Toxic air pollution particles found in the lungs and brains of unborn babies for the first time

Toxic air particles have been found in the lungs, brains, and livers of unborn children, according to a recent alarming discovery. The findings were reported in the journal Lancet Planetary Health. The research was carried out in Scotland and Belgium with nonsmoking mothers in areas with low air pollution.

36 foetuses were examined with pregnancies ranging from seven to twenty weeks

As part of the study, 36 foetuses were examined in Scotland, with pregnancies ranging from seven to twenty weeks.

Thousands of black carbon particles were discovered in cubic millimetres of tissue, which the mothers inhaled during their pregnancy and then passed through the bloodstream to the foetus.

Dirty air particles are already suspected of contributing to an increase in miscarriages, premature births, and low birth weights in children. The particles are composed of tiny soot particles emitted by the combustion of fossil fuels in homes, vehicles, and even factories.

According to a professor from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, this study shows how black carbon nanoparticles not only enter the first and second trimesters of the placenta but also enter the developing organs of the foetus.

Air pollution might be damaging organs and every cell in the body

Prof Tim Nawrot, who co-led the study, told the Guardian that “air quality regulation should recognize this [air pollution] transfer during gestation and act to protect the most vulnerable stages of human development.”

According to the professor, governments are responsible for reducing air pollution, and people should avoid driving when roads are congested.

In 2019, a comprehensive global review discovered that air pollution may be damaging organs and every cell in the body.

Over 90% of the world’s population lives in areas where air pollution exceeds WHO guidelines, resulting in millions of deaths.