Inquinamento da traffi co e rischio di malformazioni congenite: considerazioni metodologiche sull’uso di differenti modellistiche espositive

The relation between air pollution from road traffi c and teratogenic risk is an issue of considerable interest in epidemiological research. We examined the risk of birth defects associated with exposure to benzene and particulate matter (PM10) emitted by motorized traffi c in an Italian community, using a validated dispersion model (CALINE4) of these contaminants and two different methodological approaches for exposure assessment within a Geographical Information System. The study population included 228 cases of congenital malformation diagnosed at birth and the same number of matched controls. The results showed that estimates of individual exposure to benzene and PM10 and associated relative risks were substantially affected by the different approaches for exposure assessment.