Poster #20 - Exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds and Young Children’s Cognitive and Social Development

• In Event: 3-106 - Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: PS 11 Section - Biological Processes: Psychophysiology

Integrative Statement

Considering the role of environmental risk factors on children’s development is an important area of inquiry in order to gain a better understanding of the role of children’s contexts on socioemotional and cognitive development. Traditional models of child development have highlighted the role of contextual risk factors (e.g., poor neighborhoods, exposure to violence, and stressful life events) and much of this research yields evidence that such contexts are linked to cognitive deficits and socioemotional, and sociobehavioral maladjustment in children (Carlo, 2014; Davis & Carlo, in press). One environmental factor that may play a role in children’s health and development is exposure to toxicants. Children’s exposure to environmental toxicants has been understudied by developmental scholars, but there is evidence that exposure to specific toxicants may be detrimental not only for children’s physical health, but also for cognitive and socioemotional development (Rauh & Margolis, 2016).
While there is substantial research linking exposure to heavy metals and negative outcomes in children, there is less research on other environmental toxicants, such as volatile organic compounds and common toxicants found in the air in indoor spaces. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are chemicals that are emitted into the air from a variety of sources, including household products such as cleaning supplies, pesticides, fuels, cosmetics, and furniture products (EPA, 2016). Children are particularly susceptible to toxicant exposure for multiple reasons (Jurewicz, Polánska, & Hamke, 2013). First, children consume more nutrients and breathe more air per pound than adults; therefore they may actually be exposed to relatively higher levels of harmful substances than adults. Second, children’s lungs, brains, and metabolisms are in a state of development, so examining exposure during this developmental period is important. Finally, children have more years left than adults to accumulate the negative effects of exposure to toxicants as they continue to develop (Jurewicz et al., 2013). Because VOCs are produced from common products (e.g., cleaning products, toys), children may be exposed in many different environments, including home and school. Therefore, it is important to understand how exposure to specific VOCs is associated with children’s developmental outcomes.
The current project is a systematic literature review on the links between environmental toxicants and young children’s cognitive and socioemotional outcomes. We searched articles from 2000-2018 and used the following keywords to search for relevant publications: toxicants, chemicals, toxins, environmental toxins, and environmental chemicals. The following combination of keywords was used to search for outcome variables: aggression, social behaviors, cognitive development, memory, attention, behaviors, and social development. All studies on children from birth to age 7 were included. In the review, we found eight categories of toxicants linked to children’s development: pesticides, bisphenol A, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, tobacco smoke, polychlorinated biphenyls, flame retardants, phthalates, and gas emissions. The results demonstrated negative links between exposure and children’s cognitive development, including school readiness and self-regulation (e.g., Engel et al., 2009; Factor-Litvak et al., 2014), as well as behavioral outcomes (i.e., aggression; Engel et al., 2010). Gender differences in the effects of exposure will also be discussed.

Authors

• Gustavo Carlo, University of Missouri
  Presenting Author

• Alexandra N Davis, University of New Mexico
  Non-Presenting Author

• Zehra Gulseven, University of Missouri
  Non-Presenting Author

• Francisco Palermo, University of Missouri
  Non-Presenting Author

• Chung-Ho Lin, University of Missouri
  Non-Presenting Author

• Susan Nagel, University of Missouri
  Non-Presenting Author

• Danh C Vu, University of Missouri
  Non-Presenting Author

• Phuc H Vo, University of Missouri
  Non-Presenting Author

• Thi L Ho, University of Missouri
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jane A McElroy, University of Missouri
  Non-Presenting Author