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Air Pollution and Your Baby

Benzene is a known marker of exposure to air pollution from traffic. A joint effect of benzene and other aromatic hydrocarbons from traffic emissions have been suggested to influence pre-term birth, birth weight and head circumference in the newborn.(1) A recent study by Aguilera et al.(2) looked at the effects of exposure of several aromatic hydrocarbons common to traffic-related air pollution, on fetal growth during pregnancy in 562 pregnant women, part of the Spanish INMA Sabadell study cohort.

Prenatal exposure to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene in nonresidential outdoor environments for less than 2 hours/day, from the beginning of pregnancy showed impaired growth in biparietal diameter (BPD) of the fetus during mid- to late pregnancy, as measured through ultrasound. BPD is the transverse diameter of the fetal skull measured from one parietal bone to the other. This measurement is often used to assess gestational age, monitor fetal growth and estimate fetal weight. One of the conclusions gained from this study is that early prenatal exposure to everyday air pollution from traffic may adversely affect fetal growth.

US BioTek’s Environmental Pollutants Panel measures metabolites of several aromatic hydrocarbons including benzene, toluene and xylene in addition to phthalates a possible endocrine disruptor. This panel is available from a simple spot urine that utilizes our proprietary Dip ’N Dry urine collection strip to maximize analyte stability and recovery.

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