Babies born near polluting industries in New Mexico are significantly more likely to be small at birth, which is associated with a number of health risks, according to a new study from the University of New Mexico’s School of Geography and Environmental Studies.
The researchers Environmental Management JournalThe initiative is the first of its kind in the state. Some parts of New Mexico have air pollution levels that rank among the worst in the country, according to a separate study by the American Lung Association. Air quality is particularly bad in the southeast, including the state’s two major cities, Albuquerque and Santa Fe, and in the Permian Basin, America’s most prolific oil field.
“The risks are enormous,” Giovanna Rossi, New Mexico state director for Mom’s Clean Air Force, a nonprofit that works to protect children from air pollution, said in a statement. “Low birth weight not only impacts the health of newborns, but it can also lead to health problems in children as adults.”
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The study found a strong association between exposure to five common industrial pollutants during pregnancy and low birth weight. Low birth weight can lead to respiratory, vision and digestive problems in newborns. Low birth weight is also associated with heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and developmental disabilities later in life. In the study, low birth weight was defined as less than 2,500 grams (about 5 pounds 8 ounces).
The researchers compiled weight data from the birth certificates of more than 250,000 infants born in New Mexico between 2008 and 2017. They then built a pollution exposure model based on the mothers’ home addresses, incorporating data from the Environmental Protection Agency that tracks air quality and emissions from industrial facilities.
The study found that the closer a pregnant woman lived to a contaminated facility, the greater her chances of having a dangerously low birth weight baby. Black and Latina pregnant women in New Mexico were also more likely to have low birth weight babies, the researchers found.
“The stakes are incredibly high.”
The study did not identify individual industrial sites, but noted that the pollution sources are concentrated in the Albuquerque area. In early June, residents of a neighborhood just south of Albuquerque asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to investigate air pollution that disproportionately affects minority and low-income neighborhoods. The area includes a chemical storage facility, an oil terminal, a wastewater treatment plant and two Superfund sites, according to the agency. New Mexico Political Report.
The study also found a high concentration of industrial pollution sources near Carlsbad, and researchers also looked at pollution data from more than 50 locations across the state line in West Texas. Texas and New Mexico are the nation’s No. 1 and No. 2 oil producers. Environmental justice activists have long focused on the impact of the Permian oil boom on air quality and its effects on the respiratory system.
In a press release, the researchers stressed the need for further research focusing on the public health impacts in the southeastern part of the state, where industrial areas are most concentrated. A research team at the University of New Mexico is working on a related project to investigate the association between air pollution in industrial areas and cancer rates.
“This study serves as an important call to action for policymakers, government agencies and industry leaders to protect pregnant women and their babies from industrial pollution,” said Rossi. “It is essential to strengthen protection from industrial pollution, while also strengthening air quality monitoring and mitigation efforts, especially in areas identified as high risk.”
Nick Bowlin is a contributing editor. High Country NewsEmail me at nickbowlin@hcn.org or submit a letter to the editor. Please see our letters to the editor policy.