Cleaner Air Helps Children’s Lungs Catch Up

Falling traffic pollution has been linked to faster lung growth in children, with those previously lagging behind catching up within four years in the United Kingdom.

“Improving air quality through a clean-air zone is associated with faster lung growth in children,” scientists from Queen Mary University of London found after tracking children inside and outside the zone.

Researchers followed more than 3,400 children aged six to nine after the Ultra Low Emission Zone was introduced. Nitrogen dioxide levels fell by around 3.8 micrograms per cubic metre annually in central London, more than twice the decline recorded in Luton, while children’s lung function grew by an average of 233 millilitres per year compared with 223 millilitres in Luton. After four years, the earlier gap between the groups had disappeared, while the proportion of London children with impaired lung function fell from 14% to 9%, suggesting cleaner urban air can deliver measurable benefits during crucial years of development.