Road traffic noise exposure and blood DNA methylation at birth and in childhood: An epigenome-wide meta-analysis

Zhebin Yu; Irene Fontes Marques; Simon Kebede Merid; Kimberley Burrows; Ana Goncalves Soares; Andrei Pyko; Mikael Ögren; Göran Pershagen; Johanna Lepeule; Norun Hjertager Krog; Gunn Marit Aasvang; Michelle S.W. Kusters; Maria Foraster; Mariona Bustamante; Miriam Leskien; Elisabeth Thiering; Ahmed Elhakeem; Annette Peters; Gerard H. Koppelman; Ulrike Gehring; Judith M. Vonk; Ayoung Jeong; Medea Imboden; Nicole Probst-Hensch; Roel Vermeulen; Mark Nieuwenhuijsen; Mònica Guxens; Marie Standl; Vincent W.J. Jaddoe; Stephanie J London; Erik Melén; Janine F Felix; Olena Gruzieva

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2025.109976

Road traffic noise exposure and blood DNA methylation at birth and in childhood: An epigenome-wide meta-analysis

Zhebin Yu, Irene Fontes Marques, Simon Kebede Merid, Kimberley Burrows, Ana Goncalves Soares, Andrei Pyko, Mikael Ögren, Göran Pershagen, Johanna Lepeule, Norun Hjertager Krog, Gunn Marit Aasvang, Michelle S.W. Kusters, Maria Foraster, Mariona Bustamante, Miriam Leskien, Elisabeth Thiering, Ahmed Elhakeem, Annette Peters, Gerard H. Koppelman, Ulrike GehringJudith M. Vonk, Ayoung Jeong, Medea Imboden, Nicole Probst-Hensch, Roel Vermeulen, Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, Mònica Guxens, Marie Standl, Vincent W.J. Jaddoe, Stephanie J London, Erik Melén, Janine F Felix, Olena Gruzieva^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

Abstract

Road traffic noise exposure has been associated with multiple adverse outcomes in epidemiological studies. However, the underlying biological mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between road traffic noise exposure and cord blood and child blood DNA methylation (DNAm).
Data from six European studies (BAMSE, Generation R, HELIX, INMA, LISA, PIAMA) were used to perform the discovery epigenome-wide meta-analysis. Prenatal, infancy, and recent road traffic noise exposure was assessed at the residential addresses. Blood DNAm was measured using the Illumina 450 K or EPIC arrays. To identify differentially methylated positions (DMPs), we fitted robust linear regression models for each cohort, and the results were subsequently meta-analyzed. Differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified using Comb-p and DMRcate. Findings were then looked-up in the independent ALSPAC cohort, in which noise was measured categorically.
A total of 1477 newborns with DNAm data in cord blood, and 1129 and 2065 with DNAm in child blood (age 4–6 and age 8–10 years, respectively) were included in the discovery meta-analysis. We did not observe genome-wide significant (False Discovery Rate (FDR) < 0.05) DMPs associated with road traffic noise exposure. However, 46 DMPs reached suggestive significance (P < 1 × 10–5) across different time windows. One CpG site (cg09400092, annotated to SSTR1) associated with recent noise exposure at age 8–10 years was also significantly associated in the ALSPAC cohort (same direction of association with P = 0.00165). In addition, we identified a total of 93 FDR significant DMRs, of which 14 were nominally significant in the ALSPAC study.
In conclusion, we observed suggestive evidence of an association between road traffic noise exposure and DNAm in child blood. This may indicate that differential DNAm plays a role in the biological mechanism underlying health effects of noise exposure.

Original language	English
Article number	109976
Number of pages	10
Journal	Environment International
Volume	207
Early online date	2 Dec 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2025.109976
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2026

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© 2025 The Authors.

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Yu, Z., Marques, I. F., Merid, S. K., Burrows, K., Soares, A. G., Pyko, A., Ögren, M., Pershagen, G., Lepeule, J., Krog, N. H., Aasvang, G. M., Kusters, M. S. W., Foraster, M., Bustamante, M., Leskien, M., Thiering, E., Elhakeem, A., Peters, A., Koppelman, G. H., ... Gruzieva, O. (2026). Road traffic noise exposure and blood DNA methylation at birth and in childhood: An epigenome-wide meta-analysis. Environment International, 207, Article 109976. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2025.109976

@article{eb0dd908fd034acb83ae8e774acdfaa3,

title = "Road traffic noise exposure and blood DNA methylation at birth and in childhood: An epigenome-wide meta-analysis",

abstract = "Road traffic noise exposure has been associated with multiple adverse outcomes in epidemiological studies. However, the underlying biological mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between road traffic noise exposure and cord blood and child blood DNA methylation (DNAm). Data from six European studies (BAMSE, Generation R, HELIX, INMA, LISA, PIAMA) were used to perform the discovery epigenome-wide meta-analysis. Prenatal, infancy, and recent road traffic noise exposure was assessed at the residential addresses. Blood DNAm was measured using the Illumina 450 K or EPIC arrays. To identify differentially methylated positions (DMPs), we fitted robust linear regression models for each cohort, and the results were subsequently meta-analyzed. Differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified using Comb-p and DMRcate. Findings were then looked-up in the independent ALSPAC cohort, in which noise was measured categorically. A total of 1477 newborns with DNAm data in cord blood, and 1129 and 2065 with DNAm in child blood (age 4–6 and age 8–10 years, respectively) were included in the discovery meta-analysis. We did not observe genome-wide significant (False Discovery Rate (FDR) < 0.05) DMPs associated with road traffic noise exposure. However, 46 DMPs reached suggestive significance (P < 1 × 10–5) across different time windows. One CpG site (cg09400092, annotated to SSTR1) associated with recent noise exposure at age 8–10 years was also significantly associated in the ALSPAC cohort (same direction of association with P = 0.00165). In addition, we identified a total of 93 FDR significant DMRs, of which 14 were nominally significant in the ALSPAC study. In conclusion, we observed suggestive evidence of an association between road traffic noise exposure and DNAm in child blood. This may indicate that differential DNAm plays a role in the biological mechanism underlying health effects of noise exposure.",

author = "Zhebin Yu and Marques, \{Irene Fontes\} and Merid, \{Simon Kebede\} and Kimberley Burrows and Soares, \{Ana Goncalves\} and Andrei Pyko and Mikael {\"O}gren and G{\"o}ran Pershagen and Johanna Lepeule and Krog, \{Norun Hjertager\} and Aasvang, \{Gunn Marit\} and Kusters, \{Michelle S.W.\} and Maria Foraster and Mariona Bustamante and Miriam Leskien and Elisabeth Thiering and Ahmed Elhakeem and Annette Peters and Koppelman, \{Gerard H.\} and Ulrike Gehring and Vonk, \{Judith M.\} and Ayoung Jeong and Medea Imboden and Nicole Probst-Hensch and Roel Vermeulen and Mark Nieuwenhuijsen and M{\`o}nica Guxens and Marie Standl and Jaddoe, \{Vincent W.J.\} and London, \{Stephanie J\} and Erik Mel{\'e}n and Felix, \{Janine F\} and Olena Gruzieva",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Authors.",

year = "2026",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.envint.2025.109976",

language = "English",

volume = "207",

journal = "Environment International",

issn = "0160-4120",

publisher = "Elsevier Limited",

}

Yu, Z, Marques, IF, Merid, SK, Burrows, K , Soares, AG, Pyko, A, Ögren, M, Pershagen, G, Lepeule, J, Krog, NH, Aasvang, GM, Kusters, MSW, Foraster, M, Bustamante, M, Leskien, M, Thiering, E, Elhakeem, A, Peters, A, Koppelman, GH, Gehring, U, Vonk, JM, Jeong, A, Imboden, M, Probst-Hensch, N, Vermeulen, R, Nieuwenhuijsen, M, Guxens, M, Standl, M, Jaddoe, VWJ, London, SJ, Melén, E, Felix, JF & Gruzieva, O 2026, 'Road traffic noise exposure and blood DNA methylation at birth and in childhood: An epigenome-wide meta-analysis', Environment International, vol. 207, 109976. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2025.109976

TY - JOUR

T1 - Road traffic noise exposure and blood DNA methylation at birth and in childhood: An epigenome-wide meta-analysis

AU - Yu, Zhebin

AU - Marques, Irene Fontes

AU - Merid, Simon Kebede

AU - Burrows, Kimberley

AU - Soares, Ana Goncalves

AU - Pyko, Andrei

AU - Ögren, Mikael

AU - Pershagen, Göran

AU - Lepeule, Johanna

AU - Krog, Norun Hjertager

AU - Aasvang, Gunn Marit

AU - Kusters, Michelle S.W.

AU - Foraster, Maria

AU - Bustamante, Mariona

AU - Leskien, Miriam

AU - Thiering, Elisabeth

AU - Elhakeem, Ahmed

AU - Peters, Annette

AU - Koppelman, Gerard H.

AU - Gehring, Ulrike

AU - Vonk, Judith M.

AU - Jeong, Ayoung

AU - Imboden, Medea

AU - Probst-Hensch, Nicole

AU - Vermeulen, Roel

AU - Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark

AU - Guxens, Mònica

AU - Standl, Marie

AU - Jaddoe, Vincent W.J.

AU - London, Stephanie J

AU - Melén, Erik

AU - Felix, Janine F

AU - Gruzieva, Olena

PY - 2026/1/1

Y1 - 2026/1/1

N2 - Road traffic noise exposure has been associated with multiple adverse outcomes in epidemiological studies. However, the underlying biological mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between road traffic noise exposure and cord blood and child blood DNA methylation (DNAm). Data from six European studies (BAMSE, Generation R, HELIX, INMA, LISA, PIAMA) were used to perform the discovery epigenome-wide meta-analysis. Prenatal, infancy, and recent road traffic noise exposure was assessed at the residential addresses. Blood DNAm was measured using the Illumina 450 K or EPIC arrays. To identify differentially methylated positions (DMPs), we fitted robust linear regression models for each cohort, and the results were subsequently meta-analyzed. Differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified using Comb-p and DMRcate. Findings were then looked-up in the independent ALSPAC cohort, in which noise was measured categorically. A total of 1477 newborns with DNAm data in cord blood, and 1129 and 2065 with DNAm in child blood (age 4–6 and age 8–10 years, respectively) were included in the discovery meta-analysis. We did not observe genome-wide significant (False Discovery Rate (FDR) < 0.05) DMPs associated with road traffic noise exposure. However, 46 DMPs reached suggestive significance (P < 1 × 10–5) across different time windows. One CpG site (cg09400092, annotated to SSTR1) associated with recent noise exposure at age 8–10 years was also significantly associated in the ALSPAC cohort (same direction of association with P = 0.00165). In addition, we identified a total of 93 FDR significant DMRs, of which 14 were nominally significant in the ALSPAC study. In conclusion, we observed suggestive evidence of an association between road traffic noise exposure and DNAm in child blood. This may indicate that differential DNAm plays a role in the biological mechanism underlying health effects of noise exposure.

AB - Road traffic noise exposure has been associated with multiple adverse outcomes in epidemiological studies. However, the underlying biological mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between road traffic noise exposure and cord blood and child blood DNA methylation (DNAm). Data from six European studies (BAMSE, Generation R, HELIX, INMA, LISA, PIAMA) were used to perform the discovery epigenome-wide meta-analysis. Prenatal, infancy, and recent road traffic noise exposure was assessed at the residential addresses. Blood DNAm was measured using the Illumina 450 K or EPIC arrays. To identify differentially methylated positions (DMPs), we fitted robust linear regression models for each cohort, and the results were subsequently meta-analyzed. Differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were identified using Comb-p and DMRcate. Findings were then looked-up in the independent ALSPAC cohort, in which noise was measured categorically. A total of 1477 newborns with DNAm data in cord blood, and 1129 and 2065 with DNAm in child blood (age 4–6 and age 8–10 years, respectively) were included in the discovery meta-analysis. We did not observe genome-wide significant (False Discovery Rate (FDR) < 0.05) DMPs associated with road traffic noise exposure. However, 46 DMPs reached suggestive significance (P < 1 × 10–5) across different time windows. One CpG site (cg09400092, annotated to SSTR1) associated with recent noise exposure at age 8–10 years was also significantly associated in the ALSPAC cohort (same direction of association with P = 0.00165). In addition, we identified a total of 93 FDR significant DMRs, of which 14 were nominally significant in the ALSPAC study. In conclusion, we observed suggestive evidence of an association between road traffic noise exposure and DNAm in child blood. This may indicate that differential DNAm plays a role in the biological mechanism underlying health effects of noise exposure.

U2 - 10.1016/j.envint.2025.109976

DO - 10.1016/j.envint.2025.109976

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

C2 - 41352164

SN - 0160-4120

VL - 207

JO - Environment International

JF - Environment International

M1 - 109976

ER -

Road traffic noise exposure and blood DNA methylation at birth and in childhood: An epigenome-wide meta-analysis

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