New research shows pollution’s dangers can be passed on to next generation

Parents’ exposure to polluted air before conceiving could have a negative impact on the heart health of the offspring later in life. Researchers studied the effects of dirty air on mice and found an abundance of evidence of harm to the offspring of parents that routinely breathed dirty air prior to mating. Heart function was impaired, inflammatory markers linked to increased heart disease risk were high and they had markers of oxidative stress, a condition in which levels of beneficial antioxidants are low.