Urinary concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites and childhood obesity

Existing literature provides limited information on the association between childhood obesity and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are potentially obesogenic. We examined the association between urinary concentrations of PAH metabolites and obesity in the Korean pediatric population.

We analyzed the data of 2286 children/adolescents aged 3-17 years who participated in the Korean National Environmental Health Survey between 2015 and 2017. Urinary concentrations of 2-naphthol, 2-hydroxyfluorene, 1-hydroxyphenanthrene, and 1-hydroxypyrene were assayed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Overweight/obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) for age ≥85th percentile. Multiple linear and logistic regression models were used to analyze the relationship of BMI z-score and overweight with urinary concentrations of PAH metabolites after adjusting for age, sex, household income, parental education level, physical activity, fast-food consumption, and environmental tobacco smoke exposure.

BMI z-score was positively associated with 2-naphthol concentrations in children aged 6-11 and 12-17 years and with 1-hydroxypyrene concentrations in children aged 6-11 years. In the overall population, a significant rise in odds ratios for overweight/obesity across 2-naphthol quartiles was noted. Specifically, the 3rd and 4th quartiles displayed odds ratios of 1.39 [1.03, 1.88] and 1.46 [1.08, 1.99] respectively, compared to the 1st quartile (P-for-trend = 0.006). Similar associations between 2-naphthol and overweight/obesity status were observed in the 6-11- and 12-17-year age groups. There was little evidence of an association between overweight/obesity and other PAH hydroxy derivatives.

PAH exposure may be associated with increased childhood adiposity, a potential risk factor for adult obesity and adverse metabolic outcomes.