Lost Science is an ongoing series of accounts from scientists who have lost their jobs or funding after cuts by the Trump administration. The conversations have been edited for clarity and length. Here’s why we’re doing this.
Interview by Sachi Kitajima Mulkey
Shruthi Mahalingaiah: I am a physician scientist, which means I am a doctor who does research, specializing in environmental exposure and women’s reproductive health.
Several years ago, I received a nearly $3 million federal research grant to start asking questions about air pollution exposures and reproductive health. No one was asking this.
We looked at air pollution exposures at different life stages and outcomes for infertility, fibroids in the uterus and endometriosis, and menstrual cycle length.
Air pollution is measured by the amount of particulates that we breathe in, which can cross through our lungs and into our bloodstream. This can look like thick air, such as on a smoggy day, or what comes out of an exhaust pipe.
With this grant, I also wanted to understand which time window of exposure is most important for menstrual health — prenatal, childhood or adult. Our early results showed that the first trimester of pregnancy is a time to be especially concerned about air pollution and temperature.
One of my previously published studies found that for every additional 10 micrograms of particulates per cubic meter of air there was a corresponding 10 percent increase in infertility risk.
The post She Found a Link Between Air Pollution and Infertility appeared first on New York Times.
