Exhaust fumes contain toxins
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Living too near a busy road could stunt a child's lung
development, US research involving 3,677 children
suggests.
Children who lived within less
than a 3rd of a mile, or 1640
feet ( 500
meters) of a major road, such as a motorway, were shown
to have lung impairment in tests. Motorways in
Europe are highways in the U.S.; they're designed to
carry a large volume of traffic. A 3rd of a mile is 1760
feet.
A mile is 5280 feet.
Many children live and go to
schools near to busy roads and could be at risk, the
University of Southern California authors warn in The
Lancet.
Experts already know toxic traffic
fumes can trigger lung conditions such as asthma.
Stunted development
But the latest work suggests
pollution can stop the lung from growing to its full
potential - even in children who are otherwise healthy.
As background air quality did not
alter the picture, children living in the countryside
but close to a main road would also be at risk, the
researchers add.
Children living close to big roads
in cities with high levels of background air pollution
were likely to be at a greater risk of lung problems
however because of the double effect on their lungs,
they suggest.
The study
They examined the lung function of
3,677 children annually from the age of 10 until they
reached 18 - when the lungs are fully developed.
Those who had lived within 1640
feet (500 meters) of a motorway had much poorer lung function at
the age of 18 than those who had lived 4920 feet (1,500 meters) away
or more, even when factors such as smoking in the home
were taken into account.
Dr John Peters and colleagues say
fumes from cars, bikes and lorries are to blame.
They recommend more work to
identify the exact culprits in vehicle exhausts.
Scientists do not know exactly how
air pollution hampers lung development, but they believe
lung inflammation in response to daily irritation by air
pollutants may play a role.
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This report will be disturbing
reading for many parents
