Prenatal Exposure to Urban Air Pollutants Can Cause Genetic Changes Linked to Increased Cancer Risk
A study of 60 newborns in New York City suggests that prenatal exposure to combustion-related urban air pollutants alters the structure of chromosomes of babies in the womb.
Such genetic alterations have been linked to increased risk of cancer in children and adults.
The research involved a sample of infants and their non-smoking mothers in Harlem, Washington Heights, and the South Bronx — three low-income neighborhoods in New York City. The mothers wore personal monitors to measure their exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) during the third trimester of their pregnancies. Chromosomal aberrations were measured in the cord blood cells and were found to be associated with PAH exposure. “If confirmed, this finding may open new avenues for prevention,” concluded the Columbia University researchers.
Bocskay KA, Orjuela MA, Dang D, Liu X, Warburton, DP, Perera FP. Chromosomal Aberrations in Cord Blood Are Associated with Prenatal Exposure to Carcinogenic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention 2005; 14:506-511.
For a copy of the abstract click here. For a copy of the article click here.
