Increased Risk of Paediatric Thyroid Cancer Linked to Early Exposure to Air and Light Pollution
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Synopsis
A Yale University study suggests that early-life exposure to air pollution and outdoor night light increases the risk of paediatric thyroid cancer. The research indicates significant associations between these exposures and papillary thyroid cancer in children and young adults.
Key Takeaways
- Early exposure to air pollution and light pollution linked to thyroid cancer.
- Significant rise in risk for children and young adults under 19.
- Research analyzed data from over 700 diagnosed individuals.
- Findings highlight the need for more comprehensive studies.
- Thyroid cancer is rapidly growing among youth populations.
New York, April 19 (NationPress) Early-life exposure to fine particle air pollution and outdoor artificial light during the night may elevate the risk of paediatric thyroid cancer, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Yale University in the US.
The research team identified a strong correlation between exposure to ambient fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) and outdoor artificial light at night (O-ALAN), leading to an increased risk of papillary thyroid cancer in children and young adults up to the age of 19, as reported in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
These exposures typically occur during the perinatal phase, which is defined as the time from the start of pregnancy until one year after birth.
“These findings are alarming, especially considering how prevalent these exposures are,” stated Dr. Nicole Deziel, an environmental epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) and the lead author of the study.
Fine particulate matter is prevalent in urban air due to automobile emissions and industrial activities, while artificial light pollution is especially common in densely populated urban settings, Deziel noted.
The research team evaluated data from 736 individuals diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer before the age of 20 and 36,800 matched control participants based on their year of birth.
Utilizing advanced geospatial and satellite modeling, the researchers assessed individual exposure levels to PM2.5 and O-ALAN based on participants' residential locations at birth. All study participants were from California.
The results indicated that for every increase of 10 micrograms per cubic meter in PM2.5 exposure, the likelihood of developing thyroid cancer increased by 7 percent overall.
The most significant association between exposure and thyroid cancer was observed among teenagers aged 15 to 19 and Hispanic children. Additionally, children born in regions with high levels of outdoor light at night were found to be 23 to 25 percent more likely to develop thyroid cancer, according to the study.
“Thyroid cancer is one of the fastest-growing cancers among children and adolescents, yet we have limited understanding of its causes in this demographic,” remarked Deziel, an associate professor of epidemiology (environmental health sciences) and co-director of the Yale Center for Perinatal, Pediatric, and Environmental Epidemiology.
This study represents the first large-scale investigation indicating that early-life exposures—specifically to PM2.5 and outdoor light at night—could contribute to this troubling trend.
The researchers stressed the need for further studies to replicate and expand their findings, ideally utilizing enhanced exposure metrics and longitudinal study designs.
