Soot in air can harm mice DNA, study finds

Soot in air can harm mice DNA, study finds

Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Sooty air pollution can cause genetic damage that can be passed along to offspring, Canadian researchers reported Thursday in a study on mice.

Follow-up work is needed to learn if people can inherit pollution-damaged DNA that harms their health. In the meantime, the discovery is sure to increase scientists' worry about particulates, the microscopic soot particles emitted by factories, power plants and diesel-burning vehicles.

The good news: Air filters protected the mice.

"The new work now adds another area of potential concern" because of the implications for risks to future generations, said Dr. Jonathan Samet of Johns Hopkins University, who headed a National Academy of Sciences call for research into the dangers of this common pollutant.

More at the Houston Chronicle

The Toxic Substances Research Initiative has been looking at chemicals (volatile organic compounds) attached to the surfaces of those fine particles. The more they look, the nastier this stuff (PM10, PM2.5, etc.) appears.

So this is another good reason to try to cut back on combustion-related pollutants.