Air pollution is already affecting unborn babies. Already in the first third of pregnancy, toxic nanoparticles reach the developing organs such as the lungs, liver or brain via the placenta. Researchers from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and the University of Hasselt in Belgium discovered this. The development is “very worrying,” the scientists report in the journal “The Lancet Planetary Health.”
Her “groundbreaking” discovery is “very worrying” because pregnancy is the most vulnerable stage of human development. Thousands of soot particles were found in every cubic millimeter of tissue, according to the researchers, which the mother inhales during pregnancy. The nanoparticles eventually reach the fetus via the bloodstream and placenta, according to the study, which was conducted on non-smoking mothers in Scotland and Belgium in locations with relatively little air pollution.
Lifelong health effects?
It has long been known that dirty air is strongly correlated with more miscarriages or premature births, low birth weight and impaired brain development. However, the new study provides direct evidence of how this damage is caused, the researchers report. They point out that the nanoparticles may be responsible for lifelong health effects.
“We have shown for the first time that carbon nanoparticles do not only end up in the placenta, but also in the organs of the developing fetus,” said Paul Fowler of the University of Aberdeen. “More worryingly, these particles are also entering the developing human brain,” the scientist says.
Nanoparticles were first discovered in placentas in 2018. That they can now be shown to reach the brains of fetuses “is really worrying,” said Jonathan Grigg of Queen Mary University in London. Because “we don’t know yet what happens when the particles settle in different places and slowly leach their chemicals (there, watch out),” he emphasizes. This requires some further investigation.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
