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Air pollution particles found in mothers' placentas

New research shows direct evidence that toxic air – already strongly linked to harm in unborn babies –
travels through mothers’ bodies

Damian Carrington Environment editor, The Guardian


Sun 16 Sep 2018
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/16/air-pollution-particles-found-in-mothers-
placentas

The new study, involving mothers living in London, revealed


sooty particles in their placentas. Photograph: Keith
Levit/Alamy Stock Photo

Scientists have found the first evidence that particles of air pollution travel through pregnant
women’s lungs and lodge in their placentas.

Toxic air is already strongly linked to harm in foetuses but how the damage is done is unknown. The
new study, involving mothers living in London, UK, revealed sooty particles in the placentas of each
of their babies and researchers say it is quite possible the particles entered the foetuses too.

“It is a worrying problem – there is a massive association between air pollution a mother breathes in
and the effect it has on the foetus,” said Dr Lisa Miyashita, at Queen Mary University of London, one
of the research team. “It is always good if possible to take less polluted routes if you are pregnant –
or indeed if you are not pregnant. I avoid busy roads when I walk to the station.”

A series of previous studies have shown that air pollution significantly increases the risk of premature
birth and of low birth weight, leading to lifelong damage to health. A large study of more than
500,000 births in London, published in December, confirmed the link and led doctors to say that the
implications for many millions of women in polluted cities around the world are “something
approaching a public health catastrophe”.

Air pollution harm to unborn babies may be global


health catastrophe, warn doctors
Scientists are increasingly finding that air pollution results in health problems far beyond the lungs.
In August, research revealed that air pollution causes a “huge” reduction in intelligence, while in
2016 toxic nanoparticles from air pollution were discovered in human brains.

The new research examined the placentas of five non-smoking women who all delivered healthy
babies. The researchers isolated macrophage cells, which are part of the body’s immune system and
engulf harmful particles such as bacteria and air pollution.

Using an optical microscope, they found 72 dark particles among 3,500 cells and then used a
powerful electron microscope to examine the shape of some of the particles. They looked very like
the sooty particles found in macrophages in the lung, which catch many – but not all – of the
particles.

While further analysis is needed for final confirmation, Dr Miyashita said: “We can’t think of
anything else they could be. It is very evident to us they are black sooty particles.” Earlier
experiments have shown that particles breathed in by pregnant animals go through the bloodstream
into placentas.

“We do not know whether the particles we found could also move across into the foetus, but our
evidence suggests this is indeed possible,” said Dr Norrice Liu, also at Queen Mary University of
London and part of the team. “We also know that the particles do not need to get into the baby’s body
to have an adverse effect, because if they have an effect on the placenta, this will have a direct impact
on the foetus.”

The research is being presented Sunday at the European Respiratory Society’s (ERS) international
congress in Paris. “This research suggests a possible mechanism of how babies are affected by
pollution while being theoretically protected in the womb,” said Prof Mina Gaga, who is ERS
president and at the Athens Chest Hospital in Greece.

“This should raise awareness amongst doctors and the public regarding the harmful effects of air
pollution in pregnant women,” she said, noting that harm to foetuses can occur even below current
European Union pollution limits. “We need stricter policies for cleaner air to reduce the impact of
pollution on health worldwide because we are already seeing a new population of young adults with
health issues.”

Unicef executive director Anthony Lake recently warned of the danger of air pollution to babies:
“Not only do pollutants harm babies’ developing lungs, they can permanently damage their
developing brains – and, thus, their futures.”

Separate research, also presented at the ERS congress, found that children with early onset and
persistent asthma fared far less well in education than those without the condition. Asthma in
children has long been linked to air pollution.

The study, conducted over 20 years in Sweden, showed that children with asthma were three and half
times more likely to leave school at the age of 16 with only basic education and were also twice as
likely to drop out of university courses.

Dr Christian Schyllert, at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, said: “This study
suggests [these] children have worse life chances when it comes to their education and their future
jobs.” He said one possible reason could be that children with asthma are known to have lower
school attendance.

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