Children living in polluted cities will live with the health effects of early lung damage for the rest of their lives, according to a new study.
A UK study of 400 London-based children aged between eight and nine revealed those living in areas with high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), emitted from diesel cars, have up to a 10 per cent deficit in lung capacity.
“The data shows that traffic pollution stops children’s lungs growing properly,” Ian Mudway, a respiratory toxicologist at King’s College London told The Sunday Times.
Recent studies show that Ireland falls below the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines on air pollution for four harmful emissions.
While Ireland’s air quality remains generally good, Environmental Protection Agency tests suggest that people in Ireland are regularly exposed to cancer causing particulate matter (PM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). These emissions are the product of burning solid fuels in heating and traffic fumes, and have been shown to damage lungs, often leading to asthma.
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