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posted by martyb on Friday October 20 2017, @05:48PM   Printer-friendly

A study has found that pregnant women exposed to air pollution (as inferred by their residential addresses, not lung biopsies or something) give birth to babies with shorter telomeres, considered a sign of premature aging damage:

"Reducing exposure to air pollution is a good thing, for both the parents and for the unborn baby," said Pam Factor-Litvak, author of an accompanying editorial and a public health researcher at Columbia University in New York. "Prenatal exposure to air pollution is associated with a host of adverse outcomes," Factor-Litvak said by email.

For the study, Tim Nawrot of Hasselt University in Diepenbeek, Belgium, and colleagues examined telomere length from samples of cord blood and placental tissue for 641 newborns in the Flanders region. They also looked at mothers' exposure to pollutants known as PM 2.5, a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter that can include dust, dirt, soot and smoke and are often found in traffic exhaust.

Some previous research has linked exposure to traffic fumes and air pollution to higher odds of infertility as well as an increased risk of delivering underweight or premature babies. Prior research has also linked shorter telomeres to an increased risk of a variety of chronic health problems in adults, including heart disease and cancer.

Also at CleanTechnica.

Prenatal Air Pollution and Newborns' Predisposition to Accelerated Biological Aging (open, DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.3024) (DX)

Editorial: Environmental Exposures, Telomere Length at Birth, and Disease Susceptibility in Later Life (DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.3562) (DX)


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @07:27PM (11 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @07:27PM (#585386)

    Individuals are free to enter into voluntary contracts with their energy provider and the local department of motor vehicles. Any person that does not like pollution is free to buy an electric vehicle, but they must not be allowed to infringe upon the rights of others to choose gas powered vehicles. If the pollution in their city gets too bad they can simply update their contractual agreement to demand less pollution, or they can use the market to provide incentives for others to switch to EVs. Offer a competing contract, sink life savings into providing everyone with the "cost savings" they require to make the right choice. This is the free market at work! Such a series of contracts will naturally get society to evolve into the most optimal configuration.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @07:33PM (4 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @07:33PM (#585390)

    I produce all the energy I need with solar panels and a couple windmills, batteries during the night.

    I did not enter a contract with anybody to allow their refuse to waft on to my property. I'm not certain which contract enforcer to hire, because there is no contract to allow their waste to trespass on my property. What do you suggest?

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @08:01PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @08:01PM (#585399)

      Public Dumping?

      I am pretty sure there are stiff fines for public littering, and even stiffer fines for public dumping of materials considered 'toxic waste' or otherwise harmful to the health of the general public.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @08:53PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @08:53PM (#585428)

        No, no, no. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the responses.

        But I'm from Ancapistan! Where were have an emergent society based on voluntary exchange, contracts, and all that stuff. There's no violent imposition here!

        Except for all the smog that's reducing my solar panel efficiency!

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @08:44PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @08:44PM (#585426)

      When it comes to a "contract" and "enforcer", the entity which immediately springs to mind is The Mob. [google.com]

      -- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]

    • (Score: 2) by t-3 on Friday October 20 2017, @09:48PM

      by t-3 (4907) on Friday October 20 2017, @09:48PM (#585445)

      Get your air quality regularly tested. If you can show a change and link it to a polluter, you can sue.

  • (Score: 3, Funny) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday October 20 2017, @07:53PM (5 children)

    by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Friday October 20 2017, @07:53PM (#585397) Journal

    If this is a joke...well, don't quit your day job for the late-night comedy circuit. If this is not a joke, you are beyond salvation.

    --
    I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
    • (Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Friday October 20 2017, @08:32PM (3 children)

      by DeathMonkey (1380) on Friday October 20 2017, @08:32PM (#585416) Journal

      Azuma and DeathMonkey have formed a voluntary contract to keep Violently Imposed Monopoly Guy off the site.

      The fact that Azuma and DM have no relationship with the site (polluters), and no ability to enforce our contract terms (laws), is not a problem in Violently Imposed Monopoly Guy's universe.

      • (Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday October 20 2017, @09:16PM (2 children)

        by Azuma Hazuki (5086) on Friday October 20 2017, @09:16PM (#585435) Journal

        Wait, we have? I didn't see any contract. ...oh, damn it, is this because I told that little cat-rabbitty thing I'd fight for him?

        --
        I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
        • (Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Friday October 20 2017, @09:29PM (1 child)

          by DeathMonkey (1380) on Friday October 20 2017, @09:29PM (#585440) Journal

          You must be great fun at parties!

          • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 21 2017, @12:22AM

            by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 21 2017, @12:22AM (#585490)

            She does not have to be great fun at parties. She never agreed to that!

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @09:12PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 20 2017, @09:12PM (#585433)

      I don't expect to make any money off of it, just trollin the troll. I'm sure the shills do much better with content drafts sent to them by their friendly Deep Learning(tm) networks and media content distributors. It is surprisingly hard to wing it for crazy mode, but I don't get much practice either. You earning a tidy profit off your Leno and SNL comedy writing?