Pollution particles including carbon and metals have been found in the placentas of new mothers.

Researchers have shown that inhaled particulate matter from air pollution can move from the lungs to distant organs, and is taken up by certain cells in the human placenta, and potentially the foetus.

As part of the study, placentas from 15 consenting healthy women were donated to the study following the birth of their children at The Royal London Hospital.

Pollution exposure was determined in 13 of the women, all of whom had exposure above the annual mean WHO limit for particulate matter.

The cells in the placentas were analysed using a range of techniques including light and electron microscopy, x-rays and magnetic analyses.

Black particles that closely resembled particulate matter from pollution were found in placental cells from all 15 women and these appeared in an average of one per cent of the cells which were analysed.

The majority of particles found in the placental cells were carbon-based, but researchers also found trace amounts of metals including silica, phosphorus, calcium, iron and chromium, and more rarely, titanium, cobalt, zinc and cerium.

Analysis of these nanoparticles strongly suggests that they predominantly originated from traffic-related sources. Many of these metals are associated with fossil fuel combustion arising from fuel and oil additives, and vehicle brake-wear.

The research team included Dr Zabeada Aslam from Leeds’ School of Chemical and Process Engineering.

Dr Aslam said: “This work shows that the smallest size fraction of inhaled airborne pollution particles are able to cross from the lungs into other organs and potentially even to a foetus via the placenta.

“This is concerning because these foreign particles may well react with and damage the components of a cell to cause inflammation or to interfere with normal cellular function and hamper normal development of the foetus.”

The study, funded by Barts Charity, has been published in the journal Science of The Total Environment.

The research team has now called for further work to fully define the direct effect that pollution particles may have on the developing foetus.

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