Explained: Soot found in placenta, is foetus at risk?

Previous studies have established a connection between prenatal exposure to ambient air pollution and impaired birth outcomes

In a recent study that raises concerns about the effects of air pollution on babies even before they are born, scientists have reported that particles of black carbon — commonly known as soot — have been found in the placenta of women, who had breathed these in during their pregnancies. The study, conducted by a team of Belgian researchers, has been published in the journal Nature Communications.