Here's how air pollution can affect children's long-term health

Childhood exposure to air pollution, including wildfire smoke and car exhaust, for even short periods of time, can lead to higher rates of heart disease and other ailments in adulthood, says a new Stanford-led study. 

Published in Nature Scientific Reports, the study confirms previous research that bad air can alter gene regulation in a way that may impact long-term health.

Exposure to fine particulate known as PM2.5, carbon monoxide and ozone over time was linked to a change in gene expression which may be passed down to future generations.