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UNICEF Says 17 Million Babies Worldwide Breathe Air Pollution Six Times Worse Than Recommended Limit
Toxic air puts 17 million babies' brains and lungs at risk: UNICEF [reuters.com]
About 17 million babies worldwide live in areas where outdoor air pollution is six times the recommended limit, and their brain development is at risk, the U.N. children's agency (UNICEF) said on Wednesday.
The majority of these babies – more than 12 million – are in South Asia, it said, in a study of children under one-year-old, using satellite imagery to identify worst-affected regions.
"Not only do pollutants harm babies' developing lungs – they can permanently damage their developing brains – and, thus, their futures," said UNICEF executive director Anthony Lake.
The links between air pollution and dain bramage are not yet conclusive, according to the report's author.
UNICEF press release [unicef.org]. Danger in the air [unicef.org] (PDF).
Related: Air Quality Unsafe for 90% of People In Urban Centres [soylentnews.org]
80 Percent of World's City Dwellers Breathing Bad Air: UN [soylentnews.org]
Study Links Pregnant Women's Exposure to Air Pollution to Shorter Telomeres in Babies [soylentnews.org]
Lancet Report Says Pollution Caused 9 Million Premature Deaths in 2015 [soylentnews.org]
Air Pollution Linked to Osteoporosis and Bone Fractures [soylentnews.org]
