Childhood exposure to multiple persistent organic pollutants and midlife cognitive function - UTU Research Portal

A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Childhood exposure to multiple persistent organic pollutants and midlife cognitive function

Authors: Wu, Feitong; Kartiosuo, Noora; Kaikkonen, Jari; Magnussen, Costan G.; Rantakokko, Panu; Kiviranta, Hannu; Pahkala, Katja; Hutri, Nina; Juonala, Markus; Viikari, Jorma S. A.; Raitakari, Olli T.; Rovio, Suvi P.

Publisher: Elsevier

Publication year: 2026

Journal: Science of the Total Environment

Article number: 181552

Volume: 1020

ISSN: 0048-9697

eISSN: 1879-1026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181552

Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: Open Access

Publication channel's open availability : Partially Open Access publication channel

Web address : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181552

Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/515717082

Self-archived copy's licence: CC BY

Self-archived copy's version: Publisher`s PDF

Abstract

Introduction

Whether early-life exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) associates with adult cognitive function is unknown. We examined the association of childhood serum POPs levels with cognitive function in midlife.

Methods

This was a prospective cohort study of 1304 children aged 3–18 years. Childhood serum levels of 18 POPs including p,p′-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (p,p′-DDT), p,p′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (pp′-DDE), pentachlorobenzene (PeCB), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), trans-nonachlor were measured in childhood and early adulthoood. In mid-adulthood, cognitive function was measured using a computerized test battery (CANTAB) including tests for 1) memory and learning, 2) working memory, 3) reaction time, and 4) information processing. We assessed the overall association of the 18 POPs with cognitive function (normalized with mean 0 and standard deviation 1) by deriving a POP mixture index using weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression.

Results

For every unit-increase in the derived POP index (range 0–3, SD = 0.7), 0.129 (95% CI: −0.244, −0.014) SD-units lower memory and learning in midlife was observed when adjusting for covariates and adult POP index. This association was stable as shown by repeated holdout validation (β = −0.086, 95% confidence interval: −0.160 to −0.011), corresponding to 1.7 years additional aging on memory and learning. The POP mixture index was predominated by HCB (23%), p,p′-DDT (21%), PCB99 (10%), and p,p′-DDE (10%).

Conclusions

Childhood exposure to a high level of multiple POPs, such as HCB, p,p′-DDT and PCB99, was associated with poorer memory and learning in midlife, independent of adult exposure to those POPs.

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Funding information in the publication:
This study was supported by Research Council of Finland: grants 356405, 322098, 286284, 134309 (Eye), 126925, 121584, 124282, 255381, 256474, 283115, 319060, 320297, 314389, 338395, 330809, 104821, 129378 (Salve), 117797 (Gendi), and 141071 (Skidi); the Social Insurance Institution of Finland; Competitive State Research Financing of the Expert Responsibility area of Kuopio, Tampere and Turku University Hospitals (grant X51001); Juho Vainio Foundation; Paavo Nurmi Foundation; Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research; Finnish Cultural Foundation; The Sigrid Juselius Foundation; Tampere Tuberculosis Foundation; Emil Aaltonen Foundation; Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation; Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation; Diabetes Research Foundation of Finnish Diabetes Association; EU Horizon 2020 (grant 755320 for TAXINOMISIS and grant 848146 for To Aition); European Research Council (grant 742927 for MULTIEPIGEN project); Tampere University Hospital Supporting Foundation; Finnish Society of Clinical Chemistry; the Cancer Foundation Finland; pBETTER4U_EU (Preventing obesity through Biologically and bEhaviorally Tailored inTERventions for you; project number: 101080117); and the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation.