"Soot, also known as black carbon, comes from fossil fuel-powered vehicles and wood stoves. This is another health concern from the short-lived climate pollutant."
"In recent years, scientists have discovered that exposure to air pollution can have negative impacts on a growing fetus, resulting in a lower birth weight or premature birth. But they haven't known why — until now.
A group of scientists in Belgium has found that when pregnant women inhale black carbon pollution, the particles can travel from their lungs to the placenta, where they accumulate on the side facing the growing baby. In a study published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications, the scientists write that black carbon particles were found on every single placenta they looked at, regardless of how much pollution the mother had been exposed to.
'Most studies that have been done are epidemiological studies—population-based studies,' said lead author Hannelore Bové, a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Environmental Sciences at Hasselt University. 'We now have a direct measurement of the impact of black carbon particles that is not based on modeling, but on measurements on the fetal side of the placenta.'"
Sabrina Shankman reports for InsideClimate News September 17, 2019.
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