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Children exposed to air pollution are more likely to develop disease later in life
By Roberta Attanasio We have known for quite some time that the first years of life represent a unique “window of vulnerability”—exposures to environmental chemicals at this time influence cellular programming in ways that shape health and disease in later years. For example, recent research shows that there is a significant association between multiple prenatal and early life exposures to indoor pollutants and the degree of allergic sensitivity in 2-year old children. In other words, babies exposed to air pollution during prenatal life and for the first several moths after birth, up to 2 years of age, are at higher risk of developing allergic sensitivity. Now, results from a study published…
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Wildfires and fireworks may pollute the air inside your home
By Roberta Attanasio 4o years ago an article published in The New York Times highlighted the threat of indoor air pollution: “The air you breathe in your home or office may be hazardous to your health – more dangerous, in fact, than the outdoor air in the most polluted of cities. This is especially so during the cold months, when windows and doors are kept tightly shut and homes, schools and office buildings are made as airtight as possible to conserve energy.” While at the time awareness of the problem was still limited, we now know—on the basis of scientific evidence— that the air within homes and other buildings can be…