This study seeks to investigate the impact of maternal residential proximity to toxic pollutant sites on birth weight using data from the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) and the Etude Longitudinale Française depuis l’Enfance (ELFE) cohort. In line with the literature, we categorized the distance between the mother’s residence during gestation and the E-PRTR sites into three ranges: 0-3 km, 3.1-5 km, and 5.1-10 km. Using linear regression model, we did not find statistically significant associations between proximity to E-PRTR sites and birth weight. However, upon further examination of specific industrial sectors, we observed that mining sites had a detrimental effect on birth weight for infants whose mothers resided within distances of 0-3 km and 3.1-5 km compared to those between 5.1 and 10 km from these sites. Specifically, residing within 0-3 km and 3.1-5 km of a mineral industry resulted in reduced birth weight compared to other distances, with respective decreases of 68 and 56 grams.
