The link between air pollution and premature births was the focus of a new TIME article.
New research shows that 16,000 premature births in the U.S. each year are linked to air pollution, leading to billions of dollars in economic costs. While it’s been recommended that women move away from high-traffic areas, individual actions can only go so far, according to experts. UBC’s Michael Brauer, who studies the health effects of pollution, says air pollution doesn’t spread in a predictable fashion.
“The risk seems to be existent down to the lowest levels we can measure in a populated area. While it goes up, it doesn’t necessarily go up in a linear fashion,” said Brauer.
