PIPA in the media: research featured in O Globo newspaper

Professor Dr. Carmen Fróes Asmus, General Coordinator of the Childhood and Environmental Pollutants Project, PIPA/UFRJ, was featured in a report by O Globo newspaper. The article addressed the project's preliminary results, emphasizing that this is the largest Brazilian study on exposure of pregnant women and children to pollutants common, such as toxic metals and microplastics.

Dr. Carmen emphasized the importance of urban tree cover in protecting health, especially for children. According to the study, babies born in less tree-covered neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro showed higher levels of pollutants such as lead and mercury in umbilical cord blood, compared with those from greener areas. These findings highlight the significant influence of the urban environment on early exposure to pollutants.

A reportagem “A Influência da Arborização Urbana na Exposição a Poluentes em Bebês” também destaca a desigualdade na distribuição das áreas verdes no Rio de Janeiro. Além de realçar os resultados preliminares, a Dra. Carmen Fróes sublinhou a necessidade de políticas públicas focadas na expansão e manutenção de áreas verdes urbanas, visando a melhoria da saúde pública e o bem-estar das futuras gerações.

The full text, available to subscribers of Jornal O Globo, can be accessed here.