Toxins in the Atmosphere Threaten Fetal Health on Salt Lake City’s West Side
Every source of pollution and toxic chemical exposure steals a little from our children’s future.
There was an excellent Op-ed in the Salt Lake Tribune recently from two of our board members, Drs. Sara Johnson and Brian Moench, joined by pediatricians Drs. Marina Capella and Louis Borgenicht.
Imagine a young couple, John and Jane Doe, living on SLC’s West side in the year 2024. They decide it’s time to have a baby. Unknown to them, the chromosomes in John’s sperm and Jane’s eggs suffered a bit from the pollution and pesticides they inhaled and ingested when they were younger. Their chances of conceiving are a little less, and if they succeed, the baby’s chromosomes will carry some imperfections that will increase its chance of multiple chronic diseases decades later.
