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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 22, 2026

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Childhood exposure to multiple persistent organic pollutants and midlife cognitive function.

Feitong Wu1, Noora Kartiosuo2, Jari Kaikkonen3

  • 1Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.

The Science of the Total Environment
|February 20, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Childhood exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is linked to reduced memory and learning in adulthood. Higher levels of specific POPs like HCB, p,p-DDT, and PCB99 in childhood were associated with poorer cognitive function later in life.

Keywords:
CANTABCognitive functionCohort studiesEarly-life exposuresPersistent organic pollutants

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Neuroscience
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • The long-term impact of early-life exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) on adult cognitive function remains largely unexamined.
  • This study investigates the relationship between childhood serum POP levels and cognitive abilities in midlife.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if childhood exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is associated with cognitive function in mid-adulthood.
  • To identify specific POPs contributing to potential cognitive deficits.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective cohort study involving 1304 children aged 3-18 years.
  • Measurement of 18 serum POPs in childhood, including hexachlorobenzene (HCB), p,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (p,p'-DDT), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
  • Cognitive function in mid-adulthood assessed using the CANTAB computerized test battery, analyzing memory, learning, working memory, reaction time, and information processing. A weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression was used to derive a POP mixture index.

Main Results:

  • An increase in the POP mixture index was associated with lower memory and learning abilities in midlife (β = -0.086, 95% CI: -0.160 to -0.011).
  • This cognitive decline was equivalent to approximately 1.7 years of additional aging.
  • The POP mixture was predominantly composed of hexachlorobenzene (HCB), p,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (p,p'-DDT), and polychlorinated biphenyl 99 (PCB99).

Conclusions:

  • Childhood exposure to elevated levels of multiple POPs, particularly HCB, p,p'-DDT, and PCB99, is linked to impaired memory and learning in midlife.
  • This association is independent of adult POP exposure, suggesting a critical window of vulnerability in early life.