associations of air pollution exposure and access to neighborhood greenspaces with health.

Residing in urban areas with higher green space is associated with lower mortality risk: A census-based cohort study with ten years of follow-up.

Background: Epidemiological studies suggest that residing close to green space reduce mortality rates. We investigated the relationship between long-term exposure to residential green space and non-accidental and cardio-respiratory mortality.

Methods: We linked the Belgian 2001 census to population and mortality register follow-up data (2001-2011) among adults aged 30 years and older residing in the five largest urban areas in Belgium (n = 2,185,170 and mean follow-up time 9.

Using Large-Scale NO Data from Citizen Science for Air-Quality Compliance and Policy Support.

Citizen science projects that monitor air quality have recently drastically expanded in scale. Projects involving thousands of citizens generate spatially dense data sets using low-cost passive samplers for nitrogen dioxide (NO), which complement data from the sparse reference network operated by environmental agencies. However, there is a critical bottleneck in using these citizen-derived data sets for air-quality policy.

Residential urban greenspace and hypertension: A comparative study in two European cities.

Background: Living in green areas has been associated with several health benefits; however, the available evidence on such benefits for hypertension is still limited. This study aimed to investigate and compare the association between residential exposure to greenspace and hypertension in Barcelona, Spain and Brussels, Belgium.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was based on data from the 2016 Barcelona Health Interview Survey (HIS) (n = 3400) and the 2013 Belgian HIS (n = 2335).

Prenatal particulate air pollution exposure and expression of the miR-17/92 cluster in cord blood: Findings from the ENVIRONAGE birth cohort.

Background: Air pollution exposure during pregnancy is an important environmental health issue. Epigenetics mediate the effects of prenatal exposure and could increase disease predisposition in later life. The oncogenic miR-17/92 cluster is involved in normal development and disease.

Children's microvascular traits and ambient air pollution exposure during pregnancy and early childhood: prospective evidence to elucidate the developmental origin of particle-induced disease.

Background: Particulate matter exposure during in utero life may entail adverse health outcomes later in life. The microvasculature undergoes extensive, organ-specific prenatal maturation. A growing body of evidence shows that cardiovascular disease in adulthood is rooted in a dysfunctional fetal and perinatal development, in particular that of the microcirculation.

Association of Prenatal Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution With Circulating Histone Levels in Maternal Cord Blood.

Importance: Exposure to ambient air pollution has been associated with the risk of carcinogenesis in later life. Changes in histone modifications might have long-term adverse health effects.

Objective: To investigate the association of prenatal exposure to ambient air pollution with levels of circulating total histone H3 and specific trimethylation marks (ie, H3 lysine 4, H3 lysine 36) in maternal cord blood.

Pre-admission air pollution exposure prolongs the duration of ventilation in intensive care patients.

Purpose: Air pollutant exposure constitutes a serious risk factor for the emergence or aggravation of (existing) pulmonary disease. The impact of pre-intensive care ambient air pollutant exposure on the duration of artificial ventilation was, however, not yet established.

Methods: The medical records of 2003 patients, admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Antwerp University Hospital (Flanders, Belgium), who were artificially ventilated on ICU admission or within 48 h after admission, for the duration of at least 48 h, were analyzed.

Neonatal blood pressure in association with prenatal air pollution exposure, traffic, and land use indicators: An ENVIRONAGE birth cohort study.

Elevated blood pressure (BP) in early life may lead to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in later life. Air pollution exposure has been associated with increased BP in adults and children, but the contribution of prenatal air pollution exposure has rarely been assessed. In addition, we are not aware of any study on neonatal BP and maternal residential traffic and land use indicators during pregnancy.

Placental promoter methylation of DNA repair genes and prenatal exposure to particulate air pollution: an ENVIRONAGE cohort study.

Background: Exposure to particulate air pollution has been linked with risk of carcinogenesis. Damage to repair pathways might have long-term adverse health effects. We aimed to investigate the association of prenatal exposure to air pollution with placental mutation rate and the DNA methylation of key placental DNA repair genes.