Fine Dust, Increased Incidence of Precocious Puberty
Greater Negative Impact on Girls than Boys
A study has revealed that air pollution accelerates the age of menarche in girls.
Ewha Womans University announced on the 15th that Professor Ha Eun-hee's team and Professor Kim Hye-soon's team conducted a joint research study showing that air pollution affects the age of menarche in girls. The research was published in the international environmental journal, Environmental Research.
Professor Ha Eun-hee (left in the photo) and Professor Kim Hye-soon of Ewha Womans University. [Image source=Ewha Womans University]
The research team focused on the fact that environmental factors can influence the onset of precocious puberty. According to domestic studies, the average age of menarche in Korean girls has advanced from 14.2 years in 1970 to 12.7 years in 2010. Between 2008 and 2020, the number of girls showing signs of precocious puberty increased sixteenfold.
The team conducted big data analysis on 1.2 million boys and girls born between 2007 and 2009 and confirmed that prolonged exposure to fine particulate matter and ozone increases the risk of precocious puberty in girls.
In particular, the impact of air pollution on precocious puberty was found to be greater in girls than in boys. Early menarche and precocious puberty in girls can result in insufficient height growth and increase the incidence of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, obesity, and metabolic syndrome.
Based on the study, the research team suggested that chemical substances disrupting sex hormones or heavy metals emitted into the atmosphere and accumulated in the body may have harmful effects.
Professor Ha Eun-hee stated, "This study demonstrated that air pollution can lead to adverse outcomes such as precocious puberty, where growth and development in children occur excessively." She emphasized, "There is a need for national-level air quality management policies to reduce exposure to air pollution."
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