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This is what exposure to air pollution in childhood causes in adulthood
New research shows that even brief exposure to air pollution in childhood can lead not only to breathing problems, but to the development of chronic cardiovascular disease.
The findings reveal a disturbing picture
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Air Pollution
heart diseases
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Sunday, 07 March 2021, 00:01
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dangerous.
Exhaust of a smoke-emitting vehicle (Photo: ShutterStock)
It has long been known that air pollution is a serious health hazard, but it is now clear that even brief exposure to air pollution in childhood can cause health problems.
Children exposed to air pollution, such as smoke from burning thorns and smoke emission from cars, for just one day may suffer in adulthood from higher rates of heart disease and other illnesses, according to a new study from Stanford University.
The surgery, published in the Nature Scientific Reports, is the first of its kind to examine the effects of air pollution at the individual cell level and at the same time focused on both the cardiovascular system and the immune system in children.
The researchers confirm previous studies that have shown that air pollution can alter gene regulation in a way that may affect long-term health - a finding that could change the way medical experts and parents think about the air their children breathe.
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"I think it's compelling enough for pediatricians to come and say, 'We have evidence of air pollution that causes changes in the immune and cardiovascular systems not just asthma and respiratory diseases, as has been proven in the past,'" said study editor Mary Peronitzky, director of air pollution research. And health at the Stanford Allergy and Asthma Research Center.
"It seems that even a brief exposure to air pollution can actually alter the regulation and expression of children's genes and perhaps alter blood pressure and lay the foundation for an increased risk of disease later in life."
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The researchers examined a group of children ages 6-8 in Fresno, California, a city that suffers from the highest levels of air pollution in the state due to industrial agriculture and fires, among others.
Using a combination of consecutive daily pollutant concentrations measured at major Fresno air monitoring stations, daily spatial sampling concentrations and meteorological and geophysical data, the research team estimated mean air pollution exposures for one day, one week, one month, 3 months, 6 months and one year before each participant visit.
Combined with health and demographic questionnaires, blood pressure readings and blood samples, the data showed a disturbing picture.
A real problem.
Vehicles pollute the air (Photo: Keinan Cohen, Keinan Cohen)
The researchers used a spectrometer - a device to measure the ratio of electric charge to mass of charged particles, to analyze immune system cells for the first time in an infection study.
The approach allowed for more sensitive measurements and provided a more in-depth analysis of the effects of exposure to pollution than was previously possible.
Among the researchers' findings, it appears that exposure to fine particles called PM2.5, carbon monoxide and ozone over time is linked to increased methylation, a modification of DNA molecules that can alter their activity without altering their sequence.
This change in gene expression may be passed on to future generations.
The researchers also found that exposure to air pollution correlates with an increase in monocytes, white blood cells that play a major role in plaque buildup in arteries, and may cause children to develop heart disease in adulthood.
The researchers clarified that future studies are needed to validate the long-term consequences, but this is a real problem.
"This is everyone's problem," said the study's senior editor, Carrie Nadu, director of the Parker Center.
"Nearly half of Americans and the vast majority of people around the world live in places with unhealthy air. Understanding and reducing the effects can save many lives."
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