TY - JOUR
T1 - Residential Exposure to PM2.5 Constituents and Fecundability in a Danish Preconception Cohort
AU - Wesselink, Amelia K.
AU - Johannesen, Benjamin R.
AU - Wang, Tanran R.
AU - Ketzel, Matthias
AU - Mikkelsen, Ellen M.
AU - Brandt, Jørgen
AU - Khan, Jibran
AU - Hertel, Ole
AU - Laursen, Anne Sofie Dam
AU - Willis, Mary D.
AU - Levy, Jonathan I.
AU - Rothman, Kenneth J.
AU - Sørensen, Henrik T.
AU - Wise, Lauren A.
AU - Hatch, Elizabeth E.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - Background: Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that ambient concentrations of particulate matter < 2.5 μm (PM2.5) are associated with reduced fecundability, the per cycle probability of conception. The specific constituents driving this association are unknown. Objectives: We examined the association between ambient concentrations of PM2.5 constituents and fecundability in a Danish preconception cohort study. Methods: During 2007–2018, we enrolled female pregnancy planners in an Internet-based preconception cohort study. We included the 5905 participants who had been trying to conceive for < 3 cycles at study enrollment. Participants completed a baseline questionnaire and follow-up questionnaires every 8 weeks to update pregnancy status. We geocoded time-varying residential addresses to estimate ambient concentrations of total PM2.5 and the following PM2.5 constituents: elemental carbon (EC), primary organic aerosol (POA), secondary organic aerosols (SOA), sulfate (SO42−), ammonium (NH4+), nitrate (NO3−), and sea salt. We averaged concentrations of each pollutant across each menstrual cycle at risk. We fit proportional probabilities regression models to estimate fecundability ratios (FR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusting for potential confounders and co-pollutants. Results: Total PM2.5 concentrations were associated with reduced fecundability (the FR for an IQR increase, corresponding to 3.2 μg/m3, was 0.93 [95% CI 0.87, 0.99]). The association was strongest for POA: the FR for an IQR increase, corresponding to 1.3 μg/m3, was 0.92 (95% CI 0.84, 1.01). The corresponding FRs for the remaining PM2.5 constituents were 0.96 (95% CI 0.87, 1.05) for EC (IQR = 0.5 μg/m3), 0.98 (95% CI 0.91, 1.06) for SOA (IQR = 0.5), 0.97 (95% CI 0.92, 1.02) for SO24− (IQR = 0.4), 0.95 (95% CI 0.91, 1.01) for NH4+ (IQR = 0.5), 0.97 (95% CI 0.93, 1.01) for NO3− (IQR = 1.0), and 1.00 (95% CI 0.95, 1.06) for sea salt (IQR = 0.4). Conclusions: In this Danish preconception cohort study, PM2.5 constituents derived from biomass and transportation-related combustion may drive the association between PM2.5 concentrations and fecundability.
AB - Background: Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that ambient concentrations of particulate matter < 2.5 μm (PM2.5) are associated with reduced fecundability, the per cycle probability of conception. The specific constituents driving this association are unknown. Objectives: We examined the association between ambient concentrations of PM2.5 constituents and fecundability in a Danish preconception cohort study. Methods: During 2007–2018, we enrolled female pregnancy planners in an Internet-based preconception cohort study. We included the 5905 participants who had been trying to conceive for < 3 cycles at study enrollment. Participants completed a baseline questionnaire and follow-up questionnaires every 8 weeks to update pregnancy status. We geocoded time-varying residential addresses to estimate ambient concentrations of total PM2.5 and the following PM2.5 constituents: elemental carbon (EC), primary organic aerosol (POA), secondary organic aerosols (SOA), sulfate (SO42−), ammonium (NH4+), nitrate (NO3−), and sea salt. We averaged concentrations of each pollutant across each menstrual cycle at risk. We fit proportional probabilities regression models to estimate fecundability ratios (FR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusting for potential confounders and co-pollutants. Results: Total PM2.5 concentrations were associated with reduced fecundability (the FR for an IQR increase, corresponding to 3.2 μg/m3, was 0.93 [95% CI 0.87, 0.99]). The association was strongest for POA: the FR for an IQR increase, corresponding to 1.3 μg/m3, was 0.92 (95% CI 0.84, 1.01). The corresponding FRs for the remaining PM2.5 constituents were 0.96 (95% CI 0.87, 1.05) for EC (IQR = 0.5 μg/m3), 0.98 (95% CI 0.91, 1.06) for SOA (IQR = 0.5), 0.97 (95% CI 0.92, 1.02) for SO24− (IQR = 0.4), 0.95 (95% CI 0.91, 1.01) for NH4+ (IQR = 0.5), 0.97 (95% CI 0.93, 1.01) for NO3− (IQR = 1.0), and 1.00 (95% CI 0.95, 1.06) for sea salt (IQR = 0.4). Conclusions: In this Danish preconception cohort study, PM2.5 constituents derived from biomass and transportation-related combustion may drive the association between PM2.5 concentrations and fecundability.
KW - air pollution
KW - fecundability
KW - fertility
KW - particulate matter
KW - preconception cohort
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85216201440&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/ppe.13174
DO - 10.1111/ppe.13174
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 39876487
AN - SCOPUS:85216201440
SN - 0269-5022
JO - Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology
JF - Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology
ER -