September 22, 2004 – Children growing up in cities are five times more likely to have lung problems as adults, study finds1 published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Analysis of the data collected also indicates that children’s exposure to air pollutants over a long period of time could lead to a permanent 20% decrease in their lung capacity.
The results of this prospective study – in which 1,759 10-year-old children participated – indicate that exposure to pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, acid fumes and particulate matter resulted in impaired lung capacity. . Recruited from schools in 12 California communities, these young children were followed for eight years, during which time their lung capacity was assessed on a regular basis. At the same time, the contents of air samples collected daily through monitoring stations were analyzed.
The researchers adjusted the results based on multiple factors, including body mass index, gender, ethnicity, and asthma diagnosis, if applicable. Their analysis shows that all children are at risk of chronic negative effects when they breathe polluted air. The authors explain that the effects observed in the participants in their study could increase their vulnerability to suffer from chronic respiratory diseases as they get older.
On this International Car Free Day, this study reminds us that one of the main sources of urban air pollution remains car traffic. Nitrogen oxides are produced when a vehicle burns nitrogen in the air. Particulate matter is a collection of microscopic fragments of various origins that are deposited in the lungs. Acid fumes mainly come from industrial manufacturing processes.
Marie france Coutu – PasseportSanté.net
According to Agence Science-Presse
Gauderman WJ, Avol E, Gilliland F, et al, The effect of air pollution on lung development from 10 to 18 years of age, New England Journal of Medicine, September 2004, Vol. 351, No. 11, 1057-67.