The researchers led by Prof. Dr. Tim Nawrot of Hasselt University studied placental tissue after birth and those associated with of a premature birth. For their studies, they used a variant of the Two-photon microscopy.

Epidemiological studies carried out in recent years have shown that an exposure of pregnant women with particulate matter including black carbon was associated with intrauterine growth disorders, a lower birth weight or more frequent preterm births.

The scientists have published their investigations in Natur Communications.
Hannelore Bové, Eva Bongaerts, Eli Slenders, Esmée M. Bijnens, Nelly D. Saenen, Wilfried Gyselaers, Peter Van Eyken, Michelle Plusquin, Maarten B. J. Roeffaers, Marcel Ameloot & Tim
S. Nawrot (2019). Ambient black carbon particles reach the fetal side of human placenta. Nature Communications 10: 3866.

Source:
https://www.aerzteblatt.de/nachrichten/106086/Luftverschmutzung-Black-Carbon-erreicht-die-fetale-Seite-der-Plazenta?rt=8b1a674cf080a3174d3d19d876630244