Fwd: PM10 & Fetuses

[Leslie Byster <svtc@igc.apc.org>]

Greetings, here is an article that someone passed on to me.  I thought some
oyou would find it interesting
Cheers
>>
>>>Smog blights babies in the womb - report 
>>>16:54 Oct 16, 1996 
>>>
>>>LONDON, Oct 17 (Reuter) - Air pollution can stunt the growth of babies
>>>in the womb, the New Scientist magazine
>>>reported on Thursday. 
>>>
>>>American, Polish, and Czech scientists reached the conclusion after
>>>carrying out studies in heavily polluted regions
>>>of Eastern Europe. 
>>>
>>>But the researchers fear that children born in urban areas in the West
>>>may also be affected. ``It is a cause for
>>>concern which we are planning to investigate,'' said Frederica Perera of
>>>Columbia University in New York. 
>>>
>>>Perera said that Polish babies whose mothers were exposed while pregnant
>>>to high levels of pollutant particles of
>>>less than 10 micrometres in diameter, were born with small heads and
>>>bodies. 
>>>
>>>Perera told a medical conference in Budapest last week that children may
>>>run an increased risk of cancer and that
>>>their subsequent ability to learn could suffer. 
>>>
>>>A study carried out by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found
>>>similar results in research in Northern
>>>Bohemia in the Czech republic, the New Scientist said. 
>>>
>>>Perera's study analysed blood samples from the umbilical cords of 163
>>>babies from Krakow and Limanowe in
>>>Poland. She measured how the DNA of each child had been damaged by
>>>compounds called polycylic aromatic
>>>hydrocargons (PAHs) which are produced when fuel burns and coat the tiny
>>>pollutant particles. 
>>>
>>>These particles can cause mutations in human DNA and increase the
>>>probability of cancer. Perera believes that
>>>embryos are particularly vulnerable to the effects of atmospheric
>>>pollution because they are less able to repair
>>>damaged DNA. 
>>>
>>>While levels of toxins are generally lower in the West than in the most
>>>polluted areas of Eastern Europe, Perera
>>>doubts that there is a threshold concentration below which air pollution
>>>poses no threat to foetuses. 
>>>
>>>``PAHs are pervasive. You find them in the air in urban industrialised
>>>areas around the world,'' Perera told the New
>>>Scientist.
>>>
>>>
>>Leslie Byster
>>Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition
>>760 N. First Street
>>San Jose, CA 95112
>>408-287-6707
>>svtc@igc.apc.org
>>
>>
>
>
Leslie Byster
Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition
760 N. First Street
San Jose, CA 95112
408-287-6707
svtc@igc.apc.org