A comprehensive study on the association of personal air pollution exposure with thyroid hormones in pregnant women
Abstract
Background: Over 10 epidemiological studies have investigated air pollutants' association with thyroid hormone levels in pregnant women, but none have used personal air pollutant exposure data or included benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX). We assessed the relationship between personal exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), particulate matter ≤2.5 µm (PM 2.5 ), and BTEX with maternal thyroid hormones during pregnancy. Methods: The study relied on 437 pregnant women from the SEPAGES cohort (Grenoble, France, 2014-2017). Personal exposure to NO 2 , PM 2.5 , and BTEX was measured 1 week before blood sampling (mean: 19th gestational week), where thyroid hormones (free and total triiodothyronine (FT3, TT3), thyroxine (FT4, TT4), thyroid-stimulating hormone, and the TT3/TT4 ratio) were assessed. We linearly regressed air pollutants against individual thyroid hormone concentrations, adjusting for covariates, including urinary iodine concentration. Ambient NO 2 and PM 2.5 exposures were also analyzed for comparison. Results: Personal PM 2.5 was positively associated with TT4 (β = 2.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.4%, 4.2%, per doubling of exposure) and FT4 (β = 1.9%; 95% CI = -0.3%, 4.2%). On the contrary, negative associations between doubling the ethylbenzene exposure and TT4 (β = -1.2%; 95% CI = -2.4%, 0.1%) and FT4 levels (β = -1.3%; 95% CI = -2.7%, 0.1%) were observed. The association between ambient PM 2.5 1 week before hormone measurement and FT4 was consistent with the association observed for personal exposure. Associations between ambient PM 2.5 and TT4 were positive but attenuated across all examined time windows. Conclusions: Personal short-term exposure estimates provide evidence of a potential association between PM 2.5 , ethylbenzene, and altered thyroxine (TT4 and FT4) levels in pregnant women, warranting replication in other populations and larger samples.
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BibTeX
@article{rjeschni2026comprehensive,
title = {{A comprehensive study on the association of personal air pollution exposure with thyroid hormones in pregnant women}},
author = {Sandra Rjeschni and Ariane Guilbert and Fanny Trecourt and Sarah Lyon-Caen and Sam Bayat and Anne Boudier and Patrice Faure and Benoît Chovelon and Christelle Corne and Anne Sophie Gauchez and Dorra Guergour and Rémy Slama and Claire Philippat and Johanna Lepeule},
journal = {Environmental Epidemiology},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1097/ee9.0000000000000495},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05779095v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A comprehensive study on the association of personal air pollution exposure with thyroid hormones in pregnant women
AU - Sandra Rjeschni
AU - Ariane Guilbert
AU - Fanny Trecourt
AU - Sarah Lyon-Caen
AU - Sam Bayat
AU - Anne Boudier
AU - Patrice Faure
AU - Benoît Chovelon
AU - Christelle Corne
AU - Anne Sophie Gauchez
AU - Dorra Guergour
AU - Rémy Slama
AU - Claire Philippat
AU - Johanna Lepeule
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/21
JO - Environmental Epidemiology
DO - 10.1097/ee9.0000000000000495
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05779095v1
AB - Background: Over 10 epidemiological studies have investigated air pollutants' association with thyroid hormone levels in pregnant women, but none have used personal air pollutant exposure data or included benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX). We assessed the relationship between personal exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), particulate matter ≤2.5 µm (PM 2.5 ), and BTEX with maternal thyroid hormones during pregnancy. Methods: The study relied on 437 pregnant women from the SEPAGES cohort (Grenoble, France, 2014-2017). Personal exposure to NO 2 , PM 2.5 , and BTEX was measured 1 week before blood sampling (mean: 19th gestational week), where thyroid hormones (free and total triiodothyronine (FT3, TT3), thyroxine (FT4, TT4), thyroid-stimulating hormone, and the TT3/TT4 ratio) were assessed. We linearly regressed air pollutants against individual thyroid hormone concentrations, adjusting for covariates, including urinary iodine concentration. Ambient NO 2 and PM 2.5 exposures were also analyzed for comparison. Results: Personal PM 2.5 was positively associated with TT4 (β = 2.3%; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.4%, 4.2%, per doubling of exposure) and FT4 (β = 1.9%; 95% CI = -0.3%, 4.2%). On the contrary, negative associations between doubling the ethylbenzene exposure and TT4 (β = -1.2%; 95% CI = -2.4%, 0.1%) and FT4 levels (β = -1.3%; 95% CI = -2.7%, 0.1%) were observed. The association between ambient PM 2.5 1 week before hormone measurement and FT4 was consistent with the association observed for personal exposure. Associations between ambient PM 2.5 and TT4 were positive but attenuated across all examined time windows. Conclusions: Personal short-term exposure estimates provide evidence of a potential association between PM 2.5 , ethylbenzene, and altered thyroxine (TT4 and FT4) levels in pregnant women, warranting replication in other populations and larger samples.
SN - 2474-7882
SN - 2474-7882
ER -