Tagpollution(89)

A study of over 3,500 children found that exposure to air pollution — including nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter — during pregnancy and early childhood is linked to differences in brain development measurable by MRI scans at ages 9–12. The research identified conception through age 5 as particularly sensitive periods, during which higher pollution levels were associated with less organized white matter and changes in certain brain region volumes. These findings suggest that reducing air pollution exposure during pregnancy and early childhood may be important for healthy brain development.

This archive documents a long history of water pollution discharged from Seattle-Tacoma (Sea-Tac) Airport into nearby waterways, dating back to 1948. It includes Discharge Monitoring Reports filed by the Port of Seattle showing high concentrations of glycol and other chemicals flowing into local stormwater systems and ultimately Puget Sound, as well as historical letters from the 1950s describing fish kills in Miller Creek and Des Moines Creek caused by airport runoff. The records reveal decades of regulatory correspondence between the Port of Seattle and Washington State pollution authorities over inadequate waste disposal practices.

Researchers conducted a year-long mobile air quality monitoring campaign across the greater Seattle area, measuring traffic-related pollutants including ultrafine particles, black carbon, nitrogen dioxide, fine particulate matter, and carbon dioxide at 309 locations. The study developed predictive models of annual average pollution levels to support health research on how traffic emissions affect Seattle residents, particularly the elderly. The findings showed strong spatial variation in pollution levels linked to traffic and land use patterns across the region.