Toxic air pollution particles found in lungs and brains of unborn babies

Toxic air pollution particles have been found in the lungs, livers, and brains of unborn babies, long before they have taken their first breath. Researchers said their ground-breaking discovery was very worrying, as the gestation period of foetuses is the most vulnerable stage of human development.

Black carbon particles breathed in by the mother during pregnancy, passed through the bloodstream and placenta to the foetus with thousands of particles found in each cubic millimetre of the babies’ tissue.

Dirty air was already known to strongly correlate with increased miscarriages, premature births, low birth weights and disturbed brain development, but the new study provides direct evidence of how that harm may be caused and could cause lifelong health effects.

The particles are made of soot from the burning of fossil fuels in vehicles, homes and factories and cause inflammation in the body, as well as carrying toxic chemicals. The study was conducted with non-smoking mothers in Scotland and Belgium, in places with relatively low air pollution.

Air pollution particles were first detected in placentas in 2018, however, this latest research shows particles getting into the brain of foetuses and raises the stakes significantly, with potentially lifelong consequences.

More than 90% of the world’s population live in places where air pollution is above World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, causing millions of early deaths each year.

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