Ambient Concentrations of Metabolic Disrupting Chemicals and Children’s Academic Achievement in El Paso, Texas

Abstract

Concerns about children’s weight have steadily risen alongside the manufacture and use of myriad chemicals in the US. One class of chemicals, known as metabolic disruptors, interfere with human endocrine and metabolic functioning and are of specific concern to children’s health and development. This article examines the effect of residential concentrations of metabolic disrupting chemicals on children’s school performance for the first time. Census tract-level ambient concentrations for known metabolic disruptors come from the US Environmental Protection Agency’s National Air Toxics Assessment. Other measures were drawn from a survey of primary caretakers of 4th and 5th grade children in El Paso Independent School District (El Paso, TX, USA). A mediation model is employed to examine two hypothetical pathways through which the ambient level of metabolic disruptors at a child’s home might affect grade point average. Results indicate that concentrations of metabolic disruptors are statistically significantly associated with lower grade point averages directly and indirectly through body mass index. Findings from this study have practical implications for environmental justice research and chemical policy reform in the US.

Environmental Justice Research: Contemporary Issues and Emerging Topics

“…Several articles in this Special Issue advance environmental health justice scholarship by documenting linkages between unequal environmental exposure and adverse health impacts associated with unsafe infrastructure and homes [5,14], substance use and addiction [15], and children’s obesity and academic performance [16]. Campbell et al [5] provide a detailed assessment of the recent drinking water crisis and lead poisoning in Flint, USA.…”

“…They demonstrate why inequities in risky substance use environments should be considered as an EJ issue and conclude that future research needs to examine where, why, and how inequities in risky substance use environments occur, the implications of such inequities for disparities in substance use disorders and treatment outcomes, and the implications for tobacco, alcohol, and drug policies as well as prevention and treatment programs. Clark-Reyna et al [16] focus on chemicals known as metabolic disruptors that are of specific concern to children’s health and development. Their article examines the effect of residential concentrations of metabolic disrupting chemicals on children’s school performance in El Paso, Texas, USA.…”

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Disease Endpoints

“…In other cohort studies, prenatal exposure to EDCs was associated with cognitive difficulties and abnormal social behavior [ 86 , 87 ]. EDC exposure has been associated with learning abilities and linked to lower intelligence quotients (IQs) [ 88 , 89 ]. On the other hand, epidemiological studies have yielded conflicting results.…”

Perturbation of Nuclear Hormone Receptors by Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Mechanisms and Pathological Consequences of Exposure

“…There also exists concern over potential effects of environmental chemicals on IQ and learning. Children living in residential areas with high levels of EDCs (including BPA, phthalates and others) possessed lower grade point averages [224]. Additionally, several studies have linked exposures to PCBs during fetal development to lower IQ [12].…”