Jet aircraft exhaust linked to preterm births

A study from theUCLA Fielding School of Public Health has found that pregnant women exposed to high levels of ultra fine particles from jet airplane exhaust are 14% more likely to have a preterm birth than those exposed to lower levels.The researchers examined exposure among women living near Los Angeles International Airport, in an area that includes neighborhoods in Los Angeles, El Segundo, Hawthorne, Inglewood andseveral other communities inland fromthe airport.“The data suggest that airplane pollution contributes to preterm births above and beyond the main source of air pollutionin this area, which is tra ffic,” said Dr. Beate Ritz,a professor in the departments of epidemiology and environmental health sciences at the Fielding School.Preterm birth is associated with complications such as immature lungs, difficulty regulating body temperature, poor feeding and slow weight gain.The research team, co-led by Ritz and Scott Fruin of the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, examined records for all births— a total of 174,186 —between 2008 and 2016 to mothers living within9 miles (15 km) of LAX.They divided the overall area into four sections based on the amount of ultrafine particle, or UFP, pollution from jet exhaust, with the section nearest the airport experiencing the highest exposure.After adjustingfor tra ffic-related air pollution andother variables that may a ffectthe risk of preterm birth, including airport-related noiseand the mo...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news