A study warns that the effects of air pollution on the brains of unborn babies persist when they grow up. The study covered the development of 4,000 individuals from birth to adolescence, the Mirror reported.
The research team assessed children's exposure to 14 different air pollutants during pregnancy and childhood, based on where families lived.
They found that exposure to PM2.5 - fine particles or droplets 2.5 microns in diameter or smaller - and nitrogen oxides was associated with differences in the microstructure of brain white matter. Nitrogen oxides, or NOx, can come from common sources, including gas stoves and gas or wood heaters.
The Barcelona Institute for Global Health said:
"Each increase in the level of exposure to air pollution corresponded to more than a 5-month delay in the development of fractional anisotropy, a measure of how well brain tissue is working."
Monica Gookens, a researcher at the institute known as ISGlobal, added:
"Even if the magnitude of the effects is small, it can have a significant impact on a population scale."
The institute noted that the findings were present in children exposed to PM2.5 and less fine particulate matter PM10 at concentrations above the WHO-recommended maximum levels, but below levels that the EU says are currently unsafe.
"Our study lends support to the need for stricter European guidelines on air pollution, which are expected to be approved by the European Parliament soon," added Gooksens.
The ISGlobal team said the data collected from families in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, highlight the importance of addressing air pollution as a public health issue. | BGNES
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