Sat, Nov 28, 2020 page3

• PM2.5 increases premature birth risk: doctor

  • By Lo Chi and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writer
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  Pregnant women with long-term exposure to high levels of airborne particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) are more likely to give birth prematurely or to an underweight child, a doctor said on Sunday last week.

  As the air quality typically deteriorates during winter, Lee Chia-chieh (李佳潔), an obstetrician at Cathay General Hospital in Taipei, urged pregnant women to remain alert to concentrations of the fine particulate matter, small enough to penetrate the deepest parts of the lungs.

  There is significant scientific evidence that children born to mothers who have had long-term exposure to the pollutant are more likely to be born premature and underweight, especially when exposed in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, Lee said.

  

  Buildings in Kaohsiung are pictured on Nov. 15, as the city is covered by air pollution.

  Photo: Huang Chih-yuan

  An article published last year in the journal Nature Communications confirmed the long-held hypothesis that PM2.5 breathed in by a pregnant woman can reach the placenta, she said.

  The researchers found black carbon particles in every placenta they screened, ranging from 9,500 per cubic millimeter for mothers with lower exposure to 20,900 per cubic millimeter for those with higher exposure, the article said.

  This discovery cannot be taken lightly, as it proves the significant effect air pollution has on expecting mothers and their children, Lee said.

  High PM2.5 exposure in the third trimester is more associated with mental effects, potentially reducing the size of the corpus callosum — the nerve tract that connects the two hemispheres of the brain — by about 5 percent, Lee said.

  Although scientific research proving the effect of PM2.5 exposure on fetal development is still forthcoming, there is a proven correlation between corpus callosum size and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, she said.

  In addition to pregnant mothers and children, air pollution also has a negative effect on sperm quality.

  A study published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine used standard medical exam data from 2001 to 2014 to investigate the correlation between PM2.5 concentration and sperm quality in Taiwan, Lee said.

  Researchers compared sperm samples from 6,475 men aged 15 to 49 against air quality in their places of residence, the study said.

  The researchers found a “robust association” between PM2.5 levels and sperm quality, finding that higher pollution levels decreased the sperm count, no matter if comparing against the two-year PM2.5 average or three-month average, it said.

  The most common sources of air pollution encountered by people in their daily lives are vehicle exhaust and secondhand smoke, Lee said, recommending four ways to reduce exposure.

  First, pregnant women and parents with children should avoid visiting places with lots of vehicles, she said.

  Second, they should avoid going outside on days with heavy air pollution, or if unavoidable, wear a mask, Lee added.

  Third, people should stop smoking, as it has one of the most significant effects on health, she said, adding that secondhand smoke can linger indoors for a long time.

  Last, pregnant women and parents should pay particular attention to health reports and daily air quality warnings to educate themselves on the topic, Lee said.
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