Fossil Fuel Pollution: Birth Defects Culprit?

Air pollution caused by fossil fuels has been linked to a range of health issues, including an increased risk of birth defects. A study in four cities in Hunan province, China, found that exposure to air pollution during the first three months before and after pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of birth defects. Certain types of birth defects, such as abdominal malformations and hypospadias, were more strongly connected to air pollution. Similarly, a study in Ohio found that exposure to fine particulate matter in the month before and after conception was associated with a higher risk of birth defects. Proximity to fracking has also been associated with adverse birth outcomes, including premature births, decreased birth weights, and birth defects. Air pollution has also been linked to other health issues in children, such as respiratory illness, neurodevelopmental problems, and long-term cognitive and behavioral development issues.

Air pollution from fossil fuels can cause birth defects

Air pollution and birth defects

Air pollution affects practically all countries in the world and all parts of society. Only one in ten people lives in a city that complies with the World Health Organization's Air Quality Guidelines. A recent study found that women who breathe polluted air during the month right before or after they get pregnant may be more likely to have babies with birth defects. The impact of air pollution on birth defects varied based on how far women lived from air quality monitoring stations. Certain types of birth defects appeared more strongly connected to air pollution, including abdominal malformations and what's known as hypospadias, an abnormality in boys that occurs when the opening of the urethra doesn't develop at the tip of the penis and instead forms on the shaft or on the scrotum.

Fossil fuels and air pollution

Fossil fuel combustion by-products are the world's most significant threat to children's health and future and are major contributors to global inequality and environmental injustice. Globally, the majority of air pollution is generated by the combustion of fossil fuels for electricity production, heating, transportation, and industry. Fossil fuels are also the major human source of the greenhouse gases and short-lived climate pollutants that drive climate change.

Solutions and interventions

Means are available to transition from dirty fossil fuels to clean energy, and interventions are being mounted in many communities, cities, and countries. For example, the India Heat Action Plan has provided an early-warning system to better prepare and protect local communities from deadly heat waves. The California climate change initiative is another example of an intervention to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve health and economic outcomes.

Fossil fuel extraction endangers women's health

Fossil fuel extraction and the resultant air, water, and soil pollution pose significant risks to women's health and safety. A growing body of scientific research and first-hand accounts from women highlight the dangers associated with the fossil fuel industry, particularly for African American/Black/African Diaspora, Indigenous, Latina/Chicana, and low-income women. Here are four to six paragraphs elaborating on these concerns:

Environmental Racism and Health Risks

Women of color and Indigenous women bear the brunt of environmental racism, as they are disproportionately affected by the health consequences of fossil fuel extraction. Air pollution and water contamination resulting from fossil fuel activities have been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, ovarian diseases, and adverse maternal health outcomes. Proximity to fracking operations has been associated with premature births, decreased birth weights, birth defects, and high-risk pregnancies, particularly among Latina/Chicana women in heavily fracked regions like Kern County, CA.

"Man Camps" and Mental Health Impacts

The establishment of "man camps," or temporary housing sites for construction workers along pipeline routes, has been linked to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People epidemic. Indigenous women and girls living near these camps face increased risks of violence and human rights abuses, compounding the trauma and mental health impacts within these communities.

Financial Complicity

Leading financial institutions, including Vanguard, BlackRock, Capital Group, JPMorgan Chase, and Bank of America, have been complicit in perpetuating gender and racial injustices. Despite voicing support for the Paris Climate Agreement and human rights, these institutions continue to finance, insure, and invest in fossil fuel companies that cause disproportionate harm to women and communities of color while violating Indigenous rights.

Health and Climate Crises

The climate crisis, fueled by fossil fuel emissions, poses significant health risks to women. Heat islands, for example, disproportionately affect women, who are often responsible for caring for children and the elderly during heatwaves. Additionally, the climate crisis contributes to food insecurity, water scarcity, and the spread of infectious diseases, all of which disproportionately impact women, especially in low-income communities.

Policy and Systemic Change

Addressing the gendered and racialized health impacts of the fossil fuel industry requires systemic change. Financial institutions must immediately divest from fossil fuels and adopt bolder policies that align with the Paris Agreement and respect for international human rights laws. Governments must impose stricter regulations on fossil fuel companies, prevent them from operating near residential areas, and prohibit further fossil fuel expansion. Additionally, Indigenous knowledge and leadership must be central to decision-making processes, with their rights to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent respected.

Air pollution can cause pregnancy complications

A study in Hunan province, China, found that exposure to air pollution in the first three months before pregnancy and in the first and third trimesters was associated with an increased risk of birth defects. The risk of birth defects related to exposure to sulfur dioxide (SO2) in the first three months before pregnancy was between 1.191 and 1.566, and in the first trimester, the risk was between 1.104 and 1.348. The risk of birth defects related to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) before pregnancy was 1.285, and in the first trimester, the risk was between 1.280 and 1.380. The risk of birth defects related to particulate matter (PM10) in the first month of pregnancy was 1.098, and in the third month before delivery, the risk was 1.296.

Another study, using female rats as the animal model, found that exposure to fine particulate matter consisting of ammonium sulfate during pregnancy resulted in decreased fetal survival rates, shortened gestation rates leading to smaller body weight, and damage to brains, hearts, and other organs in the adult rat models.

A growing body of scientific research and women’s first-hand accounts document links between fossil fuels and threats to the health and safety of women, including environmental racism, breaches of Indigenous rights, pollution, heat islands, fertility issues, and mental health impacts. Air pollution and water contamination have been linked to breast cancer, ovarian diseases, and maternal health risks. Proximity to fracking has been associated with adverse birth outcomes, including premature births, decreased birth weights, birth defects, and high-risk pregnancies.

Overall, air pollution can cause pregnancy complications, and fossil fuels are a major contributor to air pollution, leading to adverse health outcomes for pregnant women and their babies.

Fossil fuel projects undermine women's safety and human rights

Fossil fuel projects have been found to have a detrimental impact on the health and safety of women, particularly those from minority backgrounds. The Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) released a report in 2021 detailing the ways in which fossil fuel activity disproportionately affects the health and human rights of women, especially those who are African American/Black/African Diaspora, Indigenous, Latina/Chicana, and low-income.

One of the main ways in which fossil fuel projects undermine women's safety and human rights is through environmental pollution. Air, water, and soil pollution from fossil fuels have been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, ovarian diseases, and maternal health risks in women. Proximity to fracking has also been associated with adverse birth outcomes, including premature births, decreased birth weights, birth defects, and high-risk pregnancies. A study in Hunan province, China, found a positive association between air pollution and birth defects, with the risk of birth defects related to pollutants such as SO2, NO2, and PM10 being higher during specific stages of pregnancy.

In addition to the health impacts, fossil fuel projects can also lead to social and economic disparities that disproportionately affect women. For example, "man camps," or temporary housing sites set up for construction workers along pipeline routes, have been linked to the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People. Additionally, women often bear a disproportionate burden of caretaking responsibilities, which can be exacerbated by the health impacts of fossil fuel pollution.

The climate crisis caused by fossil fuels also contributes to gender-specific impacts, such as increased rates of gender-based violence and adverse reproductive health outcomes. The combustion of fossil fuels is the primary cause of climate change, and governments' continued support for the industry undermines their obligation to prevent foreseeable harm caused by the resulting climate crisis.

To address these issues, it is essential to adopt policies and interventions that reduce dependence on fossil fuels and promote a transition to clean and renewable energy sources. This includes implementing regulations on fossil fuel companies, such as stricter emissions standards and prohibitions on building near residential areas, as well as investing in clean energy infrastructure. By taking action to mitigate the impacts of fossil fuel projects, we can help protect the health, safety, and human rights of women, particularly those from marginalized communities.

Fossil fuel-related air pollution is a public health emergency

Synergies between air pollution and climate change can magnify the harm to children. Impacts include the impairment of cognitive and behavioural development, respiratory illness, and other chronic diseases—all of which may be "seeded" in utero and affect health and functioning immediately and over the life course. By impairing children's health, ability to learn, and potential to contribute to society, pollution and climate change cause children to become less resilient and the communities they live in to become less equitable.

The developing fetus and young child are disproportionately affected by these exposures because of their immature defence mechanisms and rapid development, especially those in low- and middle-income countries where poverty and lack of resources compound the effects. No country is spared, however: even high-income countries, especially low-income communities and communities of colour within them, are experiencing the impacts of fossil fuel-related pollution, climate change, and resultant widening inequality and environmental injustice.

A growing body of scientific research and women’s first-hand accounts document a myriad of links between fossil fuels and threats to the health and safety of African American/Black/African Diaspora, Indigenous, Latina/Chicana, and low-income women. These effects include environmental racism, breaches to Indigenous rights, pollution, heat islands, fertility issues, "man camps", and mental health impacts, as well as the unequal caretaking role that women play across the United States, Canada, and globally.

Proximity to fracking has been associated with adverse birth outcomes, including premature births, decreased birth weights, birth defects, and high-risk pregnancies. Air pollution and water contamination have also been linked to breast cancer, ovarian diseases, and maternal health risks.

Air pollution affects practically all countries in the world and all parts of society; only one person in ten lives in a city that complies with the World Health Organization (WHO) Air Quality Guidelines. About 300 million children currently live in areas where outdoor air pollution exceeds international guidelines at least six-fold. Globally, about 2 billion children live in areas that exceed the WHO annual guideline for fine particles of 10 μg/m3.

Fossil-fuel combustion is also the major human source of the greenhouse gases and short-lived climate pollutants that drive climate change. As stated in a recent US interagency report: "Many lines of evidence demonstrate that human activities, especially emissions of greenhouse gases, are primarily responsible for the observed climate changes in the industrial era, especially over the last six decades."

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