Wildfire smoke now bigger prenatal threat than human sources of air pollution

Wildfire Smoke Linked to Higher Preterm Birth Risk Than Urban Air Pollution

Wildfire smoke has emerged as a more significant threat to fetal development than many traditional sources of urban air pollution, according to new research that highlights shifting patterns in environmental health risks. Scientists examining birth outcomes across large populations have found that exposure to particulate matter from burning forests and grasslands now contributes more to adverse prenatal effects than emissions from vehicles, fact…

Wildfire smoke now bigger prenatal threat than human sources of air pollution

Regulations reduced prenatal exposure to harmful emissions, but wildfire smoke is erasing gains.