Coal Ash and Neurobehavioral Symptoms in Children Aged 6-14 Years Old.

 描述（由申请人提供）：煤灰是发电厂燃烧煤炭作为能源时产生的。煤灰没有被归类为危险废物，因此没有联邦法规来管理其使用、储存或处置。大多数煤灰储存在露天垃圾填埋场或池塘中。美国有800多个煤灰储存点，其中许多位于居民区附近。煤灰包括许多组分，但由小的球形颗粒组成的飞灰是最大的组分。飞灰的成分各不相同，但通常含有有毒金属（如砷、镉、铬、铜、铅、锰和汞）、多环芳烃（PAH）和放射性元素。儿童的神经行为障碍与暴露于飞灰中所含的许多金属有关。因此，接触粉煤灰的儿童有可能患上神经行为障碍。儿童通过吸入和摄入垃圾填埋场和池塘排放的扬尘而接触到飞灰。 这个项目将调查飞灰对居住在肯塔基州路易斯维尔两个煤灰储存点附近社区的儿童的影响。有些孩子住在距离煤灰填埋场和池塘150英尺以内的家里。与煤灰储存点10英里范围内的社区合作，我们将完成四个具体目标：（1）与居住在远离煤灰储存地点的儿童相比，描述居住在煤灰储存地点附近的儿童家中室内暴露于飞灰和重金属的特征，（2）确定居住在煤灰储存点附近的儿童与居住在远离储存点的儿童的重金属身体负荷是否不同，（3）评估飞灰暴露增加和身体重金属负荷增加是否与神经行为表现较差和神经行为症状增多相关。（4）利用地理信息系统（GIS）的绘图、空间分析和建模应用程序进行家庭招募、距离衰减效应分析、目标1和2结果的表面插值以及飞灰的归宿和运输建模。 本研究将招募360名6-14岁的儿童。将使用行为评估研究系统测试神经行为表现，并通过儿童行为检查表（CBCL）评估神经行为症状。任何CBCL t评分=7的儿童将通过DSM疾病诊断结构化临床访谈（SCID）进行进一步评估。将完成家庭环境取样，以确定飞灰和金属的存在。将从儿童身上采集趾甲样本并分析重金属。问卷和家庭评估将有助于描述儿童的环境暴露史和健康史。研究结果将为确定粉煤灰的环境健康影响提供依据。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Coal ash is generated when power plants burn coal for energy. Coal ash is not classified as a hazardous waste, so there are no federal regulations that govern its use, storage, or disposal. Most coal ash is stored in open landfills or in ponds. There are over 800 coal ash storage sites in the U.S. and many are located near residential communities. Coal ash includes many components, but fly ash, which is comprised of small, spherical particles, is the greatest component. Composition of fly ash varies, but it frequently contains toxic metals (e.g. arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, manganese, and mercury), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and radioactive elements. Neurobehavioral disorders in children are associated with exposure to many of the metals that are contained in fly ash. Thus, children exposed to fly ash are potentially at risk of developing neurobehavioral disorders. Children are exposed to fly ash via inhalation and ingestion from fugitive dust emissions that come off the landfills and the ponds. This project will investigate the effect of fy ash on children who live in neighborhoods near two coal ash storage sites in Louisville, Kentucky. Some children live in homes within 150 feet of coal ash landfills and ponds. Working with neighborhoods within 10 miles of the coal ash storage sites, we will complete four specific aims: (1) Characterize indoor exposure from fly ash and heavy metals in homes of children residing near coal ash store sites compared to children living further away from coal ash storage sites, (2) Determine if the heavy metal body burden differs from children residing near coal ash storage sites compared to children living further away from storage sites, (3) Assess if increased fly ash exposure and greater heavy metal body burden is associated with poorer neurobehavioral performance and more neurobehavioral symptoms, (4) Utilize mapping, spatial analysis and modeling applications of geographic information systems (GIS) for household recruitment, analysis of distance decay effects, surface interpolation of Aims 1 and 2 results, and fate and transport modeling of fly ash. Three hundred and sixty children aged 6-14 will be recruited for this study. Neurobehavioral performance will be tested using the Behavioral Assessment Research System and neurobehavioral symptoms will be assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Any child who has a CBCL t score =7 will be further assessed through a Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnosis of DSM Disorders (SCID). Environmental sampling in the homes will be completed to determine the presence of fly ash and metals. Toenail samples will be collected from the children and analyzed for heavy metals. Questionnaires and an in-home assessment will help to characterize environmental exposure history and health history of the children. The results will provide evidence to define the environmental health impact of coal ash.