SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — A new University of Utah study says a spike in nitrogen dioxide pollution is linked to an increased risk for miscarriage along the Wasatch Front.
The study says women are at a greater risk of losing their pregnancy within 7 days of a spike in nitrogen dioxide pollution here.
Researchers say there some limitations, they saw only the most severe cases during a small window of time and not the whole picture.
During the seven day window, there was a 16 percent increase in the risk of miscarriage. Nitrogen Dioxide gets into the air from car and truck emissions and the burning of fuel.
They looked at nitrogen dioxide, ozone and small particulate matter, but found statistical significance only from NO2.
Though small particulate matter comes with its own risks:
“The PM2.5 particle is so small, it can actually get into the blood stream, and they ahve shown an increased risk of heart attack and stroke during this time,” said Utah County health educator Andrea Jensen on A Woman’s View airing Sunday on KSL Newsradio.
“People will call the health department and say, what are you doing about the air quality? Well, there are 600,000 people in Utah County. What are you doing? We can all do a little bit,” said Jensen.