Air pollution particles have been found in foetuses, researchers say, suggesting that soot nanoparticles can cross the placenta and get into organs of foetuses.
University of Aberdeen and Hasselt University, Belgium experts said their finding was “especially concerning” because key organ development occurs when foetuses are growing in the uterus.
Researchers examined 60 pregnant mothers and their babies in Aberdeen and the Grampian region in Scotland.
They also analysed tissue samples from 36 foetuses that had been aborted between seven and 20 weeks of gestation.
The team found evidence of “black carbon particles” — also known as soot particles — in umbilical cord blood, which shows that the particles can cross the placenta.
Soot particles were present in all mothers and newborns.
The level of particles found was linked to the amount of air pollution to which the mother was exposed during pregnancy.
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The research team also found the presence of such particles in the livers, lungs and brains of the foetuses.
Black carbon particles were found in all tissue samples analysed.
The scientists warned that the particles could be seen in foetuses as early as the first trimester of pregnancy.
This is the first time it has been shown that black carbon nanoparticles can be found in developing foetuses.
Black carbon is one of the many particles and gases that are emitted when diesel, coal and other biomass fuels are burned.
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It is part of the fine particulate air pollution known as PM2.5.
“We found that maternally inhaled carbonaceous air pollution particles can cross the placenta and then translocate into human foetal organs during gestation,” the authors wrote in the journal Lancet Planetary Health.
“These findings are especially concerning because this window of exposure is key to organ development.”
Prof Tim Nawrot, from Hasselt University, said: “We know that exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and infancy has been linked with still birth, pre-term birth, low weight babies and disturbed brain development, with consequences persisting throughout life .
“We show in this study that the number of black carbon particles that get into the mother are passed on proportionally to the placenta and into the baby.
“This means that air quality regulation should recognise this transfer during gestation and act to protect the most susceptible stages of human development.”
Prof Paul Fowler, from the University of Aberdeen, said the researchers were “worried that if nanoparticles were getting into the foetus, then they might be directly affecting its development in the womb".
“What we have shown for the first time is that black carbon air pollution nanoparticles not only get into the first and second trimester placenta, but then also find their way into the organs of the developing foetus, including the liver and lungs," Prof Fowler said
“What is even more worrying is that these black carbon particles also get into the developing human brain.
"This means that it is possible for these nanoparticles to directly interact with control systems within human foetal organs and cells.”
SPECS
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Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
The specs
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Power: Combined output 920hp
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On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
World Cup League Two
Results
Oman beat Nepal by 18 runs
Oman beat United States by six wickets
Nepal beat United States by 35 runs
Oman beat Nepal by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Oman v United States
Wednesday, Nepal v United States
