India, April 26 -- A recent study by AIIMS researchers drew sharp attention to how air pollution, specifically sulphur dioxide (SO2), harms pregnant women. SO2 hampers the development of the placenta, the organ that nourishes a baby in the womb. Prolonged exposure can trigger early pregnancy loss. However, the link between air pollution and reproductive health is one that has been largely overlooked-with grim consequences for women.

Rekha is a 27-year-old bricklayer working on the outskirts of Faridabad. Two kilometres from her worksite sits a coal depot and a cluster of diesel generator units that run nearly around the clock. On windy afternoons, the air quality sensors in the area record SO₂ levels nearly six times the WHO's safe...