Particulate matter, such as black carbon, is produced during the incomplete combustion of fuels and biomass and is dispersed in the air. Past research has shown that exposure to secondhand smoke from cigarettes or air pollution can affect the health of unborn babies. For example, mothers exposed to secondhand smoke from cigarettes during pregnancy are associated with a 13% increase in birth defects and a 23% increase in birth defects. The risk of stillbirth, and exposure to lead, pesticides and air pollution in pregnant women can also affect the development and health of the fetus, but there has been a lot of uncertainty regarding how these particulate matter from combustion affect pregnancy. The mechanism of the process and delivery outcome is unclear.
The latest research, published in the leading medical journal THE LANCET – Planetary Health, found evidence of black carbon particles in umbilical cord blood and confirmed that these particles have the ability to cross the placenta and enter the fetal circulatory system. ability.
In this study, a team of researchers from the University of Edinburgh in the UK and the University of Hasselt in Belgium looked specifically at black carbon, the black particulate matter in air pollution. These black carbons, also known as soot particles, are the products released during the combustion of coal, fuel oil and other biomass materials such as wood and tobacco. Past research has linked black carbon to cardiovascular disease, asthma and premature death. The researchers used a technique called femtosecond pulsed illumination to examine the presence of black carbon particles in placental tissue, maternal blood and umbilical cord blood, and found that black carbon particles are not only present in maternal blood, but also in Passes through the placenta into the fetal organs in early pregnancy, especially the liver, lungs and brain. The researchers also found a strong correlation between particle load in pregnant women and black carbon exposure in the residential environment. The researchers also point out that these findings are concerning because pregnancy is a period of high vulnerability for the developing fetus, and more in-depth research is needed to better understand how the transport of this particulate matter across the placenta affects fetal organ development.