Air pollution linked to fifth of pre-term births

Close to a fifth of premature births worldwide could be associated with mothers’ exposure to outdoor air pollution, according to a study by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). It showed that up to 2.7 million of the 14.9 million births worldwide considered as pre-term, i.e. taking place before 37 weeks of gestation, can be linked to mothers’ exposure to particulate matter PM_2.5 levels above 10 micrograms per cubic metre of air (μg/m³).

“Pre-term births associated with this exposure not only contribute to infant mortality, but can have life-long health effects in survivors,” said Chris Malley, the study’s lead researcher.

According to the European Environment Agency, around 85–90 per cent of Europe’s urban population is exposed to PM_2.5 levels above the WHO annual average threshold of 10 μg/m³.

Source: Ends Europe Daily, 17 February 2017
The study: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412016305992

Air qualityHealth

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Air pollution linked to fifth of pre-term births

In this issue

Livestock on leftovers

Editorial: Another agricultural system is possible

New NEC Directive in force

Big emissions from small chimneys

CCS is still a failure

Global warming and its implications for coral reefs

EU needs to shut all coal plants by 2030

How to get people to eat less meat

Stronger air quality measures needed

Cost-effective to cut ship NOx emissions

Coal project in Croatia stopped

In Breif

Bulgaria faces court for air quality failure

Air pollution linked to fifth of pre-term births

No improvement in fuel efficiency for years

Four of world’s biggest cities to ban diesel cars

Trucks and buses cleaner than diesel cars

China forecasts stable or declining CO2 emissions

US greenhouse gas emissions fell in 2015

Portugal halts oil exploration

Global soil carbon losses in response to warming

WHO air quality guidelines – report

High emissions from chainsaws and trimmers

Chinese ship emission control areas

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