Nearly 2 Mn children will develop asthma each year due to traffic-related pollution: Study

Nearly two million children are at risk of developing pediatric asthma annually in the coming years as a result of rising traffic-related air pollution, warns a new study by George Washington University. Asthma is a disease, which falls in the category of 'chronic diseases' and causes complications in the lung's airways. The experts have gathered data from over 13,000 cities from Los Angeles to Mumbai and concluded that young ones in big cities are more vulnerable to the disease. According to the research, it is the higher concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) that is the main culprit for pediatric asthma.

Risk of asthma is higher in urban areas, study finds

The co-lead author of the research, which was published in Lancet Planetary Health, and a professor at George Washington University Susan Anenberg said in a statement, "Our study found that nitrogen dioxide puts children at risk of developing asthma and the problem is especially acute in urban areas. The findings suggest that clean air must be a critical part of strategies aimed at keeping children healthy". 

The team of scientists reportedly collected data on the emissions of NO2 from vehicles, power plants and industrial sites as well as tracked asthma cases in children from 2000 to 2019. A thorough analysis of the data revealed that out of 1.85 million NO2-induced pediatric asthma cases in 2019 globally, two-thirds of them were from urban areas. Shockingly enough, a previous study by the university showed that air pollution due to NO2 was responsible for 13% of the global pediatric asthma cases and up to 50% of the total cases in 250 of the world's most populated cities. 

However, the experts also noted a decline in a small fraction of asthma cases in countries, such as the US, which have strict environmental regulations. Between 2000 and 2019, the number of NO2-related asthma cases dropped from 20% to 16% respectively owing to these strict regulations. Although the scientists did highlight that the clean air in Europe and the US is being countered by the rising NO2 pollution in South Asia, Sub-Saharan African and the Middle East. Talking about a way to improve the conditions, Anenberg said that reduced use of fossil fuels for transportation should be the go-to move as it may help in avoiding pediatric asthma and excess deaths. "At the same time, it would also reduce greenhouse gas emissions, leading to a healthier climate", she added as per the University's report. 

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